Newsletter: Business & Tech Trump pivots from Hormuz tolls as US-Iran fighting resumes Oil prices remain far below their early May peak of nearly $115 a barrel, but the renewed hostilities have pushed them well above the roughly $70 level seen before the war. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Ahmadinejad denies alleged Mossad plot to install him as Iran leader: What to know The former president, who was a virulent critic of Israel while in office, was reportedly part of a Mossad plan to replace the current Iranian leadership. Iran
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Why Iran, US are drifting back to conflict Trump hosts Iraqi PM Zaidi; Bahrain sentences 3 to life in prison over ties to Iran's IRGC; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Interview Why Strait of Hormuz no longer rattles oil markets as much: IMF The fund's Middle East director, Jihad Azour, told Al-Monitor that the big Gulf energy producers now have more capacity to absorb the shock. Jihad Azour Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund
Analysis How UK's IRGC designation raises stakes for Iran and Europe By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
True stories of terror stun critics at Iranian film festival Movies about terrorist groups and crime won several awards and stole the spotlight in Iran's oldest film festival. Iran
Turkey may help Moscow with Afghan negotiations Russia is increasing its mediation efforts in Afghanistan as the United States plans its exit. Turkey
Iran’s central bank under pressure to print money, weaken rial To cover the budget deficit, Iran’s lawmakers are seeking to force the central bank to print money. If they are successful, they will likely end up making life more difficult for average Iranians. Iran
Iran's hard-line MPs launch fresh drive to impeach Rouhani A group of ultraconservative Iranian lawmakers is robustly lobbying to gather support from colleagues to unseat President Hassan Rouhani over his perceived mismanagement of the country's ailing economy. Iran
Zarif’s defense of Iran's missile program draws praise on social media Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made a splash on social media with his defense of his country’s missile program and other policies at the Munich Security Conference. Iran
Jordanians see Israel as only winner at Warsaw summit While Jordan doesn't want to align itself too closely with Washington's anti-Iran coalition, the kingdom's reliance on Washington for aid was likely behind its attendance at the Poland summit. Palestine
Why Iran’s service startups scream for workers despite jobs crisis Despite a national jobs crisis, Iran’s online service providers are finding it hard to hire staff on account of a combination of old mentalities toward employment and the novelties of new working conditions. Iran
Veteran peace hands see growing Israeli-Arab alignment in Warsaw While the Palestinians boycotted the meeting in Poland, a number of Arab delegates showed an interest in engaging with US plans for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Legacy: Gulf
Turkey fails to win green light for safe zone at Syria summit Iran and Russia’s leaders tell President Recep Tayyip Erdogan he must acquire consent from Damascus to launch an offensive in northeast Syria against Kurdish forces. Syria
Russia, Turkey, Iran discuss Syria amid simmering disagreements Putin, Erodgan and Rouhani meet to discuss Syria's future for the first time since Trump announced the United States would withdraw troops from Syria. Syria
Stadium gates gradually open for Iranian women Years of campaigning is bearing fruit and victory seems just around the corner for civil and women's rights activists in Iran, who have gone the extra mile in convincing the state to open soccer stadiums to Iranian women. Iran
