US, Saudi Arabia strike Iran-aligned militias in Iraq as IRGC targets US forces in Jordan The IRGC’s attempt to redraw the status quo amid an uneasy stalemate comes as White House hedges its military options and Omani officials seek to bring the two enemies back to the negotiating table. Iran
Analysis Why Ukraine's strike on Iranian ship marks dangerous new phase in ties Tehran has warned Kyiv of consequences, as pent-up tensions couple with what Iran believes is Ukrainian alignment with the US and Israel in the recent war. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Explainer Tankers keep sailing Red Sea despite Houthi threats as Saudi oil lifeline faces strains Roughly a dozen oil tankers were sailing in the vicinity of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as of Tuesday evening, following an uptick in traffic the day before as shippers bet on new US-Iran diplomacy. Yemen
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Israel’s Netanyahu to discuss Iran, Lebanon with Trump Oman proposes Hormuz management plan; Iraq's Zaidi pays first visit to Turkey; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
What's behind Iran's massive capital flight? While a large amount of hard currency has left Iran in the years since the implementation of the nuclear deal, the picture is more complex than a simple case of investors rushing to move their capital outside the country. Iran
Iran MPs call on Central Bank governor to resign as rial plummets Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Central Bank Gov. Valiollah Seif have come under heavy fire over the sudden devaluation of the rial. Iran
Iran raises minimum wage in concession to workers Iranian laborers are set to receive an almost 20% increase in the minimum wage in a concession from the authorities. Iran
Iran condemns chemical weapons attacks, denies Syria’s role Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said that it was not logical for the Syrian army to use chemical weapons while it had the upper hand in the field of battle. Syria
Culture alert: Gaza conflict spills over to cinema festivals Iran’s Fajr International Film Festival has invited Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi as its guest of honor, while, farther west, Palestinian artists are boycotting the Istanbul Film Festival for refusing to drop an Israeli-government-backed sponsor, Art Israel. Palestine
Putin, Erdogan, Rouhani extend circle of trust in Syria As the Astana process seizes the initiative on Syria, the United States could put Israel-Lebanon shuttle diplomacy to the test on Hezbollah. Israel
Conditioning American withdrawal from Syria Now that President Donald Trump has announced US forces will be soon leaving Syria, the administration must rethink its previously stated conditions for withdrawal. Israel
What's really driving currency depreciation in Iran? Rather than an indicator of a poor economy, the devaluation of the Iranian currency is the result of investment behavior, and what we are witnessing now looks more like a bubble. Iran
Russia sees benefit of nudging Turkey on to Manbij in Syria Despite their divergent strategic goals, the leaders of Iran, Russia and Turkey have agreed to work together in Syria while further excluding the United States from the decision-making process. Syria
Ankara summit focuses on Syria's fate once war ends The presidents of Iran, Russia and Turkey reassured each other that they are the "big three" of the Syrian peace talks and discussed their mission to resolve the civil war. Syria
Iranian conservatives ask supreme leader for reforms Conservative officials and activists aligned with former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wrote an open letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the need for reforms. Iran
Late Iranian president's son on road to become Tehran mayor Mohsen Hashemi, the oldest son of late Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, may become mayor of the country’s capital. Iran