Feature Trump’s Iran deal sidesteps fate of detained Americans The White House declined to say whether the release of the six Americans would be included in a final deal. By Elizabeth Hagedorn In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights
Culture Morocco, Egypt impress with notable draws despite winless World Cup start for Mideast teams Several teams from the Middle East and North Africa could advance to the knockout stage under the new format, and Morocco climbed in the rankings despite a tie in its opener. Iran
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Trump touts Iran deal as Hegseth warns Tehran Iran stands to gain from deal; 3 Iranian tankers pass US blockade; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Explainer Sanctions relief and reconstruction: How China benefits from Trump-Iran deal It is no exaggeration to say that every provision of the 14-point deal favors China. China
Newsletter: China-Middle East How China benefits from Trump's Iran deal By Joyce Karam , Rosaleen Carroll
Iran deal implementation day ‘very, very soon’ Iran said it has taken a key final step to disable its plutonium reactor, making way for implementation of the Iran nuclear deal in the next few days. Iran
Iran's hard-liners: Just say no to diplomacy While diplomacy helped secure the release of US sailors held by Iran, some hard-liners believe the countries are becoming too close for comfort. Iran
Iran-India energy cooperation opens new horizons While the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline may sound the death knell to the Iran-Pakistan-India project, the Middle East to India Deepwater Pipeline may deliver Iranian gas to India through an undersea pipeline. Oman
Implementation date of nuclear deal to be announced within days Nuclear negotiator Seyed Abbas Araghchi said that by Jan. 17, the date of the final implementation of the nuclear deal will be announced. Iran
What’s Larijani’s game for the parliamentary elections? As Iran is set to hold parliamentary elections, parliament Speaker Ali Larijani seems to be preparing for an increasingly important role. Iran
US sailors depart Iran US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter credits the Kerry-Zarif channel and US-Iran diplomatic engagement for the swift release of US sailors. Iran
Lebanon feels aftershocks of Saudi-Iran crisis The current crisis between Saudi Arabia and Iran against the backdrop of the execution of Shiite Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr has already affected the strained relationship between Sunnis and Shiites in Lebanon, but will it reinforce Christian political ties? Saudi Arabia
Netanyahu offers royal welcome to new IDF submarine Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally welcomed Israel's fifth German-made submarine. Israel
US says Iran promised swift release of sailors An incident in which US sailors were held by Iran in the Gulf waters comes at a particularly sensitive moment, as implementation day for last year's nuclear deal is expected within days. Iran
Why Iran-Saudi fallout will be costly for Moscow The dispute between Iran and Saudi Arabia could promote instability throughout the Middle East, which will be especially problematic for Russia and its policy of not choosing sides. Saudi Arabia
Rouhani fires back at criticism of economic management Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has reminded critics that he is managing the country with oil near $30 per barrel, not the highs of the previous administration. Iran
Are reported Iran-Russia arms deals genuine? Despite numerous reports of talks on various Iran-Russia arms deals, it remains unclear whether such agreements are about to actually be signed or whether they are merely a form of psychological warfare. Russia