Analysis As Houthis seize Bab el-Mandeb, Iran appraises value of new Red Sea card Iran is celebrating the Houthis' rapid advance toward Bab el-Mandeb, but appears reluctant to act on the win. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Claude AI used for missile, influence projects in UAE, Iran, Yemen: Anthropic Military and government actors across the Middle East — from Iran to Yemen to the United Arab Emirates — have used Anthropic's Claude AI model for war planning and influence campaigns. Yemen
Analysis Could Iran’s nuclear ambitions harden as war escalates? A new report has raised alarm about the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site that President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike. By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Analysis Iran’s Pickaxe mountain tests limits of Trump’s military options A secretive Pentagon innovation agency has hastened to test munitions that may penetrate deeper than the GBU-57 bombs dropped on Iran’s two main enrichment facilities. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Analysis What Houthi setbacks in Yemen mean for Iran's regional influence By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Can Rouhani’s Citizens’ Rights Charter be enforced? After three years, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has unveiled one of his most important campaign promises — but his Citizens' Rights Charter has not escaped criticism. Iran
Animosity toward Iran reaches fever pitch in Turkey after Aleppo Agitation against predominantly Shiite Iran by Sunni Islamists has resulted in calls for attacks on Turkey’s Alevis for vengeance. Turkey
PMU seeks to secure Iraq-Syria border The Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Units have requested to take control of the Iraqi-Syrian border, which raises concerns about Iran's interference in Syria. Iraq
Thousands flee Aleppo as regime regains control Three years after the opposition took control of Aleppo’s eastern neighborhoods, the Syrian regime’s army, with the help of foreign militias, entered the city and began evacuating civilians to the city’s countryside. Syria
The remilitarization of Iran's Basij The Iranian supreme leader’s recent string of new appointments in the upper echelons of the country’s military suggests an impending remilitarization of the Basij. Iran
Can shared disdain for US improve Russia-Iran ties? Although Iran and Russia are both fountains of anti-Western rhetoric and sentiments, it is for different reasons and will not necessarily bring the two countries closer together. Russia
Iranian conservatives unveil candidates ahead of 2017 presidential vote Despite striving to forge a consensus, Iranian conservatives appear to introduce their own separate candidates ahead of the country’s May 2017 presidential election. Iran
Will Egypt accept Iran’s offer to supply oil? Iran has found an opportunity to meet Egypt’s local market needs for petroleum products, but will Egypt seize this opportunity at the expense of its ties with the Gulf countries? Legacy: Gulf
Obama’s Aleppo defense US President Barack Obama says the brutality in Aleppo is solely the fault of "the Assad regime and its allies Russia and Iran." Does Israel benefit from Russia’s role in Syria? Bombings in Turkey spur an anti-Kurdish frenzy. Syria
Rouhani to Sunnis: Iran not seeking 'Shiite crescent' In a speech before the Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran, President Hassan Rouhani sought to send a message of reassurance to the Arab world that Iran is not seeking a "Shiite crescent." Iran
Iran balks at 'new' British policy toward Persian Gulf region The UK prime minister’s apparent signaling of a shift in policy toward the Persian Gulf region has met harsh criticism from Iran. Legacy: Gulf
Common sense lost in Iranian race for ultimate selfie Like other technologically adept people around the world, Iranians are increasingly becoming fans of the selfie — but to an extent that is truly rare. The question is why Iranians go to the lengths they do to get the ultimate selfie. Iran