Newsletter: Business & Tech Trump pivots from Hormuz tolls as US-Iran fighting resumes Oil prices remain far below their early May peak of nearly $115 a barrel, but the renewed hostilities have pushed them well above the roughly $70 level seen before the war. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Ahmadinejad denies alleged Mossad plot to install him as Iran leader: What to know The former president, who was a virulent critic of Israel while in office, was reportedly part of a Mossad plan to replace the current Iranian leadership. Iran
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Why Iran, US are drifting back to conflict Trump hosts Iraqi PM Zaidi; Bahrain sentences 3 to life in prison over ties to Iran's IRGC; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Interview Why Strait of Hormuz no longer rattles oil markets as much: IMF The fund's Middle East director, Jihad Azour, told Al-Monitor that the big Gulf energy producers now have more capacity to absorb the shock. Jihad Azour Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund
Analysis How UK's IRGC designation raises stakes for Iran and Europe By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Rouhani says Iran ready for 'respectful' negotiations Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said that the country will not "surrender" but is ready to hold talks with the United States on reviving the nuclear deal. United States
Intel: Pentagon chief says European-led Gulf initiative complements US On his first day on the job at the Pentagon, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said that a fresh European-led initiative to defend ships transiting the Gulf was complementary to the Donald Trump administration’s separate efforts to gather allies to protect shipping in the region. United States
Unease in Iran as 'Trump's duplicate' becomes British PM While politicians in Tehran were seeking a new opening with the UK after Boris Johnson found his way to 10 Downing Street, Iran's media received the news with little enthusiasm. Iran
Iraq seeks Iranian assistance to curb militias' reign Iraq's prime minister made a surprise visit to Tehran to request Iranian help in controlling Iran-backed militias in Iraq. Iraq
Hamas, let down by the Gulf states, revisits ties with Syria Hamas’ leaders have been exploring the restoration of ties with Syria in light of Gulf countries' engagement with the United States on a peace deal and therefore their increasing normalization of relations with Israel. Legacy: Gulf
Intel: Why 5 Democratic presidential hopefuls just rebelled against Trump’s new defense secretary An overwhelming bipartisan majority of the Senate voted 90-8 Tuesday to confirm former Army Secretary Mark Esper as President Donald Trump’s new defense secretary. Saudi Arabia
Iran claims massive counterespionage win Iran claims it has dealt a "severe blow" to US intelligence in announcing the arrest of 17 individuals it claims worked with the CIA. United States
Hamas' rapprochement with Iran endangers deal with Israel The high-level Hamas visit to Tehran does not bode well for the movement's arrangement with Israel. Palestine
Iran struggles to mold 'revolutionary youth' The Iranian government’s persistence in trying to force its preferred lifestyle on Iranians has failed to change the preference of a considerable segment of society for a more relaxed way of life. Iran
Iran says tanker crisis can be resolved diplomatically A spokesman for the Iranian administration said the tanker crisis between Iran and the United Kingdom could be solved through diplomacy. Iran
US troops return to Saudi Arabia after 16 years US troops are returning to Saudi Arabia for the first time in 16 years as tensions with Iran rise and the kingdom finds itself increasingly isolated in Yemen. Saudi Arabia
Iranians floored by sky-high housing costs A proposal by some Iranian parliament members designed to help renters could leave them locked out instead. Iran
