Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran hits Gulf, warns Hormuz will reopen on its terms Lebanese president meets US envoy; Russia eyes Tartous logistics hub in Syria; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Lebanon's Aoun to meet Trump in first presidential summit in US since 2009 The visit by the Lebanese head of state will coincide with ongoing US-sponsored Lebanon-Israel talks. Lebanon
Oil soars more than 6% as Trump rules out Iran deal, threatens more strikes Oil prices had been recovering following a memorandum of understanding signed last month to end the war, but they rose by more than 6% early on Wednesday. Iran
Trump declares MoU with Iran 'over' as Hegseth cancels trip to Israel Trump said diplomacy with Tehran was “a waste of time” after renewed attacks around Hormuz, as US defense chief reportedly cancels Israel visit. Turkey
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump says Iran deal is ‘over’ By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis Trump's F-35 push for Turkey runs into CAATSA — and Israel By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Pentagon’s new Middle East chief fixes sights on Iran threat Gen. Frank McKenzie, the Pentagon’s new top military commander in the Middle East, faces the lingering threat of Iran with limited military authorities at his disposal and a wary Congress. United States
Congress tries to defund US nuclear transfers to Saudi Arabia House Democrats want to use the power of the purse to halt the transfer of US civil nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
US condemnation of Muslim Brotherhood would cost Turkey dearly If the Donald Trump administration brands the Muslim Brotherhood a terror organization to please its Gulf allies and Egypt, it will create a major headache for Turkey. Turkey
Istanbul election rerun brings Turkey fresh economic turmoil The cancellation of the opposition victory in the mayoral race in Istanbul has raised the specter of more trouble for the Turkish economy, which is already grappling with recession and currency-related tumult. Turkey
Amid US pressure, Iran warns Europe of another ‘wave’ of refugees Iran has warned Europe that if US sanctions continue to take a toll on its economy, it will no longer be able to host Afghan refugees. United States
Pro-Iran militia leader lashes out against Pompeo visit to Baghdad Following US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Baghdad, pro-Iranian forces in Iraq sent a strong warning to the United States. Iraq
Turkey and Palestine maintain strong ties despite US pressures Turkey is proving to be a strong ally to Palestine despite being a member of NATO and having a long-standing military relationship with Israel, and Palestinian officials are trying to use this relationship to counterpressure the Trump administration and Israel. Palestine
Libyan government presses US to block Gulf support for Tripoli offensive The UN-backed Government of National Accord is lobbying Washington to halt Khalifa Hifter’s offensive on Tripoli by denying him arms from Gulf Arab states. Libya
Democrats slam ‘massive failure’ of Trump policy after Iran restarts nuclear activity Democrats are blaming the Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign for Tehran’s decision to resume some enrichment activity constrained by the 2015 nuclear deal. Congress
Intel: How Trump's 'maximum pressure' campaign is bringing Iran and Russia closer together Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif's long-planned visit to Moscow today quickly turned into a grievance-sharing session with his counterpart Sergey Lavrov about the Donald Trump administration. Russia
Trump admin vows US won’t be 'hostage' to 'nuclear blackmail' from Iran The United States says won’t give in to Iranian threats as Iran is set to end compliance with the two conditions the US administration recently made impossible to meet. United States
Iran seeks broader defense cooperation with Russia amid US pressure As part of a long-term military strategy to fortify its defenses against US threats, Iran is moving closer to Russia — with a vision entailing broader defense cooperation. Russia