Analysis Why Iran's Pezeshkian is facing an uphill battle in postwar diplomacy As President Masoud Pezeshkian's administration advances dialogue with Washington, its fiercer contest is in the corridors of power within the Islamic Republic itself. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Analysis For Israel, Lebanon deal 'historic' despite fears Hezbollah will rebuild While the deal with Lebanon allows the Israeli military to maintain a presence there, security experts warn that it also gives the weakened Hezbollah the time it needs to recover. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
3 IRGC members killed in twin attacks as Iran intensifies Kurdish crackdown At least three members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed in separate armed attacks across Iran, including one in western Iran near the border with Iraqi Kurdistan, where authorities have intensified their crackdown on Kurdish groups. Iran
Saudi Arabia's FM heads to China amid differences with US on Iran war Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan’s visit to Beijing comes as commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains unstable. Saudi Arabia
Analysis How competing visions over Hormuz strait threaten fragile Iran-US deal By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Trump calls Iran’s drone attack on cargo ship 'foolish violation' of ceasefire By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
US again sends B-52 bombers to deter Iran as tensions peak The deployment is the third flight of nuclear-capable Stratofortresses to the region in less than two months Israel
Rouhani: Iran reserves right to avenge Soleimani death President Hassan Rouhani said Iran will avenge the US assassination of its top commander Qasem Soleimani and will continue to seek the ouster of American forces from the region. United States
US show of force in Persian Gulf ahead of anniversary of Soleimani killing A guided-missile submarine and two cruisers are the Pentagon's latest warning to Iran. Saudi Arabia
Iraqi government arrests suspects after rockets aimed at US Embassy As the one-year anniversary of the killing of Iranian general Qasem Solaimani approaches, several rockets have again been shot at the US Embassy in Baghdad; suspects have been arrested. Iraq
Can the US force Iran out of Syria? Not likely, former officials say The outgoing Trump administration appears to have made little if any progress in achieving its goal. Syria
US sanctions companies in UAE, China over Iranian petrochemical sales A slew of new sanctions in Trump administration's final weeks could complicate Biden's pledge to rejoin the Iranian nuclear agreement. Iran
Iran’s Khamenei vows ‘definite’ revenge for US killing of Soleimani Iran’s supreme leader said revenge for the killing of Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani is a definite plan, as he called on regional nations to push for the ouster of US forces. United States
Iran's Rouhani attacks domestic critics over sanctions relief Iranian President Hassan Rouhani suggested today that he would not allow domestic critics of the nuclear deal to delay Iran’s reentry to the deal. Iran
US sanctions Iranian officials over Robert Levinson’s abduction The US government believes Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai were involved in the abduction, detention and probable death of the retired FBI agent. Iran
Rouhani, Biden hint at pathways to resume Iran deal The Iranian president wants Biden to reverse Trump policies, not start a new round of talks; the US president-elect makes clear US regional partners will also have their say. United States
US deploys long-range bombers, aircraft carrier to Middle East to deter Iran The B-52 deployment comes amid the return of the USS Nimitz to the Persian Gulf. United States
High stakes for Iran, US as Tehran waits to see Biden approach Iran has made it clear that if the new US administration of Joe Biden wants to reenter the nuclear deal, no preconditions are acceptable to Iran. United States
![A general view shows the US embassy across the Tigris river in Iraq's capital Baghdad on January 3, 2020. - The US embassy in Baghdad urged American citizens in Iraq to "depart immediately", for fear of fallout from a US strike that killed top Iranian and Iraqi commanders. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP) / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [2020] instead of [2019]. Please immediately remove the erron](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/12/GettyImages-1191358629.jpg/GettyImages-1191358629.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=dAlkQp_Q)
