US strikes on Indian-crewed tankers spark tensions with New Delhi India summoned the US deputy chief of mission in Delhi on Friday to protest American strikes on commercial vessels off the coast of Oman. Iran
Iran-US draft deal would release $24B in funds, ensure Lebanon ceasefire: Iranian media The draft circulating in Iranian state media, which Trump denied on Friday, would grant Tehran sanctions relief and access to billions in frozen funds while limiting final talks to nuclear issues and excluding its missile program and proxies. Iran
Trump calls off Iran strikes, says deal is close Iran did not immediately respond to his claim that its leadership had approved a deal. By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
US issues more Iran sanctions as Trump says strikes will resume The sanctions are the latest to target Iran's weapons procurement networks. By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Iran’s supreme leader ridicules US over election ‘spectacle’ Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has previously said Iran is not concerned about who wins the election. United States
Trump's former national security adviser says reentering Iran deal would be 'huge mistake' Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, who served as national security adviser from 2017 to 2018, assesses Trump’s Middle East record, reflecting on his career in the region’s battlegrounds. United States
Would Mideast leaders prefer Trump or Biden to deal with Iran? Whoever wins the election, a new Iran deal would require a regional consensus and some tough diplomacy with Putin. United States
No more UN embargo on Iran, but no arms sales either Anyone who might seek to sell arms to Iran is likely in a holding pattern to see what happens in the US election and to see what Iran, in dire economic straits, can afford. United States
Biden slams Trump's Iran policy at town hall The Democratic presidential candidate also praised Trump's work on the UAE-Israel deal. Israel
Rouhani celebrates end of Iran arms embargo In an open message of defiance against US pressure, Iran said it could resume arms purchases as early as Oct. 18 when a decadelong UN embargo effectively expires. Iran
US government sanctions 18 Iranian banks New sanctions imposed by the US Treasury Department aim to deny the Iranian government funding. Iran says the move will hurt its ability to pay for medicine and food. Iran
Iranian currency dips to historic low amid sanctions, pandemic, foreign policy decisions Iran has seen the rial’s value fall by almost half this year as the currency now stands at a record low against the US dollar, triggered by ongoing sanctions, coronavirus restrictions and, according to some experts, Iran's foreign policy adventures since the 1979 revolution. Iran
Iran president says 'no' to pre-election deal with Trump Despite an official line of indifference toward US election results, Iranian authorities are closely monitoring the race from Tehran. Iran
Why rejoining Iran nuclear deal isn’t so easy, even if Biden wins A new Iran deal should consider the “gold standard” energy pact by the UAE and include a regional dialogue on the peaceful use of nuclear power. United Arab Emirates
Senate Democrats say Trump administration policy has empowered Iran The State Department also announced new sanctions on Iran including on the judge who purportedly ordered the execution of famed wrestler Navid Afkari. Congress
The Takeaway: Normalization deals don’t ‘repair damage’ of Trump policies, says US senator Democrat Chris Van Hollen takes apart Trump policies in Middle East; Al-Monitor gets the scoop on the art of the deal in Sudan; Turkey’s militarized foreign policy; the gold standard for nuclear power in the Middle East. United States
