Oil surges past $120 to war-time high as Trump rejects Iran overture Benchmark Brent crude surpassed $120 per barrel on Wednesday, reaching the highest levels yet seen during the US-Israel-Iran war. Iran
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? By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Analysis UAE’s OPEC exit rattles cartel as Gulf alliances shift By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse MENA tightens control over online space By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis Could Israel-Hamas war lead to another winter energy crisis for Europe? LNG spot prices have shot up since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out, but European inventories are at all-time highs. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
US targets Iran's drone, missile programs as UN restrictions expire US officials said the latest sanctions are intended to constrain Iran's military relationship with Russia and counter the Islamic Republic's destabilizing regional behavior. Iran
US unveils sanctions against Hamas members, financial network The 10 targets included a longtime Hamas operative based in Qatar who the Treasury Department said has close ties to Iran. Iran
Agriculture, business interests will continue to weigh on Iran’s water sector Bijan Khajehpour In Vienna, reporting on Iranian politics
Iran doubles down on backing Hamas, says US unable to block $6 billion fund The Islamic Republic has dismissed a reported US-Qatari deal on pausing an expected release of unfrozen Iranian funds while warning that other Iran-baked regional proxies could join Hamas' battle against Israel. Iran
US, Qatar reportedly agree to pause Iran's access to $6 billion fund The Biden administration faced mounting congressional pressure to punish Iran over the surprise attack on Israel carried out by its proxy, Hamas. Qatar
Khamenei cheers Hamas' 'epic' attacks on Israel, but denies Iran role While taking "pride in Palestinian youths" for their attacks on Israel, the Iranian leader shielded Tehran from mounting accusations that it was behind the deadly operations. Iran
Pentagon warns Iran, Hezbollah to stay out of Hamas war with Israel The Biden administration deployed an aircraft carrier strike group in a bid to deter a multi-front war against Israel, but lack of a formal defense treaty with Israel and Congressional authorities could inhibit Washington's ability to respond. Iran
Iran's parliament speaker visits UAE, meets MBZ as detente continues The trip was the latest in a flurry of bilateral diplomacy that has seen top Iranian officials in a chain of meetings with the Emirati leadership, though little progress has been reported on core disputes. Iran
Iran's security arrests mother of Armita Garawand as teen still lies in coma Just days after her daughter fell into a coma after reportedly being attacked by morality police officers, Shahin Ahmadi was arrested by security forces and taken to an unknown location. Iran
US sends 1.1 million rounds of seized Iranian ammunition to Ukraine The unprecedented shipment comes as political paralysis in Congress has threatened to interrupt the flow of weapons to Kyiv. Iran
