Pentagon: Iran's missiles, not mines, pose main threat to Hormuz shipping The top US defense official said US strikes this week destroyed Iran’s ability to manufacture new ballistic missiles. Iran
Analysis Israel, Gulf fear Trump may lose interest in war as Iran weighs nuclear breakout If the current war ends with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps emboldened, many worry that Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, will increase efforts to pursue a nuclear weapon to deter future attacks, similar to North Korea. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Feature Iranians crossing into Turkey haunted by regime crackdown more than war Many Iranians crossing into Turkey suggest the regime’s deadly crackdown on recent protests, not the bombardment, is the trauma they cannot shake. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Ukraine sends teams to help Gulf counter Iranian drones: What to know Ukraine has significant experience downing Iran’s Shahed drones, leading Gulf states to express interest in Ukrainian expertise and hardware. Iran
Analysis As Trump shrugs off possible Iran attacks at home, experts see increased risk By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Newsletter: China-Middle East Why turmoil in Hormuz is a major problem for China By Rosaleen Carroll , Joyce Karam
Soul-searching Reformists debate whether to run in Iran’s next polls Wary of having lost their political capital amid deepening public disapproval of President Hassan Rouhani’s performance, Iranian Reformists are debating whether and how to participate in coming parliamentary and presidential elections. Iran
Trump buries the hatchet with Erdogan over Syria The US troop withdrawal could also lead to a return of the 'art of the deal' with Putin. Israel
Uncertainties abound as Iran moves to privatize its two biggest soccer clubs Iran’s Cabinet has given the green light to the privatization of the popular Esteghlal and Persepolis soccer clubs, but from the debts to the losses, the process promises to be rocky at best. Iran
Erdogan gets his wish from Trump in Syria, but now what? Ankara fears that US President Donald Trump’s sudden decision to exit Syria could become a pyrrhic victory, as four main concerns could widen security vulnerabilities and trouble Turkey's president domestically. Syria
Israel concerned over American exit of Syria US withdrawal from Syria leaves Israel alone in the campaign against Iranian entrenchment there. Israel
How insecurity in Iran's southeast could benefit UAE, Pakistan Regional rivalry over maritime trade has intensified speculations in Iran about possible Emirati-Pakistani involvement in the recent terror attack in the southeastern port of Chabahar. Iran
Iranian analysts welcome US withdrawal from Syria Iran's government has not officially reacted to Trump's announcement of a US withdrawal from Syria, but Iranian analysts have welcomed the news. Syria
House Democrats prepare to take on Trump over Iran sanctions Democrats and advocacy groups are preparing to confront the Donald Trump administration about obstacles to humanitarian exemptions in the Iran sanctions regime. United States
Despite difficulties, Russia optimistic about Syria's Constitutional Committee Though the UN has yet to confirm who will serve on Syria's Constitutional Committee, the Astana trio is optimistic about the committee's overall prospects, especially after the United States announced it will withdraw its troops from Syria. Syria
US diplomats shaken by Trump decision to exit Syria US President Donald Trump’s abrupt decision to withdraw from Syria humiliates US envoys who have said the United States would maintain a presence indefinitely to prevent the return of the Islamic State and to counter Iran’s influence. Israel
Iranian authorities under fire after deadly school blaze A fire at a primary school in the southeastern Iranian border town of Zahedan has killed at least four children, leaving the nation in grief as well as outraged over government negligence of some regions. Iran
What made this Iranian TV host lose his job? A young state TV host is fired from his job after he criticized one of the most outspoken cinema critics of Iran. Iran