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
Shift to open market economy no easy task for Iran Suggested reforms as part of Iran's sixth five-year development plan envisages more competition, but will President Hassan Rouhani's team be able to push for a true open market economy? Iran
Is Iran deal the GOP's new Obamacare? Iran sanctions bills have always been bipartisan. Not anymore. Congress
What did Saudi Embassy attackers want? Some in Iran suspect the "rogue elements" who attacked Saudi Arabia's embassy intended to sabotage the administration's foreign policy goals of improving relations with foreign countries post-nuclear deal. Saudi Arabia
Brother of executed Saudi cleric says Nimr is 'martyr against injustice' In an interview with Al-Monitor, Mohammed al-Nimr, the brother of the Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, who was executed by Saudi Arabia, speaks about his family’s reaction, responses inside and outside Saudi Arabia and the fate of his brother’s body. Legacy: Gulf
What are the real goals of Riyadh’s new Islamic coalition? The Saudi-led Islamic coalition was not formed to only combat IS, but also to determine the future of Sunni areas in the conflict areas in Syria and Iraq. Saudi Arabia
Hard-liners take aim at Khomeini's grandson Hard-liners' attacks against the grandson of the Islamic Republic's founder may prove futile in their effort to derail his candidacy for the Assembly of Experts. Iran
Congress sets up first showdown of the year over Iran deal The Obama administration says it "strongly opposes" sanctions bill scheduled for an initial vote Jan. 7. Congress
Will missing text message disqualify Khomeini’s grandson? Confusion over how Hassan Khomeini was informed about taking an exam may lead to his disqualification to run in the Assembly of Experts elections. Iran
Tehran’s smog problem unlikely to clear up anytime soon Both as public servants, a father and daughter have sought to address Tehran's air pollution for decades, but Iran's highly politicized environmental crisis is a tangled issue. Iran
Congress seeks to punish countries that fail to hinder foreign fighters The House Foreign Affairs panel will vote this week on a plan to combat international travel by terrorists. Jordan
Will Iran suspend hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia? After Riyadh severed diplomatic relations with Tehran and suspended direct flights between the two countries, some are wondering if Iranian pilgrims will be banned. Saudi Arabia
Saudi-Iranian crisis complicates Ankara’s regional plans Islamists and secularists alike want Turkey to stay out of the Iranian-Saudi conflict. Saudi Arabia