Analysis How a new Baluch militant coalition raises pressure on Iran-Pakistan border Iran's military standoff with the US may be creating opportunities for Baluch groups to launch operations from the mountainous, sparsely populated frontier region with Pakistan. By Sabena Siddiqui In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran
Analysis As Iran regime marks 200 days of war, is it also preparing for dissent? Seven months into the war with the US, Iranian authorities staged a pro-government mobilization in Tehran, combining patriotic spectacle with a carefully calibrated demonstration aimed for domestic internal security capacity. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
US sanctions Iranian crypto exchange BitBank over Hormuz payments The US government says the exchange was used to channel payments from an Iranian maritime-insurance scheme to the regime. Iran
China presses Iran, US to reopen Hormuz as disruptions threaten oil supply Conflicts in the region are disrupting two key routes for oil bound for China, with Iranian crude affected by the Strait of Hormuz and Saudi shipments facing growing risks in the Red Sea. Iran
Newsletter: Business & Tech Saudi oil squeeze deepens By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Exclusive Lacking deterrence, Israel’s security establishment opposes attacks on Houthis By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis How far will Iran push Houthis against Saudi Arabia amid raging conflict? By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Newsletter: FutureVerse Middle East confronts AI risks By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Saudi Arabia Shifts to More Activist Foreign Policy Doctrine The kingdom should give priority to a regional initiative in Syria and a collective security framework for maintaining order in the Arab world. Saudi Arabia
How Long Will Israel Stay Off the Nuclear Hook? The agreement on Syria's chemical weapons, and prospects for a deal on Iran's nuclear program, will bring even more attention to Israel's not signing either the Non-Proliferation Treaty or the Chemical Weapons Convention. Israel
Smugglers Easily Cross Iraq’s Border Despite the efforts of Iraq and the six countries bordering it, Iraq’s borders are easily navigated by professional smugglers. Saudi Arabia
Iran's Nuclear Martyrs A visit to the graves of two of Iran's nuclear scientists, who were assassinated, reveals popular support for the country's nuclear stance. Iran
The Iranian Trend And Geneva Nuclear Talks Al-Monitor’s coverage of Iran as negotiations commence this week in Geneva with expectations of progress on the nuclear file, and implications for Syria and the region. Israel
Iran: US Has Time, Rouhani Doesn’t If the Iranian president makes the United States a decent offer in the Geneva negotiations, it should take it — and build on it to deal with regional issues and Iran’s support for terrorist groups. Iran
Meshaal to Tehran: Return of the Prodigal Son? News outlets report that Khaled Meshaal, head of Hamas' political bureau, will soon visit Iran to rebuild ties strained over Syria. Palestine
Lapid Draws Own Red Line on Iran Israel’s finance minister has said Iran should have no centrifuges and no plutonium at all. Palestine
Lebanon Stability Depends On Iran-Saudi Entente The warming trends in US-Russia and US-Iran ties may or may not benefit Lebanon, unless Iran and Saudi Arabia end their sectarian regional policies. Saudi Arabia
Netanyahu's Lost Battles Against West on Nuclear Iran The fate of Iran’s nuclear project will be sealed over the next few months, thus any agreement between the West and Iran that allows it to remain a “nuclear threshold state” will force Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to act. Israel
Lapid Calls for 'Endgame' In Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Israel's finance minister has told a Washington audience that Israelis and Palestinians should unite against "the media, cynicism and people who say 'no,'" but keep to a hard line on Iran. Palestine