Trump speaks with Netanyahu, Putin as Iran pressure campaign escalates President Donald Trump spoke by phone separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin, discussing the situation in Iran and the possibility of extending the ceasefire. United States
Iranian rial hits new record low as blockade, war take toll: What to know The rial had another collapse in late 2025, triggering massive protests and riots in the country that were ended by a forceful government crackdown. Iran
Pentagon: Iran war has cost US estimated $25B so far A supplemental request won’t be delivered to Congress until the Pentagon fully assesses the war’s cost, a top budget official told House lawmakers. Iran
Analysis How long can Iran's economy withstand Trump's naval blockade? Iranian authorities are denouncing US seizures of the country's oil tankers as piracy, but mounting disruptions to maritime trade are exposing economic fragility beneath Tehran's claims of control and resilience. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Analysis Despite Trump pressure to limit Israel's Lebanon attacks, Aoun-Netanyahu meeting still unlikely By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Zarif says Iran open to more prisoner exchanges Iran says it is ready for more prisoner exchanges with the United States via Swiss mediation. Iran
The Takeaway: Normalization deals don’t ‘repair damage’ of Trump policies, says US senator Democrat Chris Van Hollen takes apart Trump policies in Middle East; Al-Monitor gets the scoop on the art of the deal in Sudan; Turkey’s militarized foreign policy; the gold standard for nuclear power in the Middle East. United States
Pompeo: US to return to UN to ensure Iran sanctions enforced Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the international sanctions on Iran will return this weekend, despite opposition from most of the Security Council. United States
Biden endorses lower troop levels in Iraq, fight against IS in interview Joe Biden told Stars and Stripes he wants to stop "forever wars" but keep some troops in Iraq and Syria. His opponent, Donald Trump, also pledges to withdraw more troops. United States
Iran holds annual war games near Strait of Hormuz The three-day military drills come as the Donald Trump administration wants to restore international sanctions on Iran. Iran
Iran advances diplomacy with Switzerland, India as US maintains 'maximum pressure' In yet another diplomatic push to ease mounting pressure from the United States, Iranian officials were busy hosting two visiting foreign ministers to talk solutions for economic relief. Iran
US seizes websites of Iraqi militia-affiliated news outlet The US Justice Department says the domain names of Aletejah TV's websites were owned and operated by a US company and affiliated with the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia. Iraq
Iran’s nuclear deal and the US presidential election The deal’s fate depends on the outcome of US elections, not the UN. United States
Intel: House Democrats want answers from Saudi ambassador over jailed female activists A group of seven congressional Democrats laid into Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States on Wednesday for failing to respond to their repeated requests to discuss the kingdom’s continued detention of female rights activists. Saudi Arabia
Israeli airstrikes target T4 base, Syrian regime says Israel continues to strike targets in Syria, Assad's state-run news agency says. Israel
Niger's envoy reaffirms rejection of Iran snapback sanctions as UN Security Council president The African state's UN ambassador, who is chairing the Security Council for September, said the United States cannot trigger the return of UN sanctions on Iran. United States
Iran nuclear deal members agree on preserving landmark pact Iran and representatives of China, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom met in Vienna as Washington presses on with its bid to restore sanctions on Tehran. Russia
