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
Will French carmakers rev up Iran’s auto industry? The Rouhani administration focuses on forging partnerships with international carmakers to boost Iran’s embattled automotive sector. Iran
Rouhani calls for more Iranian women to 'lean in' to politics Iranian President Hassan Rouhani encourages women to become more involved in politics and culture. Iran
How Turkey's foreign policy may have lost it $25 billion in trade with Iran A preferential trade agreement between Turkey and Iran has failed to stop the decline in bilateral trade as regional political disputes between the two neighbors deepen. Turkey
Five reasons why Iran-Saudi conflict won't escalate Despite media speculation about war between Iran and Saudi Arabia, several domestic and international factors make that prospect highly unlikely. Saudi Arabia
How sanctions helped Iranian tech industry The sanctions both hurt and helped Iran’s high-tech industry. Iran
Why are Reformists criticizing Rafsanjani? Rafsanjani's criticism of the Guardian Council has brought about the criticism of two Reformist political figures in Iran. Iran
Selfies in Syria: How one Iranian religious singer is showing his support for fighters A famous Iranian religious singer who has a close relationship with Iran's hard-liners, says he did not intend for his controversial pictures in Syria to be published. Saudi Arabia
Qatar's precarious position between Saudi Arabia, Iran The recent decline in Saudi-Iranian relations has put GCC members in a bind, in particular Qatar, which for years has tried to maintain diplomatic and economic ties with Iran. Saudi Arabia
Will Saudi's cut to trade with Iran really matter? Saudi Arabia’s cutting of commercial ties with Iran appears to be having a far smaller impact than Riyadh’s parallel severing of diplomatic relations with Tehran. Saudi Arabia
New poll says Iranians like Zarif, dislike US A University of Maryland telephone survey of Iranians finds they like their president and foreign minister and are hopeful that the nuclear deal will provide economic rewards. Syria
Rafsanjani to Guardian Council: Who are you to judge? Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has stirred controversy in Iran over his defense of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's grandson, who was disqualified to run in the elections. Iran
You won't believe what this Saudi blogger has to say about Iran The Iranian-Saudi freeze claims collateral damage as a popular Saudi blogger studying in Tehran can’t go back to finish her degree. Saudi Arabia