Pentagon inks 7-year missile-production deal amid Iran war shortage The Defense Department has been hammering out new agreements with top defense manufacturers as the Iran war has rapidly depleted Washington's interceptor stockpiles. United States
Analysis Israel’s Lebanon dilemma: Confront Hezbollah without angering Trump, triggering Iran Israeli sources point out that the pilot project for Israel's withdrawal and the Lebanese military taking control over the area is not working because of the government's reluctance to search for Hezbollah's weapons in private homes. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis How Iran is readying for economic protests as Trump escalates pressure Iranian authorities are bracing for unrest as US pressure collides with a battered economy, fuel price indecision and fresh memories of bloodshed. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Trump says Hormuz mine-free as Iran, Oman agree to clear them The US president again says Hormuz is clear of mines as Iran and Oman announce their plan to clear the strait. United States
Newsletter: FutureVerse Economic D-day’s tech risks By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Exclusive Israel recalibrates Syria policy, explores path to security deal By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Proposed US sanctions on PMU put Iraq in tough spot Proposed sanctions against factions of the Shiite-dominated Popular Mobilization Units would place the Iraqi government squarely in the middle of a tug of war between Iran and the United States. Iraq
PLO office closure threat could be last straw for Palestinians Though it was reversed just a week later, the US decision to close the PLO office in Washington led to increased calls for the Palestinians to move ahead with more unilateral actions. Palestine
Abbas under pressure to accept Trump's 'ultimate' deal The United States is making efforts to push US President Donald Trump's vision for the Palestinian-Israeli peace process using Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as a pressure point. Saudi Arabia
Is Israel shifting stance on Trump's peace initiative? With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu troubled by internal affairs, he might agree to the launching of US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace initiative. Palestine
Why UK-US divide on Iranian nuclear deal matters Rather than France or Germany, it is Britain that could prove essential in determining the fate of the nuclear deal with Iran. United States
Pentagon reports troop surge in Middle East Newly released Pentagon figures show a surge in US troops deployed across the Middle East this summer. Saudi Arabia
Turkish army chief in Sochi as 'mission impossible' kicks off In preparation for the summit for a political settlement to Syria’s civil war, Turkey, Iran and Russian officials met today — while Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was seen embracing Russian President Vladimir Putin. Syria
The wrong way to address Iran’s missile program To address Iran’s ballistic missile program, the United States and Europe need to work toward a region-wide solution. United States
Assad makes last-minute trip to Russia before trilateral summit The switchboard in Sochi was buzzing as Russian President Vladimir Putin reached out to a number of major players in the Syrian peace process in preparation for Wednesday's Russian-Iran-Turkey summit. Syria
Defeating IS in Yemen While the Islamic State has faced major defeats in Iraq and Syria, the protracted war in Yemen has provided the terrorist group's branch in that country oxygen to breathe. Saudi Arabia
Yemenis 'trapped in hell' as war escalates With help from the United States and the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia’s blockade and airstrikes on Yemen have created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Saudi Arabia
Turkey probes US prosecutor in Zarrab trial twist A top Turkish prosecutor is formally investigating the US prosecutor in the trial of Iranian-Turkish businessman Reza Zarrab, demanding information about the evidence compiled for the gold trader's sanctions-busting activities. Turkey