Iranian, Iraqi presidents meet after border closure, militia row: What to know It was the first meeting between the countries’ leaders since Iraq shut the Sheeb border crossing with Iran in late October, a move a senior Iraqi official later tied to pressure from Washington. Iran
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran war shadows Turkey’s COP31 summit World leaders began arriving in Antalya on Wednesday to take part in the COP31 climate conference, which Turkey is hosting for the first time. By Gabrielle Debinski In New York City, reporting on the Middle East
Analysis Iran's alleged cyberattacks in France raise fears of wider confrontation Iran's wartime threats are increasingly reaching beyond the Middle East, exposing vulnerabilities in Europe's civilian infrastructure and raising questions about Tehran's use of deniable operations to pressure its adversaries. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Iran unveils new underground 'missile city': What to know Iran has moved much of its missile stockpile underground as the threat of a new war looms. Iran
Newsletter: FutureVerse Does Middle East have Nvidia problem? By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Diplomacy, not sanctions, key to deal with Iran As the American Israel Public Affairs Committee holds its annual policy conference, it would do well to remember that the Obama administration's diplomacy, not sanctions, has yielded better results, according to a former senior Iranian diplomat. Israel
Al-Monitor recognized by IPI as 'Free Media Pioneer' The International Press Institute has awarded the annual Free Media Pioneer Award to Al-Monitor as “a model for independent coverage of the region through its news, features, analysis and commentary at a time of political upheaval.” Palestine
Why is Turkey buying more gas than it needs from Iran? Why does Turkey want to double its gas imports from Iran when it's already importing more gas than it consumes? Turkey
Barrel bombings cause mass evacuation in east Aleppo An exclusive first hand report on how fearful residents, along with opposition forces, have fled east Aleppo en masse as the Syrian government's barrel bombing campaign shows no sign of relenting. Syria
AIPAC sets 'guidelines' for Iran nuclear deal AIPAC, the American Israel Political Action Committee, makes the case for congressional pressure on Iran. Palestine
The peril of escalation in Syria Edward Dark writes that Aleppans will pay the price for any escalation in the war; the UN Security Council votes for humanitarian assistance and calls for greater cooperation to confront al-Qaeda in Syria; 16 female journalists cover the Middle East; and exorcism in the Gaza Strip. Palestine
How much nuclear power does Iran need? Iran could clarify the bottom line on enrichment with an up-to-date assessment of its needs for nuclear power in domestic energy production. Iran
The paradox of higher education in Iran The increase in the number of private universities in Iran has not increased the level and quality of scholarly work in Iran. Iran
Chalabi: Anbar crisis sign of 'political failure' in Iraq In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Ahmed Chalabi shares his views on the upcoming elections, the economy and the de-Baathification law. Iraq
US, Iran need to contain war of words With talks beginning in Vienna on Feb. 18 , on a comprehensive nuclear agreement, rhetoric on both sides can make the already difficult compromises that much harder. Iran
New US Syria policy should engage Iran As the talks on a comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran commence this week in Vienna, there is also an opening to engage Iran on Syria and terrorism. Syria