Kuwait blacklists eight Lebanon hospitals over alleged Hezbollah ties: What to know The affected hospitals, located in areas where Hezbollah has a heavy presence, are believed to be run by Hezbollah-affiliated institutions. Lebanon
US sanctions Hezbollah-linked gold exchange, Iran-tied shipping network The move comes as the United States pursues a deal with Iran that would curb its support for Hezbollah and other regional militias. Lebanon
Analysis Oman talks leave Israel unsure of Trump's endgame as missile threat persists Israel and the United States are tightly coordinated on intelligence, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is apparently in the dark on President Donald Trump's intentions in Iran. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis Will EU’s terror listing of besieged Iran's IRGC backfire? The EU designation could ultimately render the IRGC an even more aggressive and defiant organization aboard, and a more assertive rights violator at home. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Tehran’s biggest annual cultural event held amid ‘paper crisis’ The biggest annual cultural event in the Iranian capital kicks off amid a paper crisis and a controversy over rentierism tarnishing the publishing industry. Iran
US cuts Iran oil waivers in move to force Tehran out of nuclear deal Washington is letting sanctions waivers for countries that import Iranian oil expire as it tries to make Iran quit the 2015 nuclear deal before a UN arms embargo is lifted next year as part of the agreement. United States
Iran sets up trade vehicle with Turkey as Saudi, UAE send flood aid Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said relations with Turkey are the best they’ve been in decades, while Rouhani struck a conciliatory tone amid Saudi and Emirati flood aid. Saudi Arabia
US sticks Iraq in middle by calling Iran's IRGC terrorists Iraqis are divided on the recent US action against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as some back Iran while others fear that a US-Iran conflict will engulf Iraq. Iraq
Iraq struggles to distance itself from US-Iran tensions As the conflict between the United States and Iran intensifies, Iraq insists on remaining impartial in the conflict. Iraq
Zarif: Iran never pinned hopes on Europe Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the Islamic Republic has not and will not pin its hopes on Europe to save the JCPOA and will focus instead on working with countries in the region. Iraq
Pompeo blames Iran flooding on regime mismanagement, offers US help While the Trump administration said that it was prepared to help Iran following extensive flooding, at the same time it blamed the disaster on "regime mismanagement." United States
Iranian Red Crescent says US sanctions impeding flood relief The Iranian Red Crescent complained that US sanctions are impeding the collection of international aid to help its response to disastrous floods. Iran
5 obstacles to Khamenei’s call for ‘boost in domestic production’ While the Iranian supreme leader’s emphasis on domestic production in the face of external sanctions makes a certain amount of sense, the question is how such a strategy should be implemented — and in which sectors of the economy. Iran
Iran continues to struggle to keep workers content The Iranian government, members of parliament, employers and labor activists have finally agreed on wage increases to alleviate the burden on workers. But much more remains to be done to shield Iranian workers from rising prices. Iran
US, announcing new sanctions, says it hopes Iran comes 'back to negotiating table' New sanctions on Iranians who have engaged in sensitive defense research are intended to make those individuals “radioactive,” according to a senior US administration official. United States
Road map for Iran-EU trade and investment relations Europe is making efforts to set up a special purpose vehicle to uphold legitimate trade with Iran, but there is a need for a more comprehensive action plan for such trade and political relations. United States
