Iran’s Hormuz authority denies Trump claims of control over strait: What to know Trump administration officials have said oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are rising, but maritime traffic remains diminished. Iran
Hormuz traffic sinks to one-week low as ships attacked, talks stagnate The United States and Yemen's Houthi rebels carried out separate attacks on commercial ships on Tuesday in the Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea. Iran
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Lebanon becomes first Arab country to abolish death penalty Hormuz shipping traffic falls to one-week low amid hostilities; Netanyahu rejects Trump’s Gaza plan while quietly implementing it; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis What Qaani's Baghdad visit reveals about Iran's post-war dilemma The Quds Force commander's Baghdad visit is occurring as Iran faced difficult choices in Iraq where the government is moving to bring powerful armed groups under state control after the recent war. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Syrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad to death By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Turkey, Iran could unite to overcome their Kurdish worries The emerging Iran-Turkey rapprochement, driven by their mutual desire to contain the Kurds, has led to agreements on military cooperation, but the odds appear to be against a formal military alliance. Iraq
Iran sees challenge of Kurdish referendum as opportunity After being taken aback by the Kurdish independence vote, Iran is now evolving to view the referendum as an opportunity to forge practical cooperation with affected neighboring states. Iraq
Russians, Saudis look to spruce up relations Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi King Salman reached around their differences to sign lucrative agreements and improve relations, but the differences are still there. Saudi Arabia
How did haircuts, nail polish become part of Iran's Shiite mourning rituals? Traditional Shiite mourning rituals for the holy month of Muharram are being altered in Iran by what some see as superficialiity and a lack of religious principle. Iran
Erdogan's Iran visit sparks talk of Iraqi Kurdistan as 'new Israel' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan traveled to Tehran to discuss the Kurdish independence referendum in northern Iraqi and expanding economic relations. Turkey
Congress takes aim at Lebanese politicians with Hezbollah bill The US House of Representatives is expected to vote this month on legislation requiring the president to publicly report on Hezbollah allies’ net worth. Lebanon
King Salman goes to Russia King Salman's visit to Russia is the first by a Saudi monarch, but the trip may be long on style and short on substance. Saudi Arabia
Kurdish referendum tests Iran-Turkey-Russia axis The warming of ties between Iran and Turkey, driven by their alarm over the independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan, has the prospect of paving the way for the reshaping of the regional order. Turkey
Erdogan, Rouhani stand together against Iraqi Kurdish state The Turkish president's Iran visit opened with a joint news conference in which he and Iran's president repeated Turkey’s demands that the Kurdistan Regional Government annul the results of the referendum on Iraqi Kurdish independence. Iraq
Iranian media praise late Talabani as friend of Iran Iranian media widely covered the passing of former Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. Iraq
Kirkuk residents face uncertainty amid referendum crisis Kirkuk residents are fearful of the security and economic consequences of the Sept. 25 independence referendum as opposition to it persists. Iraq
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
