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
Tempered hopes for US-Iran breakthrough as Japan’s Abe travels to Iran Though President Donald Trump has encouraged the visit, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has limited room to maneuver as he visits Iran this week to try to advance US-Iran dialogue. United States
Democrats want to tie Trump’s hands on Iran. Here are their options. Congress wants to take back its war-making authorities as tensions escalate with Iran. United States
Khamenei sees 'ploy' in Trump outreach, says 'deal of century' will fail In three speeches in less than 24 hours, Iran's supreme leader launched fresh attacks against the Trump administration, slamming its "deal of the century" for the Middle East conflict and dismissing Washington’s latest outreach to Tehran as a "ploy." United States
Iraq electricity minister: US will continue exemptions for Iranian electricity imports Iraqi Minister of Electricity Luay al-Khatteeb told Al-Monitor that US exemptions in the energy sector will continue amid tensions in US-Iran relations. Saudi Arabia
Trump, Pompeo give new priority to diplomacy with Iran While many see a shift in tone rather than substance, the diplomatic channel seems to be heating up. United States
Is US pressure really uniting Iran's rival political camps? Washington's mounting pressure on Tehran might have been expected to forge unity among Iran's rival political camps. But Iranian hard-liners seem to be seizing the moment by attacking an already weakened Rouhani administration ahead of key polls next year. United States
Pro-Iran events fizzle as Iraqis steer clear of regional drama Iraqis are making it clear that they want no part in the regional conflict surrounding Iran while their leaders offer mediation to avoid war. Iraq
Iraq’s oil sector caught in crossfire between US, Iran US-Iran tensions have hit Iraq's oil industry, with ExxonMobil announcing an evacuation of its staff in Iraq to Dubai. Iraq
Why Khamenei’s 'no' on talks with US could lead to 'yes' Expect chatter of Iran-US dialog to pick up in the coming weeks, even though Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says he adamantly refuses to negotiate with the Trump administration. Saudi Arabia
Trump declares Iran emergency to bypass Congress on Gulf arms sales The Donald Trump administration cited Iran as the justification to invoke emergency powers to transfer arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over congressional objections. Congress
US says Gulf troop surge ‘defensive in nature’ The Pentagon announced it will send additional US forces to the Middle East, but whether this is a smart defensive move or an unnecessary escalation of tensions with Iran remains to be seen. United States
Iran vs. US: From Talk of War to Talk of Talk Trump repeats his offer of talks with Iran, but Iran is not interested. Oman
