How deployment of 4,000+ US Marines could change war in Iran Two flotillas bearing thousands of US Marines will give Trump more options to open the Strait of Hormuz, but deploying them to the Gulf will necessitate expanding a war that's already widely unpopular at home. Iran
Iran’s Hormuz choke hold leaves West divided as energy markets reel Between March 1 and March 19, there were only 114 crossings of the strait, according to analytics firm Kpler — 95% less than prewar traffic. Iran
Why a Kharg Island blockade could be Iran’s greatest economic threat The island is an energy hub that accounts for 90% of Iran's oil exports and is home to key Iranian military installations. Iran
Qatar-based Al Jazeera commentators go dark on social media: What to know Saeed Ziad, who offered a pro-Iran perspective on the war, has not posted on X in days, and the account of Fatima al-Smadi was deleted, though their exact status is not known. Qatar
Analysis Narrow opening: Can Lebanon’s push for talks shift Israel’s war calculus? By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis Iran expands energy targets beyond Gulf as Red Sea and East Med come into play By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis In Hormuz standoff, Trump struggles to rally allies By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
The next battle in Syria With the war on the Islamic State winding down, other tensions in Syria are dialing up as Israel and Turkey worry over forces amassing on their borders. Israel
Islamic Jihad comes under fire for allegedly undermining reconciliation While Fatah's Central Committee member Azzam al-Ahmad lashed out at the Islamic Jihad and Iran, the movement denied the accusation of hindering the reconciliation. Palestine
The UAE's 'alternative GCC' With no solution to the Qatar-GCC crisis in sight, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have formed their own alliance to support their regional foreign policy. Saudi Arabia
Why is Iranian rial suddenly weakening? Inflation and other factors have caused the Iranian rial to weaken to the point where it now takes more than 40,000 rials to buy a dollar on the free market in Iran. United States
Iran hard-liners welcome Trump decision on Jerusalem Some Iranian media outlets believe that Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital will make forming resistance groups easier. Palestine
Russia’s multilayered Syrian diplomacy worries Iran Mistrust and differing objectives continue to mar Iran-Russia relations, even as the two countries move forward on Syria. Saudi Arabia
Iran reacts to Trump's 'very dangerous' Jerusalem decision In reaction to Trump’s move to declare recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Iranian leaders warned that they won’t tolerate aggression against holy sites. Palestine
Israeli tech puts Iranian ride-hailing startups in bind Drivers for Iranian ride-hailing companies have been using an Israeli navigation app, causing conflict between the relatively new businesses and judicial authorities. Israel
Iranian media: Yemen ex-president's death result of his 'betrayal' Iranian media opine that Ali Abdullah Saleh’s reported talks with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and consequently the breaking of his alliance with the Houthis led to his death. Saudi Arabia
Can Saudis tempt Moscow into pushing Iran from Syria? Saudi Arabia has given up on ousting President Bashar al-Assad and is now hoping to convince Russia to deny Iran a presence in Syria. Saudi Arabia
Saleh killed in Yemen following peace overture; UAE denies Houthi missile claim Iranian media report, but the UAE denies, that the Houthis fired a missile toward Abu Dhabi over the weekend in response to a Saudi-brokered deal to return former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to power; Saleh was killed Dec. 4. Yemen
The real reason Iranian media is fixated on Zarrab case Reza Zarrab’s testimony in a US court is attracting the attention of Iranian media because he has been linked to an Iranian billionaire who siphoned off Iranian oil money in Iran's sanctions evasion scheme. Turkey
