Turkey seizes Iran’s Caspian Airlines jet over $3.4M debt The court-ordered seizure at Istanbul Airport comes as Iranian carriers face mounting pressure from sweeping new US aviation sanctions. Turkey
US sanctions Iranian crypto exchange BitBank over Hormuz payments The US government says the exchange was used to channel payments from an Iranian maritime-insurance scheme to the regime. Iran
Analysis Could Iran’s nuclear ambitions harden as war escalates? A new report has raised alarm about the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site that President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike. By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
US hits 27 Iranian airlines with latest sanctions The targets include Iranian airlines and operators in Malaysia, Turkey, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates, including Mahan Air. Iran
Analysis As Israeli settler attacks mount, Trump avoids public pressure on Netanyahu By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Analysis Can Iran’s economic buffers withstand new US sanctions? By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
US softens rhetoric on Arab outreach to Syria’s Assad The Biden administration says "real steps to improve the situation for the people in Syria" should be part of any engagement with the long-boycotted regime. Syria
US slaps sanctions on two brothers in Lebanon for corruption As Lebanon's economy deteriorated, the US Treasury said Lebanese businessmen Raymond Zina Rahme and Teddy Zina Rahme profited from public corruption. Lebanon
UAE Central Bank revokes license of Russia's MTS Bank as sanctions tighten The Central Bank of the UAE plans to close the Russian bank’s operations within six months from the date of the decision. Legacy: Gulf
US imposes fresh sanctions over Iran drone procurement The US Treasury Department designated four entities and three people, including one based in Turkey, accused of aiding Iran's drone and weapons programs. Iran
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt rank among world’s top 10 arms importers: SIPRI Middle East countries made up more than a fourth of the top 40 global arms importers from 2018 to 2022, according to a new report. Legacy: Gulf
Iran says it signed 'aviation cooperation' memo with UAE The UAE and Iran have cordial economic and political relations, despite being on opposite sides of some regional rivalries. Iran
US slaps visa sanction on Syrian military officer over Tadamon massacre The State Department hit Amjad Yousef and his family with visa bans for his alleged involvement in the 2013 killing of 41 unarmed Syrian civilians. Syria
Iran's oil, petrochemical trade hit with new US sanctions The designated firms are located in Iran, China, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates. Iran
New US sanctions target Iran’s drone supply to Russia The targets include eight senior executives of an Iran-based firm involved in the manufacture of drones used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran
US sanctions UAE-based aviation firm with ties to Russia’s Wagner Washington says UAE-based Kratol Aviation helped Wagner operations ship personnel and weapons to Libya, the Central African Republic and Mali. Legacy: Gulf
The Takeaway: Can sanctions curb Iran's protest crackdown? Plus, a top Republican lawmaker questions the Biden administration's Syria policy and the US announces support for Lebanon's security forces. Iran
US targets Iranian officials with human rights sanctions The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 10 Iranian individuals and one entity connected to the protest violence. Iran
