Food vs. guns: Will Hamas chose Egypt or Iran?

The military wing of Hamas in Gaza pressures the new boss Yahya Sinwar to mend ties with Iran, while the residents of the Gaza Strip need the assistance of Egypt against the misery of the long closure.

Palestine

Can Iran's Khamenei rule out ‘national reconciliation’?

Despite his stated skepticism of the idea of national reconciliation, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may in effect be maneuvering to decide the terms of such a reconciliation.

Iran

Is Ahmadinejad defying Khamenei’s 'advice' to abandon ambitions?

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is believed to be back in the game with his former deputy’s announcement that he intends to run in the upcoming presidential elections.

Iran

Turkish-Iranian rivalry hits peak as Syria talks kick off

Both countries accuse each other of destabilizing the region and undermining security in Iraq and Syria.

Syria

Israel defense minister: We must coordinate moves with Trump

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman confirmed that he still supports a two-state solution, but one involving population as well as land swaps and as one part of a regional agreement.

Palestine

Will new travel ban impede Iran-US athletic competition?

Champion American wrestler Jordan Burroughs says he feels nothing but love from Iranians but “obviously, Donald Trump sees Iran a little different than I see Iran.”

United States

How 'Half of the World' is attracting tourists to Iran

Esfahan, or "Half of the World" as it is dubbed in Persian, is attracting ever more foreign tourists to Iran in the aftermath of the lifting of sanctions.

Iran

Meet the powerful Iranian cleric looking to unseat Rouhani

Ebrahim Raisi emerges as the conservative consensus candidate in Iran’s upcoming May presidential elections.

Iran

Why Iranian government’s debt problem isn’t going away

Despite the Iranian government’s decision to repay billions of dollars owed to local banks, in the broader picture, it will remain saddled with problematic debt until it turns to bonds rather than loans for financing.

Iran

Will Saudi Arabia allow Pakistani general to command military alliance?

It remains unclear whether Pakistan's Gen. Raheel Sharif will be offered, or take up, the position of supreme commander of the Saudi-led "Islamic military alliance."

Saudi Arabia

How Trump is already shifting domestic politics in Iran

US President Donald Trump’s threats against Iran are quickly morphing from a foreign policy issue to a domestic political football in Tehran.

United States

Could Flynn actually have been good for Iran-US relations?

Iranian media generally accept that Michael Flynn, who resigned after 23 days as US national security adviser, was an anti-Iran hawk, though some believe his relations with Russia could have proved useful in changing the Trump administration’s policies toward Iran.

Russia