Newsletter: Business & Tech Trump pivots from Hormuz tolls as US-Iran fighting resumes Oil prices remain far below their early May peak of nearly $115 a barrel, but the renewed hostilities have pushed them well above the roughly $70 level seen before the war. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Ahmadinejad denies alleged Mossad plot to install him as Iran leader: What to know The former president, who was a virulent critic of Israel while in office, was reportedly part of a Mossad plan to replace the current Iranian leadership. Iran
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Why Iran, US are drifting back to conflict Trump hosts Iraqi PM Zaidi; Bahrain sentences 3 to life in prison over ties to Iran's IRGC; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Interview Why Strait of Hormuz no longer rattles oil markets as much: IMF The fund's Middle East director, Jihad Azour, told Al-Monitor that the big Gulf energy producers now have more capacity to absorb the shock. Jihad Azour Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund
Analysis How UK's IRGC designation raises stakes for Iran and Europe By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Was Trump’s call about oil with Saudi leader the start of a reset in relations? US-Saudi partnership faces both old and new challenges in post-COVID-19 Middle East. Saudi Arabia
US sanctions Iranian-Iraqi businessman, mining company linked to IRGC The sanctions freeze any US-held assets belonging to Amir Dianat and Taif Mining Services. Iran
Two sets of explosions rock Syria, amid claims of Israeli involvement There were explosions at a military warehouse in Homs and airstrikes in the Syrian Golan Heights today. Israel
Iran’s hard-liners in tug of war over parliament speakership A battle for the speaker’s seat appears to be the opening episode of a fresh round of infighting among Iran’s hard-liners after their victory in a one-sided parliamentary election. Iran
Pompeo argues US still in Iran deal in bid to snap back global sanctions Can the United States use the UN to force other countries to sanction Iran? Russia
'Not the New York Gulf': US-Iran war of words heats up Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said today that the United States should stay out of the Persian Gulf. United States
Pro-Sistani 'popular mobilization units' break with pro-Iran militias in Iraq A bold move by PMU groupings aligned with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is set to challenge the level of influence of pro-Iran militias in Iraq. Iraq
Intel: Key Biden adviser slams 'sheer hypocrisy' of Trump gambit to extend Iran arms embargo The Joe Biden campaign’s chief foreign policy adviser slammed the Donald Trump administration for relying on a mechanism in the 2015 nuclear deal to reinstate multilateral sanctions on Iran should the United Nations fail to extend an arms embargo on Tehran, which is set to expire in October. Palestine
Netanyahu's annexation plan can't be stopped Annexation of the Jordan Valley is a long-standing Israeli objective, going back to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Palestine
Islamic State conducts attacks near Iraq’s Syrian and Iranian borders A number of attacks in Iraq’s bordering province, especially Diyala along the Iranian border, have raised concern. Islamic State fighters have filmed themselves with weapons that appear to be of Iranian origin, while security gaps remain due to tension between the KRG and Baghdad. Iraq
Iran pushes back against US plan for snapback sanctions Iran’s foreign minister said United States is dreaming if it thinks it can claim it is still a participant in the nuclear deal in order to trigger snapback sanctions. United States
Iraq receives another short waiver to US sanctions on Iranian gas The United States granted Iraq 30 more days to continue importing Iranian gas in contrast with longer sanctions waivers in the past. Iraq
