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
Rivalry among Iran intelligence bodies spills out into open Presidential adviser Ali Younessi has said that only the Intelligence Ministry is capable of determining who is a spy and criticized other organizations for making their own assessments. Iran
KRG intelligence chief: Baghdad must give us our rights Masrour Barzani, the son of former Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani, talks about the Kurds' thinking behind the Sept. 25 independence referendum and about what may happen next. Iraq
Iranian interference in Iraqi election stirs anger among Iraqis With the upcoming Iraqi elections in May, Iranians have stepped up their actions to manage their alliances in Iraq to ensure the continuity of their influence. Iraq
World financial watchdog keeps punting on Iran Iran had hoped to be removed from an international financial watch list but will have to settle for a continuation of an ambiguous status quo. United States
Ahmadinejad asks Khamenei for free and immediate elections Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has written a letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling for free and immediate elections. Iran
Iranian authorities, Sufi leader move toward reconciliation The Iranian authorities and Gonabadi dervishes seem to be moving toward reconciliation following deadly clashes in Tehran. Iran
Why Iran doesn’t want escalation in Syria Contrary to the narrative that Iran wants to drag Israel into the Syrian war, Tehran appears to have no incentive to do so. Israel
Has Gaza joined the axis of resistance? Palestinian factions, with the exception of Fatah, are threatening to open a Gaza front against Israel if it goes to war in Syria, Lebanon or Iran. Palestine
Pentagon stops budgeting for peshmerga salaries The Pentagon’s fiscal year 2019 budget doesn’t specifically dedicate payments for Iraq’s Kurdish fighting force after it stepped back from the front lines of the fight against the Islamic State. Iraq
Iranian rescuers find missing plane after two days of searching Iranian rescuers find the wreckage of a missing passenger plane after two days of searching. Iran
Six factors driving Iran’s sudden currency devaluation A confluence of political, economic and psychological factors appears to be behind the recent plunge in the Iranian currency’s value on the free market. Iran
Iranian film on Tehran's role in Syria war creates controversy The first Iranian film depicting Tehran’s fight against Islamic State terrorists divides observers into two camps: those who think it is a great film by a great director and those who think it is just a cliche. Iran