Uptick in Chinese tankers transiting Hormuz amid Trump-Xi summit President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, a meeting closely watched in Iran. United Arab Emirates
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump, Xi discuss Hormuz, but no Iran breakthrough expected Trump and Xi opened talks in Beijing with the Iran war and Strait of Hormuz high on the agenda, while Lebanon and Israel prepared for a new round of US-mediated negotiations. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Newsletter: Business & Tech Oil supply fears deepen as Hormuz traffic stays thin Trump meets Xi in Beijing as Gulf shipping disruptions, oil supply fears and Syria’s reconstruction efforts reshape the regional economy. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Analysis Iran looms large over Trump’s China visit, but breakthrough unlikely Analysts say China is cautiously looking to de-escalate the US-Iran war while limiting its direct involvement. By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump arrives in China with Iran war looming over talks By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis Ahead of Trump-Xi summit, Iran looks to China as guarantor — but with reservations By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
The art of the deal in Helsinki – the next chapter More than 11% of internally displaced people have returned to areas retaken by Syrian government forces this year. Syria
Violence against women at center of debate on landmark bill in Iran A landmark bill to expand the legal definition of violence against women remains stalled amid objections from the Iranian judiciary. Iran
Putin envoy tells Iran that cooperation in Syria will continue Iranian and Russian officials have insisted that despite pressure from outside countries, the two countries will continue to support the Syrian government. Israel
Sanctions threaten Iran's dream of becoming Eurasian transport hub Lack of financing and the potential collapse of the nuclear deal threaten Iranian plans to complete the infrastructure necessary for the International North-South Transport Corridor. Regional
Tehran court lifts curtain on widespread corruption at bankrupted lender An Iranian court has shed further light on the extent of fraud at a bankrupt credit and financial institution, with former officials and local celebrities now dragged in. Iran
Meet the new generation of Iranian hard-liners A young generation of hard-liners is beginning to challenge the old guard, taking tougher positions on political issues while being more open on cultural affairs. Russia
Drought, inefficiency lead to major power shortage in Iran Blackouts return to Iran’s electricity grid in the face of prolonged drought and record power consumption. Iran
Is Iran’s youngest minister biting off more than he can chew? Iran's minister of communications and information technology is advancing the agenda of his transparency initiative, but Iranian officials are pushing back. Iran
What’s next for Syria after Helsinki summit? The meeting between the Russian and US presidents did as little for the Middle East as it possibly could, though the two leaders seemed to identify Syria as a good place to rebuild US-Russian cooperation. Israel
Khamenei: Iran must expand ties with East as well as West In a meeting with members of the Cabinet, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei emphasized the need for Iran to expand ties with both Eastern and Western nations. United States
Tehran's newest cafe offers glimmer of hope for disabled Iranians Unemployment and isolation are some of the biggest problems facing Iran's disabled population, and a cafe run by a staff with autism and Down syndrome is just what its employees needed. Iran
The art of the deal in Helsinki A win-win on Syria is there for the taking by leveraging Putin’s relationship with Iran. Israel
