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
Kerry’s comments on Iranian missiles strike nerve in Tehran Iranian officials have rejected Secretary of State John Kerry’s suggestion of a “new arrangement” with Iran over issues such as their missile program. Congress
Will Iran's king of singing come back to the Iranian stage? After having been struck by cancer, blacklisted Iranian classical singer Mohammad Reza Shajarian may soon be back on the air in the Islamic Republic. Iran
Saudi-Iran rivalry spills into UN Human Rights Council While Iran was unhappy with the renewal of Ahmed Shaheed’s mandate as special rapporteur for Iran, it appears to be even more irritated over how Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar voted in favor of the measure at the UN Human Rights Council. Saudi Arabia
Despite criticism, Rouhani calls for more international deals President Hassan Rouhani warns that opportunities arising from the nuclear deal won't last forever and Iran must take advantage of them and engage with the world. Iran
Rafsanjani denies closing his social media accounts The office for Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani denied that he would be closing his social media accounts after criticism for a tweet. Iran
Iran hopes to get its trains back on track The development of Iran’s railways has been slow in the past decades, but the sector might finally be getting the attention it deserves. Iran
Congress split over Iran's access to the dollar Key lawmakers disagree on whether banking restrictions would violate nuclear deal. Iran
Trump's unlikely Iranian fans Though seemingly opposed to each other, the reality is that US Republicans and Iranian hard-liners play complementary roles for each other, as they give one another excuses to advance their respective domestic agendas. Congress
IRGC rejects Obama's 'spirit' of nuclear deal The head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has rejected calls by the Obama administration to use the comprehensive nuclear deal banner to implement other changes, arguing that the agreement has not benefited the Iranian public. Iran
Why Iraqi-Saudi ties are backsliding yet again After Iraq’s foreign affairs minister defended Hezbollah, which is considered a terrorist group by the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League, Gulf-Iraqi ties may worsen. Saudi Arabia
Iran looks down under for new opportunities Eager to diversify its foreign policy, Iran under President Hassan Rouhani is maneuvering to reach out to Southeast Asian nations as well as Australia and New Zealand. Iran
Will Saudi block Iranians from hajj this year? Iran claims that Saudi officials have refused to issue visas for Iranian officials in order to conduct preparatory talks for Iranian pilgrims. Saudi Arabia