From 2008 to today: Expectations and timeline of US-Iran talks The upcoming talks will be the most significant since negotiations broke down in 2022 and come in the wake of President Donald Trump threatening to bomb Iran if it does not agree to a new deal on its nuclear program. Iran
US sanctions Russia-based network for aiding Houthis as strikes continue The sanctions target several individuals based in Russia accused of assisting Houthi official Sa’id al-Jamal, who has been under US sanctions since 2021. Yemen
US sanctions UAE, China firms in crackdown on Iranian drone supplies The Justice Department also announced criminal charges against two Iranian nationals and an Iranian company over their alleged roles in the drone-procurement network. Iran
US says Syria's transitional government a possible step forward The State Department voiced cautious optimism over the new cabinet, which includes members of Syria’s Christian, Alawite, Druze and Kurdish minorities. Syria
Feature Syria’s post-Assad economy falters as US stalls on sanctions relief By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
As EU courts Armenia, Iran and US are bound to clash in South Caucasus Yerevan’s pivot to the West is a challenge for Tehran, yet Iranian authorities and media kept mum on a high-level trilateral EU-US-Armenia meeting last week. Iran
Iran exports to Russia hit high of $2B as sanctions strengthen alliance The significant jump in Iranian exports to Russia is indicative of the two states' increasing focus on joint solutions to circumvent international sanctions that have squeezed their economies. Iran
Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline gets a reset, can it overcome sanctions? As Tehran and Islamabad work to make progress on the Iran-Pakistan natural gas pipeline that has been decades in the making, the threat of US sanctions and financing challenges still remain. Iran
US sanctions target Russia’s production of Iranian attack drones On the second anniversary of the war in Ukraine, the Biden administration has rolled out new measures meant to counter Russia’s drone partnership with Iran. Iran
Congress pushes White House to toughen anti-Assad policy The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed legislation meant to combat the normalization of Syria's long-shunned regime. Syria
Analysis France leads EU in sanctioning violent Israeli settlers France has become the first European Union member state to enact sanctions against extremist Israeli settlers. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Who are the four Israeli settlers sanctioned by UK for West Bank violence? The sanctions follow US designations of settlers enacted on Feb. 1, with the European Union and France also preparing sanctions. Israel
Meet Lebanon's Nawaf Salam, new ICJ president Salam, Lebanon’s former ambassador to the UN, becomes head of the UN’s top legal body at a critical time amid the Gaza war. Lebanon
US Treasury sanctions ISIS facilitators in Egypt, Turkey The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a pair of cybersecurity experts in Egypt and a Turkey-based individual involved in transferring funds to individuals associated with the Islamic State. Egypt
Who are the Iranians sanctioned by US, UK for murder plots against dissidents? One of the plots culminated in the 2019 assassination of Iranian government critic Mas’ud Vardanjani in Istanbul, according to a statement by the US Treasury Monday. Iran
How significant is Niger's PM visit to Iran post-coup and amid Africa push? Iran wants better economic and political relations with sub-Saharan African states, including the sanctioned military junta in Niger. Iran
EU sanctions Hamas' Yahya Sinwar and Somalia's al-Shabab top leader The European Union Council announced Tuesday it was taking restrictive financial measures against the Gaza-based group’s leader, Yahya Sinwar. Israel