Explainer Saudi FM concludes China visit amid Trump-MBS friction: What to know Saudi Arabia is still absorbing the war’s security fallout and is widening its circle by leaning more on Beijing as a diplomatic counterweight to Washington and as a partner that can engage Tehran. China
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
Analysis How competing visions over Hormuz strait threaten fragile Iran-US deal By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
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
Iran sanctions US envoy to Yemen in retaliation for US blacklisting The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced sanctions on Christopher Henzel, the US ambassador to Yemen. Yemen
Iran’s Rouhani suggests nuclear deal’s fate is in Biden’s hands President Hassan Rouhani said Iran will resume full compliance with the nuclear deal as soon as his incoming American counterpart uses his signature to rejoin the same accord. United States
Iran accuses US of blocking coronavirus vaccine purchases Iranian officials said US sanctions have impeded their attempts to secure the purchase of coronavirus vaccines for their country, which remains the hardest-hit in the Middle East. Iran
Trump administration imposes new sanctions on Iranian company The administration is continuing to add sanctions on Iranian entities ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's taking office. Biden could remove some of the sanctions. United States
Iran says no new negotiations until US reenters nuclear deal Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the United States must reenter the nuclear deal without preconditions. United States
Biden reaffirms pledge to revive Iranian nuclear deal In an interview with The New York Times, Biden said rejoining the landmark agreement is the best way to avoid a nuclear buildup in the region. United States
Netanyahu prepares his Iran cards before Biden takes office Israel did not take responsibility for the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakharizadeh, yet Western sources estimate it was a Mossad operation. Israel
Nuclear scientist's assassination puts Tehran at crossroads As Iran investigates the assassination of a top nuclear scientist, fingers are already pointing at Israel and the United States, whose outgoing administration clearly wants to minimize the chances of reviving the nuclear deal. Iran
Iran's president says post-Trump de-escalation with US can be 'easy' President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran could ease tensions with the new US administration, only one day after Iran’s supreme leader expressed disappointment at negotiations. Iran
Talks ‘got us nowhere’: Iran’s supreme leader casts doubt on future negotiations Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's comments come as the Trump administration ramps up its maximum pressure campaign on Iran. Iran
Iran taps into emergency fund to compensate Ukraine flight victims The Islamic Republic is to pay families of the victims of the Ukrainian flight it downed earlier this year. But the payment has been secured not from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for the missile attack but from an emergency fund meant for the public interest. Iran
