Culture World Cup opens amid visa disputes for Iran, Iraq and Somalia Iran says a number of team staff were denied entry into the US, with Trump administration officials touting efforts to prevent affiliates of designated terrorist groups from entering. Iran
Bessent says Iran's frozen assets will pay for Gulf damage, Hormuz tolls US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that any damage Iran inflicts on Gulf allies will be paid for with funds extracted from Iranian accounts. Iran
Explainer US strategic oil stockpile nears four-decade low as Iran war drags on The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell to 349.2 million barrels amid the global energy shock caused by the war in Iran. United States
Trump weighs releasing billions to Iran after blasting past payments As mediators scramble to broker a peace deal, a key hurdle remains the release of Iranian assets frozen under US sanctions. Iran
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran says US strikes render April ceasefire ‘meaningless’ By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Will Israel act against Iran? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toughened his speech against Iran, but the reality on the ground raises questions as to whether or not the Cabinet will follow up in deeds. Israel
Iran's currency crisis shakes Rouhani’s middle-class base Following the nationwide protests led by the Iranian working class in late December, the return of fluctuations on the foreign exchange market is putting pressure on the minds of middle-class Iranians. Iran
Rivalry among Iran intelligence bodies spills out into open Presidential adviser Ali Younessi has said that only the Intelligence Ministry is capable of determining who is a spy and criticized other organizations for making their own assessments. Iran
KRG intelligence chief: Baghdad must give us our rights Masrour Barzani, the son of former Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani, talks about the Kurds' thinking behind the Sept. 25 independence referendum and about what may happen next. Iraq
Iranian interference in Iraqi election stirs anger among Iraqis With the upcoming Iraqi elections in May, Iranians have stepped up their actions to manage their alliances in Iraq to ensure the continuity of their influence. Iraq
World financial watchdog keeps punting on Iran Iran had hoped to be removed from an international financial watch list but will have to settle for a continuation of an ambiguous status quo. United States
Ahmadinejad asks Khamenei for free and immediate elections Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written a letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling for free and immediate elections. Iran
Iranian authorities, Sufi leader move toward reconciliation The Iranian authorities and Gonabadi dervishes seem to be moving toward reconciliation following deadly clashes in Tehran. Iran
Why Iran doesn’t want escalation in Syria Contrary to the narrative that Iran wants to drag Israel into the Syrian war, Tehran appears to have no incentive to do so. Israel
Has Gaza joined the axis of resistance? Palestinian factions, with the exception of Fatah, are threatening to open a Gaza front against Israel if it goes to war in Syria, Lebanon or Iran. Palestine
Pentagon stops budgeting for peshmerga salaries The Pentagon’s fiscal year 2019 budget doesn’t specifically dedicate payments for Iraq’s Kurdish fighting force after it stepped back from the front lines of the fight against the Islamic State. Iraq
Iranian rescuers find missing plane after two days of searching Iranian rescuers find the wreckage of a missing passenger plane after two days of searching. Iran