Iran war to cost US $37.5B by end of September, Hegseth tells Senate Pentagon’s conservative estimate includes military pay and "operations and maintenance" costs, but does not factor in damage to military bases in the region. Iran
Interview PJAK leader mocks Iran’s claim Turkey spiked US Kurdish-backed regime change plan The PJAK co-leader says he does not believe Washington or Israel would abandon a strategic objective as significant as toppling Iran's government because of Turkish objections. Siamand Moeini PJAK Executive Council Member
Analysis Israel draws line on Houthi attacks, hopes for Trump strike on Pickaxe Mountain From the perspective of the Israeli military and some politicians, the current situation of the US striking at Iran and Israel staying out of the conflict is ideal. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Iran steps up Gulf attacks after 10 nights of US strikes Lebanese military deploys in south; Turkey's role in thwarting Kurdish offensive; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Revolution at 40: Have Iranian regional policies come full circle? Forty years after the Islamic Revolution, the shah’s view of Iran and its role in the region is paradoxically echoed in the foreign policy debate by those with a more revolutionary perspective. Legacy: Gulf
Russia is 'clear eyed' about its Mideast policy Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin discusses the results of his latest tour around the Middle East and Russia’s vision for key regional issues, including Israeli-Iranian frictions, Idlib and the buffer zone in Syria. Iraq
Revolution at 40: Same old structural problems still plague Iran While the Islamic Republic can pride itself on improvement on literacy and poverty, 40 years after its Islamic Revolution, Iran is still struggling with many of the structural deficiencies that plagued the country under the shah. Iran
Revolution at 40: IRGC turns to new nationalism to win over Iranian millennials The rise of the Islamic State has provided the IRGC with an opportunity and platform to project a new form of nationalism that portrays it as the defender of Iran. Iran
Will Warsaw summit unite US, EU against Iran? Despite a likely Western European snub in terms of level of representation, the Warsaw summit holds the possibility of being a starting point for a European-American consensus against Iran down the line, potentially depriving Tehran of even the minimum benefits of the nuclear deal. United States
Riyadh woos Iraqis with security talks, economic projects Saudi Arabia is working to reconcile with Iraq to reduce Iranian influence in the country. Saudi Arabia
Israel factor complicates but won’t break Iran-Russia partnership in Syria There is speculation in the Persian-language media that Russia and Israel are collaborating against Iran and that Tehran is reconsidering its partnership with Moscow in Syria. Israel
Khamenei calls for ‘structural reforms’ in Iran’s budget Parliament speaker Ali Larijani’s comments about "structural reforms" ordered by Iran's supreme leader have led to anxious speculation about broader changes ahead. Iran
Launch of Saudi news channel sparks controversy among Iraqis The announcement by Saudi media group MBC that it will launch a new TV channel — MBC Iraq — aimed at the Iraqi public has been met with a number of swift and angry responses, sparking defense of the station. Saudi Arabia
Iranian opposition unwelcome at Pompeo’s anti-Iran bash Iranian opposition gets left out of meeting on Iran taking place in Poland next week. Legacy: Gulf
How US sanctions could be boosting Iran's presence in Iraq Reimposed US sanctions have encouraged an active Iranian geo-economic agenda in neighboring Iraq, a profitable market where Tehran can ease the pressure coming from Washington. Iraq
Iranians praise Iraq’s rejection of US presence to 'watch' Iran President Donald Trump's controversial remarks about maintaining the US military presence in Iraq to "watch" Iran have sparked warm exchanges between Iran and Iraq. Iraq