What new Democratic Congress could mean for Iran war, $1.5T Pentagon budget Trump’s $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget and nearly $90 billion request for Iran war funding will soon be in the crosshairs as Democrats negotiate their demands with the White House. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Analysis Iran cheers Democrats’ midterm victory but fears Trump's next move The Democratic win was a victory Tehran had been waiting to claim and project as evidence that Trump's confrontation with Iran has backfired. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
From Tehran to Tel Aviv, Democrats’ midterm triumph sparks Middle East reactions Iranian officials responded gleefully to the Democrats’ sweeping victory in the Senate and House, while regional media highlighted Abdul El-Sayed’s election as the first Muslim American senator. Iran
Gulf markets gain, oil falls as Democrats win Congress Oil prices fell after Democrats won control of the House and Senate amid hopes that a Democratic-led Congress could lead to more US restraint in Iran. United States
US strikes Iran’s Qeshm Island as Trump hints at possible deal By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Intel: How Iranian influence operations are receiving new scrutiny in Washington The Senate is poised to follow the House lead in passing legislation to create a center to monitor Iranian, Russian, Chinese and North Korean efforts to sway US public opinion. Congress
Rouhani looks to Japan’s Abe to pick up where Macron left off Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who appears to be seeking a mediator for the US-Iranian relationship, next week will visit Japan, a country where Iran has a lot of frozen assets. United States
Intel: How Trump continues to restrict humanitarian trade with Iran The Donald Trump administration on Wednesday sanctioned Tehran’s biggest airline and shipping network, charging them with transporting Iranian weapons in a move that could further restrict the flow of humanitarian goods into Iran. United States
IRGC head blames foreign influence for protest 'sedition' In the aftermath of massive protests that saw hundreds killed in Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is still casting blame for the violence outward and warning Western and "hostile regional countries" against provoking unrest in the nation. Iran
Iran's regional peace initiative faces major challenges While Oman and Iran may have high hopes for the Hormuz Peace Endeavor, regional security arrangements have typically needed great-power backing to hold them together. Saudi Arabia
How Rouhani and Trump almost reached a deal While hopes have emerged as the result of a prisoner exchange between Iran and the United States, some analysts believe this won't lead to negotiations and a Trump-Rouhani meeting. United States
Iran ready for 'comprehensive' prisoner swap with US Archenemies Iran and the United States appeared closer to exchanging all their prisoners, as Tehran said it was "fully ready" for such a swap. United States
Trump says Iran prisoner swap shows deal can be made A successful US-Iran prisoner swap is a confidence building measure but it remains to be seen whether it could be a prelude to negotiations on broader US-Iran tensions. United States
Pentagon: US not considering doubling counter-Iran deployment The Pentagon is sending mixed messages on whether the United States will deploy more troops to the Middle East to counter perceived threats from Iran. United States
Iran hosts Taliban delegation to talk Afghan peace Iran is bolstering its foothold in the Afghan peace process amid the vacuum triggered by the US suspension of talks with the Taliban. United States
Iran continues dismantling JCPOA nuclear restrictions Tehran is launching construction work on the first of two new nuclear units in a $10 billion expansion of its power plant and has begun enriching uranium at a site formerly limited to research. Russia
How Iran's protests could impact foreign policy Critical comments from France and Germany about the Iranian protests could further accelerate the dismantling of the Iran nuclear deal. Israel
