Iran warns Trump against ground invasion as US troop presence surges Iranian media outlets have reported that the country has readied more than a million people fora possible ground conflict. Iran
Ukraine's Zelenskyy capitalizes on Iran war to ink security deal with Saudi Arabia Kyiv is using its domestic production of anti-drone technology and low-cost, AI-enabled interceptor drones to help Gulf states in countering Iranian drones. Saudi Arabia
Exclusive Israel suspects Trump betting on 3 Iran officials, including Ghalibaf, to end war White House calls to the Israeli prime minister have decreased as the war effort flounders, with critical Iranian infrastructure absent from target lists. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis In familiar standoff, US and Iranian demands leave little room for deal What were already difficult negotiations before the war have grown even more fraught under Iran's new hard-line leadership. By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Newsletter: China-Middle East China hedges as US–Iran truce stalls By Rosaleen Carroll In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East
Iran judiciary chief clashes with Rouhani once again The conservative head of Iran’s judiciary says the president has been accused of getting money from a jailed billionaire. Iran
Turkish-Iranian rivalry may derail Syrian peace efforts Despite the Moscow Declaration, in which Russia, Turkey and Iran pledged joint efforts to end the war in Syria, the ongoing regional rivalry between Ankara and Tehran could lead to snags in the settlement process. Syria
How Iran sees Russian-Turkish deal on Syria Although it was left out of Russia and Turkey’s announcement of a cease-fire agreement in Syria, Iran is very much involved on the stage as the Moscow-Ankara accord builds on a trilateral understanding with Tehran. Syria
Is Erdogan trying to wreck US-Turkey relations? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claims he has “evidence” of US support for the Islamic State; Iranian President Hassan Rouhani applauds valuable “victory” in Aleppo. Syria
Bahrain shifts foreign policy with eye on Turkey Bahraini officials want to deepen their ties with Turkey as regional politics become more unstable. Legacy: Gulf
Iranian Reformists slam exiled dissidents over letter to Trump The penning of a letter to US President-elect Donald Trump by Iranian dissidents has led conservatives in Tehran to attack Reformists. United States
'Grave sleepers' shock Iranians An article on homeless drug addicts taking shelter in pre-prepared graves in a cemetery shakes Iranian society. Iran
Why Rouhani’s social housing scheme faces more than bumpy start The Rouhani administration’s long-delayed scheme to provide social housing for marginalized households finally appears ready to be implemented — but not without a bumpy start. Iran
Why rift between Iran’s moderates, hard-liners is really about republicanism The continuing public feud between Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Ayatollah Mohammad-Taghi Mesbah Yazdi suggests that the revolutionary clash between moderates and hard-liners over the nature of the Islamic Republic of Iran is far from over. Iran
Why Iran’s 'green gold' is set to rebound Despite being hit by climate change and sanctions, Iran’s millennia-old pistachio production appears set to increase production and export. United States
What is Rouhani seeking to achieve with his Citizens’ Rights Charter? Barely out from the printing press, the Iranian president’s long-promised Citizens’ Rights Charter is coming under fire, and not just for coming five months before his bid for re-election. Iran
Will Iran, Hamas break ties over Aleppo? Relations between Hamas and Iran have been especially tense since the group publicly condemned the violent battle for Aleppo. Palestine