US airstrikes target Iran's Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island American military forces launched their first strikes on the Iranian mainland in more than a month just days after the top US commander for the region said Iranian mines have been cleared from Hormuz shipping lanes. Iran
Analysis Israel favors status quo as tensions in Iran's leadership fuel escalation risk Israel would prefer to preserve the current balance of pressure — with US naval blockades and economic measures continuing without a return to active fighting — per a senior Israeli security source. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
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 By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Newsletter: FutureVerse Economic D-day’s tech risks By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Can Israel live with Lebanon-inspired Palestinian state? Israel fears that a Palestinian unity government would actually allow Hamas to preserve its armed forces. Palestine
Moneyed interests blocking path to peace in Mideast As in the United States, money in politics is fueling violence and hijacking democracy in Israel. Palestine
Congress takes aim at Lebanese politicians with Hezbollah bill The US House of Representatives is expected to vote this month on legislation requiring the president to publicly report on Hezbollah allies’ net worth. Lebanon
King Salman goes to Russia King Salman's visit to Russia is the first by a Saudi monarch, but the trip may be long on style and short on substance. Saudi Arabia
After two years in Syria, what’s next for Russia? Russia and the United States are curious about each other's long-term goals in Syria, and each believes the other has something up its sleeve. Syria
Israel bets against Palestinian unity Israel's intelligence community does not think a Fatah-Hamas reconciliation will last in the long run, and the current Israeli government hopes it is right. Palestine
Trump threats loom over Iran-EU business summit European executives say uncertainty over the fate of the nuclear deal and Iran’s sclerotic economic environment are bad for business. United States
US, Israel on standby as Egypt pushes Palestinian reconciliation The United States and Israel are laying low while Egypt tries to end the rift between Fatah and Hamas, which Cairo sees as an obstacle to regional peace and security. Palestine
Ex-Netanyahu national security adviser urges US to keep Iran deal Former Israeli National Security Adviser Uzi Arad urges Washington to build on the 2015 Iran nuclear accord rather than abandon it. Israel
Can Congress avoid blowing up the Iran deal? If President Donald Trump doesn’t certify Iranian compliance with the 2015 agreement later this month, the US Senate only needs a bare majority to reinstate deal-breaking sanctions. Congress
‘The last Iranian Americans’ The Trump administration’s "Travel Ban 3.0" runs the risk of turning current Iranian Americans into the last of their kind. United States
Turkey’s military options in Iraq and Syria hinge on US and Russia Any Turkish military move into northern Iraq or northern Syria seems highly unlikely without US or Russian consent respectively. Iraq