Iran floats ‘plan B’ to defuse Hormuz standoff, delay nuclear talks The proposal would postpone negotiations over Iran's nuclear program in an attempt to break the deadlock. Iran
Turkey’s military spending jumps to $30B, leads Mideast growth in 2025 Newly released data shows Ankara’s military spending hit $30 billion, while Saudi Arabia remained the region’s top spender and Israel’s outlays declined in 2025. Turkey
Pistachios reach highest prices in eight years amid Iran war Pistachio prices rose to around $4.57 a pound in March, their highest since 2018, according to data company Expana. Iran
Iran FM meets Putin, Russia’s military intel chief as talks stall: What to know Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi headed to Russia following visits to Pakistan and Oman over the weekend as talks with Washington are at a standstill. Iran
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran FM blames US for failed talks after landing in Russia By Beatrice Farhat In Beirut, reporting on regional news, culture, conflict
Analysis Why Saudi Arabia, Egypt are wary of Turkey’s proposed 4-way defense pact with Pakistan By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis Araghchi’s Russia, regional tour tests path to breaking US-Iran deadlock By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Inside the secret US-Iran diplomacy that sealed nuke deal Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei authorized direct talks with the United States on the nuclear issue as early as 2011, but real progress was not made until Hassan Rouhani, unaware of the talks, came into office in August 2013, US and Iranian officials say. Iran
Is Iran’s military funding the media? Hesam al-Din Ashna, cultural adviser to the Iranian president, said that some media in Iran receive money from the country's defense budget and are established enough to attack other media. Iran
Iranian negotiators remain confident about nuclear deal At a conference in Tehran on the nuclear agreement with the P5+1, Iran's senior negotiators expressed their satisfaction with the deal and confidence in its implementation. Regional
Bibi, king of the Jews In opposing the Iranian nuclear deal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sees himself as the savior of the Jews, a perception that leads him to view the American Jewish community as within his jurisdiction, rather than as US citizens with an understandable loyalty to their country and president. Israel
US wins support from GCC, Asian allies for Iran nuclear deal Israel is outlier on nuclear deal; Rafsanjani tells Al-Monitor that Iran “does not inherently have any issues with Saudi Arabia”; Zarif proposes civil nuclear cooperation with Arab states; Syrian, Iranian and Russian officials meet in Tehran; Al-Monitor’s second annual Middle East lobbying investigation and cultural heritage series. Israel
Nuke deal won't change Iran's approach to region In the aftermath of the JCPOA, Iran and other regional powers are seeking to engage, but will likely pursue policies to strengthen positions ahead of anticipated talks. Saudi Arabia
Iran’s sagging housing market may face price shock With a nuclear deal in hand and the business environment improving, Iranian investors may begin piling cash into the country's ailing housing market — causing a price shock. Iran
Ahmadinejad’s chief of staff accused of links to embezzlement Iran's justice minister said that former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's chief of staff is linked to an Iranian embezzlement case. Iran
Exclusive: Rafsanjani on future of Iran-US ties, Saudi Arabia In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani speaks about the future of Iran-US ties, Tehran's troubled relationship with Riyadh and how to move forward. Saudi Arabia
How will Iran ratify the deal? In Tehran, there is intense debate about how the nuclear deal with six world powers should be ratified, with the government and conservatives split about whether to involve parliament. Iran
Iranian negotiator discusses talks with Moniz The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, discusses negotiations with his counterpart, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. Iran
Iran-authored Syria plan en route to UN Not much can be done for Syria until major Middle East players agree to put aside their differences and form a united front against the Islamic State — and Iran has a four-step plan for the next phase. Syria
