Analysis How a new Baluch militant coalition raises pressure on Iran-Pakistan border Iran's military standoff with the US may be creating opportunities for Baluch groups to launch operations from the mountainous, sparsely populated frontier region with Pakistan. By Sabena Siddiqui In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran
Analysis As Iran regime marks 200 days of war, is it also preparing for dissent? Seven months into the war with the US, Iranian authorities staged a pro-government mobilization in Tehran, combining patriotic spectacle with a carefully calibrated demonstration aimed for domestic internal security capacity. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
US sanctions Iranian crypto exchange BitBank over Hormuz payments The US government says the exchange was used to channel payments from an Iranian maritime-insurance scheme to the regime. Iran
China presses Iran, US to reopen Hormuz as disruptions threaten oil supply Conflicts in the region are disrupting two key routes for oil bound for China, with Iranian crude affected by the Strait of Hormuz and Saudi shipments facing growing risks in the Red Sea. Iran
Newsletter: Business & Tech Saudi oil squeeze deepens By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Exclusive Lacking deterrence, Israel’s security establishment opposes attacks on Houthis By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis How far will Iran push Houthis against Saudi Arabia amid raging conflict? By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Newsletter: FutureVerse Middle East confronts AI risks By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Trump threats loom over Iran-EU business summit European executives say uncertainty over the fate of the nuclear deal and Iran’s sclerotic economic environment are bad for business. United States
Iran’s pressure on Kurds could backfire Having spent major energy on trying to prevent the independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan, Iran should be cautious about its next step toward Erbil. Iraqi-Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurds watch nervously as Erdogan heads for Tehran Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet with Iran's president and supreme leader in Tehran as high-level talks continue between historic rivals in the aftermath of the Kurdistan referendum. Iraq
Will Iran revert to parliamentary system? A group of parliamentarians are organizing to approach the supreme leader to receive his blessing on possibly reverting to a parliamentary system. Iran
Ankara could misplay its hand again Despite hostile remarks from Ankara, the only way to deal with the Kurdish independence referendum is diplomacy, seasoned diplomats warn. Iraq
Ex-Netanyahu national security adviser urges US to keep Iran deal Former Israeli National Security Adviser Uzi Arad urges Washington to build on the 2015 Iran nuclear accord rather than abandon it. Israel
Can Congress avoid blowing up the Iran deal? If President Donald Trump doesn’t certify Iranian compliance with the 2015 agreement later this month, the US Senate only needs a bare majority to reinstate deal-breaking sanctions. Congress
Iranian media takes interest in Catalan independence Iranian media has given widely positive coverage of the Catalan independence referendum, contrasting its critical coverage of last week's Iraqi Kurdistan vote. Iran
‘The last Iranian Americans’ The Trump administration’s "Travel Ban 3.0" runs the risk of turning current Iranian Americans into the last of their kind. United States
Putin boxed in by Iran, Turkey on Iraqi Kurdish referendum The Russian president could find himself at odds with Iran if he misplays a weak hand. Iraq
Turkey, Iran, Iraq in shaky alignment against Iraqi Kurdistan Turkey, Iran and Iraq have closed ranks over the independence vote in Iraqi Kurdistan, but how long can their partnership survive? Iraq
Culture Alert: October dominated by film festivals in Middle East A number of film festivals, from short films to documentaries, take place in Beirut, Tehran, Haifa and Istanbul throughout October — where many of the regional countries’ nominees for Oscars will be screened. Israel