Oil falls below $71 as US-Iran talks continue, Gulf exports rebound Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in an X post on Wednesday that Iran and the United States had made "positive progress." Iran
Explainer Saudi FM concludes China visit amid Trump-MBS friction: What to know Saudi Arabia is still absorbing the war’s security fallout and is widening its circle by leaning more on Beijing as a diplomatic counterweight to Washington and as a partner that can engage Tehran. China
Analysis Why Iran's Pezeshkian is facing an uphill battle in postwar diplomacy As President Masoud Pezeshkian's administration advances dialogue with Washington, its fiercer contest is in the corridors of power within the Islamic Republic itself. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Analysis For Israel, Lebanon deal 'historic' despite fears Hezbollah will rebuild While the deal with Lebanon allows the Israeli military to maintain a presence there, security experts warn that it also gives a weakened Hezbollah the time it needs to recover. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis How competing visions over Hormuz strait threaten fragile Iran-US deal By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
US hits back at Iran in Iraq as tensions rise The United States is targeting pro-Iranian politicians and militants in Iraq. Iraq
Source: Iran FM met Rand Paul to feel out possible US-Iran talks US Senator Rand Paul reportedly spoke with Iran's foreign minister this week with the president's permission, and some experts believe the quiet meeting could be the beginnings of an effort to negotiate. United States
Intel: US drone shootdown sparks more Gulf tension US President Donald Trump said today that the United States destroyed an Iranian drone that came within 1,000 yards of an American vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Defense officials told CNN the drone was brought down today by electronic jamming. Iraq
Iraq plans to launch pipelines to export oil through Jordan, Syria Iraq plans to diversify its oil exports via new pipelines through Jordan and Syria. Iraq
EU, Iran try to stand ground against Trump’s sanctions The countries working to save the Iranian nuclear deal have various reasons for doing so, and one could be concern that US President Donald Trump’s unilateral decisions won’t stop with Tehran. United States
Trump’s defense pick calls for US-led pact to deter Iran Army Secretary Mark Esper, auditioning for the Pentagon’s top job Tuesday, called on allies to join the United States in fighting Iranian malfeasance in the Gulf. Saudi Arabia
Tehran courts Kurds as Washington amps up rhetoric against Iran Iranian Kurdish opposition groups and Iran are conducting talks in Oslo, in what some see as an Iranian bid to safeguard against Kurdish collaboration with the United States. Iraqi-Kurdistan
EU says Iran deal parties trying to salvage deal, not ready to trigger dispute mechanism The remaining parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal are not yet prepared to trigger the accord’s dispute-resolution mechanism over Iran’s decision to reduce its compliance to protest crippling US economic sanctions. United States
Updated: Iran's foreign minister receives visa, to arrive in NY Sunday Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was expected to arrive in New York on Sunday after uncertainty over whether he would receive a US visa amid tensions between Tehran and Washington. United States
Traps abound as Iraq charts independent course based on ‘national vision’ Iraq's new foreign policy vision promotes noninterference and economic integration; Turkey's bombing of PKK sites in Iraq's Qandil Mountains tests Baghdad's resolve. Iraq
Trump’s pick for top general plays down Iran war talk A day after Iranian boats reportedly attempted to seize a British tanker in the Gulf, President Donald Trump’s pick to become the military’s top officer downplayed the potential for conflict with Tehran. Congress
