Newsletter: Daily Briefing Israel moves against West Bank settlers after Huckabee criticism Who benefits from Lebanon’s amnesty law; Turkey's Fidan heads to Egypt amid questions over Saudi-led defense pact; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
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 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
Education key battleground as Rouhani’s second term begins As President Hassan Rouhani begins his second term, education emerges as a key political battleground. Iran
Iraq's Hakim moves out of Iran's shadow Ammar al-Hakim has left Iraq's Supreme Islamic Council and formed a new political party against Iran's wishes, indicating he is adopting an independent stance. Iraq
Reformists officially take over Iran’s capital city After 14 years, Reformists have taken over Iran’s capital city, increasing the cooperation between the incumbent moderate government and the Tehran municipality. Iran
KRG doubles down on independence vote after Baghdad meeting A visit by a Kurdish delegation to Baghdad amid strong regional and international objections to a Kurdish independence referendum failed to convince the Iraqi government of the merits of the vote. Iraq
Netanyahu raising alarm on Iran, again Israel has told US and Russian officials that Iran’s long-term strategies and its missile capabilities endanger the region. Saudi Arabia
Iran, Turkey move to re-establish role as regional backbone Despite their major differences over key regional crises in past years, shared threats and shared objectives are once again pushing Iran and Turkey together. Turkey
Iranian Reformist MPs under fire for confirming conservative ministers The Reformist Omid faction in the Iranian parliament is under fire for having voted to confirm controversial conservative ministers. Iran
Tensions flare between US, Shiite factions in Iraq The recent escalation by Iran-affiliated Iraqi Shiite militias against US forces on the Iraqi-Syrian border may offer an early indication of the coming confrontation between the two sides after the Islamic State is eliminated from Iraq. Iraq
Turkey fumes as Sinjar Yazidis declare 'democratic autonomy' Some Yazidis have announced their opposition to the Iraqi Kurdistan independence vote, as Turkey and Iran consider attacking the Yazidi-allied PKK in the Qandil Mountains. Iraq
Iran’s Quds Force commander calls for national unity Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani discusses the importance for mosques to encourage unity among Iranians and to attract diverse crowds. Iran
Saudi Arabia woos Persian-speaking Sunnis in Central Asia A deterioration in economic and political relations between Tehran and Dushanbe since moderate Hassan Rouhani first took office has allowed Saudi Arabia to expand its influence in Tajikistan at Iran’s expense. Saudi Arabia
Iranian Kurdish fighters step up clashes ahead of KRG independence vote The increased attacks against Iranian forces by Iranian Kurdish opposition groups based in Iraq raise questions about the future of relations between Erbil and Tehran. Iraqi-Kurdistan
