Trump offers Iran path to nuclear deal while keeping up military pressure Iran has previously discussed compromises on enrichment. Iran
Analysis Deal or war? Israel fears fallout from Trump’s next move on Iran Israel is struggling to decipher the White House’s intentions toward Iran, given Washington's contradictions around launching a fresh military campaign. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Explainer Rubio says Iran ‘lost’ Hormuz. Has it? US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Iran has “lost complete control” of the waterway, pointing to the recovery in Gulf oil exports in September. Iran
Newsletter: Daily Briefing Israel's Oct. 7 accountability debate Houthis strike Yemen airport, claim new attacks on Saudi Arabia; How language barriers are bringing Syria’s Kurds and Arabs closer; and more. By Ezgi Akin In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO
Analysis Why Trump-Xi summit did not move the China needle away from Iran By Yun Sun In Washington, DC, reporting on China-Middle East ties
Analysis Gulf oil exports are back, but how durable is recovery? By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis Turkey revives F-16 talks with US amid Israel, Greece deterrence concerns By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis Despite US assurances, Israel fears being sidelined in partial Iran deal Israel is rattled by Oman as the new venue for the talks and fears that President Donald Trump could go for a partial nuclear deal or for an interim agreement that would buy the Iranians more time. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
US-Iran talks uncertain as Tehran pushes to sideline regional countries Iran is also pushing to move the negotiations to Oman and to exclude its missile program from the talks. Iran
Iraq’s Maliki rejects Trump criticism, vows to stay in PM race Maliki refused to withdraw from the race, despite mounting pressure from the US, and expressed a desire for good relations with Iraq’s neighbors and Washington. Iraq
US says Sudan warring parties back withdrawal plan as donors pledge $700M in aid State Department senior adviser Massad Boulos announced Tuesday that a "comprehensive peace plan" has been approved by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, though it still needs to be approved by Sudan's warring parties. Sudan
Witkoff meets Netanyahu as Israel warns against potential Iran deal Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s security chiefs briefed US envoy Steve Witkoff on the country’s concerns ahead of Friday’s US-Iran talks. Israel
Iran seeks nuclear-only US talks, to drop Turkey as host: Source Iran’s push for a bilateral, nuclear-only format and a possible shift to Oman has frustrated mediators. Turkey
US F-35 downs Iran drone as IRGC boats target tanker near Hormuz The US military accused Iran of "unnecessary aggression" after shooting down an Iranian drone near the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea and IRGC vessels approached a US-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz ahead of US-Iran talks later this week. Iran
On eve of talks, UAE's Gargash throws weight behind Iran-US deal Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, spoke at a panel discussion at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, where he discussed the latest developments in Gaza, Iran, Sudan and Yemen. United Arab Emirates
Lebanon’s army chief in Washington as Hezbollah disarmament enters critical phase Gen. Rodolphe Haykal is seeking US support for what is likely to be a cautious approach to expanding the geographic scope of the Lebanese army's efforts to disarm Hezbollah. Lebanon
France's role in Syria-SDF agreement: What to know French diplomatic sources highlight the role played by Paris in recent months in reaching an agreement between the Sharaa government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Syria
UAE’s MBZ reportedly cancels Japan visit amid US-Iran standoff: What to know While tensions remain high between the US and Iran, both sides are reportedly moving toward renewed nuclear talks. United Arab Emirates
Gulf markets recover after gold rout, buoyed by Iran de-escalation hopes Saudi Arabia’s benchmark stock index, TASI, rose 1.4%, a day after falling the most in nearly 10 months amid a broad sell-off in the commodities market. United Arab Emirates