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
Intel: Pompeo says US to trigger snapback sanctions on Iran 'soon' The Donald Trump administration will "soon" act on its threat to trigger a return of international sanctions on Iran, Secretary of State Pompeo said Wednesday after the United States lost its bid to indefinitely extend an arms embargo on Tehran. United States
Iran’s hard-liners push legislation to exit nuclear deal If passed, the legislation proposed by hard-liners would effectively force the government into a farewell to the fragile nuclear deal depending on UN action. United States
Intel: Iran paid bounties to Taliban for US soldiers, influencing Soleimani strike US officials tell CNN the administration took no action against the Taliban in order to preserve its peace deal with the insurgents. United States
UN Security Council rejects US-sought extension on Iran arms embargo The resolution failed by a 2-2 vote with 11 abstentions. United States
US seizes multi-million-barrel Iranian fuel shipment bound for Venezuela The US government has seized more than a million barrels of Iranian fuel contained in four tanker ships bound for Venezuela. Originals
Intel: Iran’s navy boards oil tanker near Strait of Hormuz, US says A Liberian-flagged ship was seized by Iranian forces in international waters near the Strait of Hormuz, according to a US-led maritime security coalition. United States
Iran says it will not pay to replace Ukraine jet shot down near Tehran in January No agreement has yet been reached on compensation for victims' families, but Iran says it won't pay for the aircraft itself. Iran
US to submit UN resolution to extend Iran arms embargo next week: Pompeo The arms embargo is set to expire in October as part of the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers. United States
Rouhani: Iran’s economy handled pandemic better than US Iran’s president said his country’s economy is in a comparatively better shape than the US and European states' ones when it comes to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. United States
Congress wants to see the Pentagon’s hidden costs of deterring Iran Congress wants the Defense Department to regularly report on the costs required to deter Tehran's ambitions in the Middle East. Originals
US expands sanctions on Iran metals trade, citing ballistic missile program US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expands metals-related sanctions on Iran, naming 22 materials used in connection with Iran’s nuclear, military or ballistic missile programs. United States
Iranian supermarket opens in Venezuelan capital Iran and Venezuela maintain strong economic ties despite US sanctions on both countries. United States
