Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran declares 'existential war' as US strikes reach near Tehran By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
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 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
Why some Iranians are opposed to closing religious shrines to fight coronavirus The Iranian government's decision to close religious shrines in Qom, Mashhad and Greater Tehran to combat the spread of COVID-19 has caused an outcry among some who oppose the move for reasons of tradition or religion. Iraq
Iranians’ demands for quarantine fall on deaf ears Iran’s president has rejected calls for quarantine against the coronavirus with no explanation, but his reasoning seems to be related to the economic devastation following the US sanctions. Iran
Iran’s leadership defends coronavirus handling in Nowruz addresses Iran's supreme leader canceled his public Nowruz speech and instead addressed Iranians on state TV. Iran
Intel: US scales up Iran sanctions amid coronavirus fallout The Donald Trump administration stepped up its sanctions on Iran this week as Tehran appeals for relief to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. United States
Iran releases jailed US Navy vet Michael White on medical furlough Iran has released US Navy veteran Michael R. White on medical furlough, the State Department announced today. US President Donald Trump asked Syria for the release of US journalist Austin Tice. United States
Iran medical council says coronavirus crisis still developing Iranian medical officials warn that COVID-19 could well plague the country for at least another two months. Iran
Will Iran's economy collapse under coronavirus crisis? While the country’s economy will certainly take a massive hit by the ongoing pandemic, Iran has shown resilience toward such crises in the past. Iran
Coronavirus spurs regional humanitarian outreach to Iran The UAE, Kuwait and Qatar provide help to Coronavirus-stricken Iran, while there is talk that the United States could ease the way for aid to Iran while Iran released American prisoners who could be prime COVID-19 targets. United Arab Emirates
Intel: Bernie Sanders uses coronavirus crisis to push for Iran sanctions relief Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., called on the Donald Trump administration to ease its Iran sanctions regime as Tehran struggles to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. United States
Rouhani defends annual performance from floods to coronavirus The Iranian president's end-of-year speech was full of boastful optimism, but the nation remembers a year that began with killer downpours and is ending with a deadly epidemic. Iran
Turkey’s geostrategic orientation at crossroads amid Idlib tangle Confusion prevails in Ankara on how to resolve the entangled Idlib crisis and the choices it will ultimately make could bear on its geostrategic orientations in the coming years. Syria
Coronavirus, not Iran, Netanyahu’s biggest test Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has focused his political career on battling the Iranian nuke program as the biggest threat to Israel, but his legacy ultimately hinges on the way he confronts the current coronavirus outbreak. Israel
