Trump hosts Iraqi PM Zaidi as Iran war intensifies The pair met in the Oval Office a day after President Donald Trump pledged to reinstate a naval blockade on Iran. Iraq
Trump retreats from Hormuz 20% fee plan in pivot to Gulf investment deals The shift comes barely 24 hours after Trump declared the United States would become the "guardian" of the strategic waterway and seek compensation for protecting all cargo passing through it. Iran
Oil prices climb to $85 as US-Iran attacks intensify, Hormuz traffic stalls Brent crude traded at $85.02 a barrel at 11:44 a.m. EDT, up 2.06% from Monday's close after reaching $87.39 earlier on Tuesday. Iran
Analysis As Trump prioritizes Hormuz, Israel fears Iran rebuilding nuclear program while preserving ballistic missile threat Israel is worried that the United States is centering the Strait of Hormuz, deprioritizing the threat of a nuclear Iran. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis 'The word belongs to the battlefield': Why Iran, US are drifting back to conflict By Ali Hashem In Doha, reporting on Iran, regional politics, conflict
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran strikes tankers, US bases as Gulf conflict escalates By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Iran’s most powerful hard-line clerics to reunite in Assembly of Experts election As Iranians decide who to support in the upcoming parliamentary election, another race will be held concurrently: the midterm election for the Assembly of Experts, which chooses and oversees the supreme leader. Iran
With election rivals barred, Iran’s hard-liners resort to infighting Less than a week to Iran’s parliamentary elections, the country’s hard-liners have yet to reach consensus before finalizing a list of endorsed candidates. Iran
Egypt shows diplomatic finesse forging Gaza cease-fire Hamas' agreement to refrain from attacks, for now, puts Gaza on the back burner for Israeli elections. Palestine
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
Will ties with Iran change under Oman’s new sultan? A new sultan sitting on the throne in Muscat has sparked questions about the future of traditionally cordial ties Tehran held with the late peacemaker, Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Oman
Iran kicks off parliamentary election campaign Campaigning for Iran’s parliament election has officially begun and will last only one week. Iran
Peace with the region is not a peace plan The Trump peace plan is flawed because it has more to do with building a coalition against Iran rather than with promoting peace between Israelis and the Palestinians. Saudi Arabia
Iran government denies rumors of Rouhani resignation Aides to the Iranian president have categorically denied fresh reports that he is stepping down. Iran
Iran FM phones Abbas to discuss US peace deal Given shaky relations between Iran and the Palestinian Authority, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's phone call to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas came as a surprise. Palestine
Iran marks revolution anniversary amid multiple challenges The Islamic Republic marked the 41st anniversary of its founding as well as the 40th day after the US killing of its top general with state-organized rallies reflecting all-time-high anti-American sentiments. United States
Intel: Iraq likely to continue importing Iranian natural gas under US waiver renewal Iraqi officials have indicated that the United States is likely to renew a key Iran sanctions waiver that will allow Baghdad to continue importing Iranian natural gas to fuel its electricity needs. Iraq
