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
Venezuela’s Maduro receives warm welcome in Turkey Turkey and Venezuela have good relations, much to the chagrin of the United States. By Adam Lucente In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change
US lawmakers push sanctions for Syria's Tadamon massacre Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) called on the Biden administration to sanction four Syrians linked to the 2013 murder of 41 unarmed civilians. Syria
US sanctions international network laundering funds for Hamas In a move aimed at cutting off the militant group’s sources of revenue, the Treasury Department designated a Hamas official, three financial facilitators and six companies. Palestine
US sanctions network of Hezbollah businessman in Lebanon The Treasury Department designated Ahmad Jalal Reda Abdallah and several of his associates and companies based in Lebanon and Iraq. Lebanon
Analysis Lawmakers question Khashoggi Ban as Saudi prince visits US Reps. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.) want to know whether Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman is subject to the visa denial policy known as the "Khashoggi Ban." By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
US targets Islamic State financiers in Turkey, Syria, Indonesia The US hit five individuals with economic sanctions over aiding jihadi recruits via money transfer. United States
Egypt, Russia discuss next steps for nuclear power plant Despite the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and sanctions imposed on Moscow, a Russian delegation visited Egypt to inspect the construction work at the Dabaa nuclear plant. Egypt
Will sanctioned Russian oligarchs find haven in Egypt? Its current economic hardships may prompt Cairo to double down on investments with Russia. Egypt
Russia, Wagner Group expand ties with Sudan Sudan's military leaders have expanded ties with Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. Egypt
SWIFT cutoff leaves Egyptian students in Russia empty handed Russia's exclusion from global payments systems has prevented thousands of Egyptian students in the country from receiving money from their families back home. Egypt
Iran slams new US sanctions amid nuclear deal uncertainty The fresh sanctions targeted a network of Iranian firms over links to the Revolutionary Guards' missile program and came as an impasse in the nuclear deal talks drags on. Iran
