Analysis Ahead of Trump-Xi summit, Iran looks to China as guarantor — but with reservations Tehran is closely watching the Trump-Xi meeting to determine whether China will continue acting primarily as a protector or if it will gradually emerge as the power capable of pressuring Iran into a narrower strategic corner. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Kuwait unveils Iran IRGC infiltration plot, arrests 4: What to know According to Kuwaiti authorities, four suspects arrested earlier this month after attempting to enter the country illegally via the sea confessed to belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and planning attacks against Kuwait. Kuwait
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran’s Ghalibaf: US must accept Tehran proposal By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
US hits China-linked Iran oil trade with sanctions ahead of Trump trip The sanctions come after the United States rejected Iran's latest proposal to end the war. Iran
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump rejects Iran's latest proposal By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Iran’s IRGC claims it's close to producing coronavirus vaccine As the coronavirus marches across Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has claimed that its research teams are set to produce a vaccine. Iran
UN nuclear watchdog: Iran dragging feet on access to nuclear sites International Atomic Energy Agency, in two separate reports, says Iran is not granting the IAEA access to sites suspected of past involvement in Iran's nuclear program and says Iran has significantly increased its stockpile of low-enriched uranium at the Fordow facility. Iran
Iran risks confrontation with Turkey over Idlib While Iran's military command in Syria has issued direct warnings aimed at Turkey, President Hassan Rouhani and the Iranian foreign ministry continue to insist on the role of diplomacy and dialogue. Lebanon
Iran’s Khamenei optimistic on coronavirus despite rising death toll Iran’s supreme leader is hopeful that his country will soon defeat the coronavirus epidemic that has now reached all provinces, killing nearly 80 people. Iran
Mountain couriers brave bullets along Iran-Iraq border As the economic crisis deepens in Iran, more people are risking their lives to earn money by transporting goods through the mountains of the Kurdistan region on the Iraq-Iran border. Iraq
Power vacuum in Iraq leads to threats from pro-Iran faction Pro-Iran factions in Iraq worry that they could lose their political sway, having failed to keep one prime minister in power, then failing in their attempt to replace him, as they recognize the next candidate could be selected from outside their political circle with the support of Kurds, Sunnis and Shiite rivals. Iraq
Iran rallies religious leaders to expel US forces from Iraq While US policy takes its toll on Iran, the regime is seeking to increase pressure on Washington to exit the region, and particularly Iraq, by consolidating anti-American sentiment. Iraq
Looming coronavirus threat adds to Turkey’s economic woes Turkey’s economic recovery is facing fresh threats from the global impact of the coronavirus outbreak, which has already reached the country’s eastern neighbor Iran, coupled with war jitters from Turkey’s deepening military involvement in Syria. Turkey
Coronavirus puts more pressure on Iran’s already strained economy Amid ongoing economic strain due to sanctions, mismanagement and corruption, the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus presents additional challenges. Iran
Tehran cracks down on hoarding as coronavirus panics Iranians As Iran continues to fight the coronavirus outbreak, officials vow strong action against the hoarding of medical supplies. Iran
Syrian Kurds ponder Afrin’s recapture in shadow of Idlib crisis The Syrian Kurds' partial collaboration with Syrian government forces in northwestern Aleppo has so far failed to expand amid whirlwind developments in Idlib. Syria
Repercussions of Iranian radicals running the country Ultraconservatives won the day in Iran’s parliamentary elections, but the saying comes to mind, "Be careful what you wish for." Iran