Oil falls below $71 as US-Iran talks continue, Gulf exports rebound Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in an X post on Wednesday that Iran and the United States had made "positive progress." Iran
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 a weakened Hezbollah the time it needs to recover. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis How competing visions over Hormuz strait threaten fragile Iran-US deal By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Pentagon tit-for-tat with Iran goes on A Katyusha rocket strikes an Iraqi base where US troops are housed and the US Navy intercepts an apparent Iranian arms shipment for Yemeni rebels as the conflict between the United States and Iran and its proxies continues. Yemen
Intel: Republican-held Senate sides against Trump on Iran war powers The Republican-held Senate passed a resolution 55-45 today to constrain President Donald Trump from initiating offensive military action against Iran. Congress
Europe worries as Trump seems to lose interest in new Iran deal Europeans with embassies on the ground disagree with the belief by Donald Trump administration officials that the Iranian regime is on the brink of collapse, and that the administration can wait for Iran to surrender to a long US wish list. United States
Intel: Space Force tracked Iranian missile strikes Members of the Space Force helped track and detect the Iranian ballistic missiles that struck an Iraqi air base last month. Iraq
Iranian Kurdish rebels hire law firm to lobby Trump administration The Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan now has lobbyists covering both the executive and legislative branches. United States
What brought Iranian forces to Idlib front? A number of developments, including Turkey's greater involvement in Syria and the US assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, may be driving Iran's move to get more involved in Idlib battlefield operations. Syria
White House sends Congress mixed messages on Iran war votes President Donald Trump told lawmakers to “vote with their hearts” on war powers legislation, but the White House is playing hardball with Republican defectors. Iraq
What is role of Haraket Hezbollah al-Nujaba in uniting PMU? The assassinations of Soleimani and Muhandis are changing the relative weights of Iraqi factions under the umbrella of the Iran-led "axis of resistance"; Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba is playing a greater role in bridging gaps between rival Shiite actors. Iraq
Qaim residents fearful following conflict between US, Iran-backed militias Recent US attacks on positions along the Syrian border held by Iran-linked armed groups — some of whom are on the Iraqi government payroll — have led to insecurity among local residents, who had been seeing improvements in their lives. Iraq
As Iraq's protests continue, is political solution on the horizon? As the Iraqi government feels the pressure of protests, political leaders are moving toward forming a national front to resolve the Iraqi crisis. Iraq
US Syria envoy: Any talks on troop withdrawal from Iraq must include all aid US envoy James Jeffrey says the United States wants to see its operations against the Islamic State in Iraq — which have been paused as US and coalition troops focus on protecting themselves in the wake of an escalation between US forces and Iranian-backed groups — resume as soon as possible. Iraq
Iran says plane crash investigation will be made public Iran’s defense minister said the investigation into the Ukraine plane shooting is ongoing but will be made public. Iraq
