Saudi Arabia’s KBS, top Turkish and Pakistani officials hold rare meeting in Iran: What to know In first such gathering, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman will join Pakistani army chief Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin for talks with Iranian officials amid fears of renewed US and Israeli attacks against Iran. Iran
Analysis Putin puts Trump ahead of Iran in bid to mediate war Anton Mardosov, reporting from Moscow, and our correspondent in Tehran assess the limits of Russian influence in Iran; Ben Caspit reports that Netanyahu could force a unity government with an attack on Iran after the elections. By Week in Review , Andrew Parasiliti
Analysis From Hormuz to data centers: How Iran’s threats are raising stakes of renewed war As the prospect of renewed conflict looms, Tehran is escalating warnings that another war would impose prohibitive costs on Washington, its allies and global markets. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Analysis How Netanyahu could attack Iran to force Israel into unity government after elections While a strike against Iran before the Oct. 27 elections appears unlikely, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could launch one immediately afterward to pressure his rivals into joining a wartime unity government. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Newsletter: Business & Tech Saudi economic ambitions under strain By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Divided Israeli opposition boosts Netanyahu By Gabrielle Debinski In New York City, reporting on the Middle East
US friends in the Middle East lose a champion in John McCain The late senator from Arizona leaves behind a legacy as one of the Senate’s last prominent proponents of US interventionism. Iraq
Why did Putin disregard his Turkish partner? Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared lonely and ignored at the Tehran summit. Syria
Three things the Tehran summit exposed about Russia, Turkey, Iran 'alliance' The summit in Tehran exposed important underlying dynamics within the Astana trio and made it clear the three actors see the US presence as a problem, albeit each for their own reason. Syria
Expediency and betrayal: Iran’s relationship with al-Qaeda Contrary to Trump administration assertions of Iranian support for al-Qaeda, relations between the two have historically been poor, a new report argues. Saudi Arabia
Turkey's Erdogan gets no love from Russia on Idlib Disagreements between the presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey were evident at a televised meeting today as they struggled to negotiate a solution on Syria. Syria
Political differences ignite conflict between PMU factions As the escalation rises between Shiite parties over the formation of the new government, the pro-Iranian factions in Popular Mobilization Units show strong objection against Abadi second term. Iraq
Mortars hit Iraq's Green Zone as violent protests continue As Iraq's political parties have failed to form a new government, unrest continues in Basra, where hundreds of people are being hospitalized each day due to a lack of basic services, especially clean water. Iraq
Iran's Central Bank signals possible interest rate hike While a reversal on current interest rate caps could help the Central Bank of Iran tackle rampant liquidity, the long-term effects of such a policy could unleash far broader crises. Iran
Trump touts Mideast moves as Washington reels from 'Crazytown' accounts As accounts emerge of White House aides' internal resistance to some of Trump's controversial policy decisions, the president boasts of his decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, cut off Palestinian aid and pull the plug on the Iran nuclear deal. Palestine
Can Iran threaten US interests from Iraqi territories? Iran has established a strong military foundation among its allies in Iraq, which allows it to threaten the United States and its allies everywhere in Iraq and neighboring countries. Saudi Arabia
Attack on Rouhani exposes deep crack among Iranian conservatives Triggered by increasingly harsh attacks on President Hassan Rouhani, new divisions are emerging within the opposition conservative establishment. Iran
Female Reformist MP raises eyebrows with fiery speech in Iranian parliament An Iranian Reformist lawmaker has proposed that referendums be held on disputed matters to save the country from the major crises it is facing. Iran