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
Pentagon walks back Trump idea of using Iraq base to counter Iran US officials downplayed the role of US bases in Iraq to counter Iran after the president pledged to stay in the country to "watch" Tehran’s activities. Iraq
Why Europe just made Rouhani’s effort to exit FATF blacklist even harder The E3’s seeming tying of the launch of its new trade mechanism to Iran’s passing of controversial bills has energized hard-line calls for refusal to accede to the FATF’s action plan. Iran
Hard-liners force Iran's parliament speaker to abort speech Iran's parliament speaker Ali Larijani had to cancel a speech scheduled to mark the upcoming 40th anniversary of the country's Islamic Revolution after hard-liners mobilized a harsh unwelcome. Iran
Islamic Jihad, the new lord of Gaza? The Islamic Jihad has been making it clear to Hamas, Egypt and Israel that the rules of the game have changed in Gaza over the past few months. Palestine
Iran's education minister teaches lesson to country's powerful publishers Iranian education minister’s campaign against the country’s unchallenged educational book publishers seems to be getting him top marks among the public. Iran
Top Russian security officials tour Egypt, Gulf to discuss Syria, Libya Over the space of a week, top officials in the Russian security apparatus toured Saudia Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt with some intriguing proposals on Syria and Libya. Saudi Arabia
Why Europe's payment channel may be too little to keep Iran in JCPOA Iran is inching closer than ever to withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as it finds European steps toward maintaining the deal too little, too late — a perception exacerbated by more European non-nuclear sanctions. Iran
Detained Iranian environmentalist says she was tortured After a year behind bars, eight Iranian environmentalists appeared in court with the presence of court-approved lawyers. Iran
Trump: Israel’s friend in words, not in deeds US President Donald Trump's isolationist policies in Syria and Afghanistan, coupled with placating gestures toward the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, rather than a push for peace with the Palestinians, are endangering Israel’s security. Israel
GCC states boxed in by US sanctions on Syria The United States creates dilemmas for GCC in Syria; Qatar steps up with $500 million Lebanon investment; Netanyahu seeks Arab photo-op in Poland. Legacy: Gulf
Race for reconstruction heats up as Syrian war winds down As the conflict in Syria winds down and reconstruction begins, Iran is racing alongside other friends and rivals for a role in the future Syrian economy. Syria
Intel: How the Europeans’ new Iran sanctions work-around helps Trump The European Union launched its much-anticipated Iran trade mechanism today to an audible meh from the Donald Trump administration. United States
