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 blacklists new leader of Iran-backed Iraqi militia The successor of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis as leader of the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah has been designated as a global terrorist by the United States. Iraq
Intel: Washington eyes Lebanon sanctions over jailed US citizen Lebanon is finding itself staring down the prospect of US sanctions after jailing an American citizen for six months. Lebanon
US sanctions Iranian Guardian Council members, holds off on UN snapback penalties The Trump administration is coming under pressure from anti-Iran deal advocates to find a way to trigger the "snapback" of UN sanctions this year. United States
Iran says Zarif met with US senator for ‘public diplomacy’ Iran’s foreign minister says his weekend meeting with a US senator in Germany was a diplomatic effort to get his nation’s voice heard by the American people. Congress
Turkish MPs make Washington charm offensive as Ankara-Moscow ties strain A Turkish delegation arrives in Washington to find a way forward for US-Turkish relations. Turkey
Democrats call on Trump to sanction Libyan warlord Khalifa Hifter Democrats are wary that the Donald Trump administration may be too friendly with Libya’s Khalifa Hifter, so they’re calling for sanctions. Turkey
Intel: Iraq likely to continue importing Iranian natural gas under US waiver renewal Iraqi officials have indicated that the United States is likely to renew a key Iran sanctions waiver that will allow Baghdad to continue importing Iranian natural gas to fuel its electricity needs. Iraq
Europe worries as Trump seems to lose interest in new Iran deal Europeans with embassies on the ground disagree with the belief by Donald Trump administration officials that the Iranian regime is on the brink of collapse, and that the administration can wait for Iran to surrender to a long US wish list. United States
Iran's Zarif says Swiss humanitarian channel 'small step' Iran has welcomed the new channel with Switzerland, which will allow the delivery of medicine. But it expects more from Europe in fulfilling its end of the nuclear deal. United States
Magnitsky law spawns cottage industry of sanctions lobbying The Magnitsky Act is being used in unexpected ways, with lobbyists pushing for human rights sanctions against nations on behalf of corporate clients. Legacy: Gulf
Intel: Iraq bank set to halt Iran gas transfers as US sanctions waiver expires The Trade Bank of Iraq is expected to stop processing payments to Iran if US sanction exemptions expire next month. Iraq
Intel: Trump set to meet Iraqi leaders amid sanctions threats The White House announced Jan. 20 that President Donald Trump will meet his Iraqi counterpart, Barham Salih, this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Trump is also set to meet separately with Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani. Iraq
