Analysis Why Saudi Arabia, Egypt are wary of Turkey’s proposed 4-way defense pact with Pakistan The proposed framework faces major hurdles and fault lines, ranging from NATO constraints to Israeli opposition and weak military integration. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis Araghchi’s Russia, regional tour tests path to breaking US-Iran deadlock Iranian officials say dialogue remains open, but negotiations are clouded by intensifying hard-line domestic messaging and conflicting signals over Tehran’s red lines. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Why did the Met Opera lose its Saudi funding deal? The deal, announced as a nonbinding memorandum of understanding last September, would have seen the PIF inject up to $200 million into the opera institution over the next eight years. Saudi Arabia
Analysis Israel fears Trump angling for Lebanon deal to offset Iran missteps Some Israelis worry the US president might force them to accept an unsatisfactory agreement driven by his inability to secure a tangible achievement in Iran. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Houthi missile hits Norwegian-flagged tanker in latest Red Sea attack Iran-backed rebels hit a Norwegian-owned chemical tanker with a cruise missile, but the ship had no clear connection to Israel, signaling the Houthis may be widening the aperture of their attacks. Legacy: Gulf
Key Pentagon policy officials to step down amid widening Middle East crisis Mara Karlin, who oversaw the drafting of the Biden administration's national defense strategy and has filled in as the Pentagon’s no.-3 top official, and Dana Stroul, the department’s Middle East policy director, are both stepping down as Congressional dysfunction threatens to hold up their replacement. Washington Connection
Iran unveils new Karrar drones upgraded with air-to-air missiles Iran’s drone fleet has raised concerns among the United States and its allies. Iran
Iran’s FM confirms US messages on Iraq, dodges questions on protests Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Washington has been dispatching weekly messages to Iran to rein in militants in Iraq and Syria attacking its forces. Iran
Houthi attacks continue in Red Sea as US Navy dispatches new destroyers The Pentagon is gearing up for the long haul to deter Iran’s proxies as the Israel-Hamas war drags on. Legacy: Gulf
Iran says it seized ships in Gulf for alleged fuel smuggling The seizure and arrest of the foreign crew members occurred south of the disputed Abu Musa island, according to Iranian state media. Iran
Iran court orders US to pay $49 billion over Soleimani assassination Qasem Soleimani led Iran’s elite Quds Force until he was assassinated by the United States in Baghdad in 2020 in response to attacks on US forces in Iraq. Iran
Cuba, Iran ink economic agreements as Khamenei hosts Diaz-Canel In its revolutionary foreign policy, Iran has for decades gone out of its way to unite like-minded nations — with a special focus on leftist nations — for an idealistic global campaign to weaken the American hegemony. Iran
Iran-backed militias test new front with Washington’s Syrian Kurdish allies A US base in northeast Syria has been attacked twice so far by rockets launched in the last month from within the country, and officials with the Syrian Defense Forces point to Iran-backed Shiite militias. Syria
Spread thin, US Navy seeks allies' help following Houthi attacks on shipping With Israel's war in Gaza poised to drag on, Washington is turning to allies to help relieve the burden on the US Navy in pushing back on Iran-backed attacks against commercial shipping in Gulf waterways. Legacy: Gulf
US threatens response after Houthi missiles hit cargo ships in Red Sea Iran-backed factions across the Middle East opened a new volley of attacks targeting Israeli-linked cargo vessels in the Red Sea and US troops in Iraq and Syria since Israel's truce with Hamas collapsed on Friday. Legacy: Gulf
What is scope of Iran-Oman joint military drill near Hormuz? The drill was held only days after the Pentagon dispatched one of its largest aircraft carriers to the strategic waters, causing unease in Tehran amid risks of potential confrontations stemming from the Israel-Hamas war. Iran
