Trump speaks with Netanyahu, Putin as Iran pressure campaign escalates President Donald Trump spoke by phone separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussing the situation in Iran and the possibility of extending the ceasefire. United States
Iranian rial hits new record low as blockade, war take toll: What to know The rial had another collapse in late 2025, triggering massive protests and riots in the country that were ended by a forceful government crackdown. Iran
Pentagon: Iran war has cost US estimated $25B so far A supplemental request won’t be delivered to Congress until the Pentagon fully assesses the war’s cost, a top budget official told House lawmakers. Iran
Analysis How long can Iran's economy withstand Trump's naval blockade? Iranian authorities are denouncing US seizures of the country's oil tankers as piracy, but mounting disruptions to maritime trade are exposing economic fragility beneath Tehran's claims of control and resilience. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Analysis Despite Trump pressure to limit Israel's Lebanon attacks, Aoun-Netanyahu meeting still unlikely By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
US Navy shoots down Iran-made drone fired from Yemen The shooting follows a separate incident in the Persian Gulf in which an Iranian drone came within 1,500 yards of the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier. Legacy: Gulf
Gaza truce brings halt in Iran-linked attacks on US troops in Iraq, Syria Pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas coincides with tentative reprieve for US troops hunting down the remnants of the Islamic State group as Iran-backed militias hold their fire. Syria
Iran unveils new Deylaman warship capable of launching cruise missiles The new warship is part of Iran’s efforts to increase its military presence in the Caspian Sea. Iran
How risky is US-Houthi escalation after Navy thwarts tanker hijacking? The Iran-backed rebels are risking new levels of escalation as they jockey for clout in talks with Saudi Arabia as Israel's war in the Gaza Strip grinds on. Legacy: Gulf
Pentagon expands strikes on Iran-backed groups amid Iraq backlash Iraq's government slammed US airstrikes that targeted Kata'ib Hezbollah command centers as 'an unacceptable violation of sovereignty' as Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani seeks to balance his support base with Baghdad's ties with Washington. Iraq
US gunship strikes Iran-backed militias in Iraq after ballistic missile attack US commanders ordered lethal strikes in quick response to a missile attack on the Ain al-Asad air base, in a sign the military is taking matters into its own hands to defend its personnel in Iraq. Iraq
Iraqi FM says unless US stops Israel, conflict in Gaza will 'burn all of us' Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein worries that the conflict in Gaza will drag on and expand beyond Israel’s borders. Iraq
Iran’s UN envoy: US military boost leaves it 'exposed' to attacks, Saudi-Israel normalization derailed by war Saeid Iravani told Al-Monitor that Saudi Arabia’s normalizing relations with Israel in the foreseeable future has reached an impasse following war in Gaza. Iran
Gaza war tests Arab Gulf influence as GCC tries to avert regional escalation Although the UAE and Bahrain have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, and Saudi Arabia was considering such a move, Arab states in the region have their own reasons to be cautious. Legacy: Gulf
How far will Iran go to support Hamas in war with Israel? Forty days into the Israel-Hamas war, the commander of Iran's Quds Force promised the militant group that Iran "will do anything required." Yet questions linger over Iran's willingness to risk direct involvement. Iran
Four attacks against US troops in Syria hours after strikes on IRGC facilities New rocket and drone attacks targeted US bases in Syria in the hours following the latest US airstrikes designed to dissuade the IRGC and its militias from continuing their attacks on American personnel. Syria
US airstrikes hit IRGC site in Syria in latest bid to halt attacks Biden administration ups the ante by targeting a training facility and a safe house used by Iran's IRGC and associated militias near Syria's border with Iraq, after previous strikes failed to halt rocket and drone attacks against US forces. Syria
