Iran & Middle East
Reporting on Iran, the Iranian regime, IRGC operations, Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah dynamics, the Houthi corridor, GCC alignments, and the wider Middle East security picture.
Russian Strike Burns Ukraine Port as Zelenskyy Seeks Interceptors
A Russian missile strike ignited a port fire in Ukraine on Thursday, deepening the Patriot interceptor shortage Kyiv traces directly to the U.S.-Iran war that began in February.
Israeli Defense Chiefs Find Rare Consensus on Gaza, Lebanon Strategy
Three years into the Gaza war, top Israeli defense officials across the political spectrum agree security zones in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria must remain for years to come.
Oil Rises as Iran Deal Doubts Heighten Supply Concerns
Crude climbed Wednesday as traders priced in a longer-than-expected stalemate in US-Iran talks, keeping a risk premium on Persian Gulf supply disruptions.
Iran Hardens Hormuz Terms; Pakistan Says Sides Are Close to a Deal
Iran's security council ties Hormuz reopening to three conditions — Gaza, Lebanon, and frozen assets — even as Pakistan says the sides are close to an agreement.
US Military Disables Panama-Flagged Tanker in Strait of Hormuz
US Central Command says it disabled a Panama-flagged cargo tanker in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday for attempting to violate the US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
Congress Advances Russia-Iran Sanctions to Squeeze Putin's Oil Revenue
The Senate passed a sweeping Russia-Iran sanctions package 86-11. The House moved to advance it August 10 as oil markets brace for tighter supply.
Houthi Missile Strike on Ship in Bab el-Mandeb Kills Three Crew
A Houthi missile hit a commercial vessel in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, killing two Pakistani and one Indonesian crew member, the Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday.
Oil Near One-Week Highs as Iran Talks Stall on Compensation Dispute
Trump demands fifty years of financial reparations from Iran as Strait of Hormuz negotiations stall, pushing crude to near one-week highs while Asian stocks drift.
IAEA Set to Remove Nuclear Material From Syria in U.S.-Brokered Deal
International inspectors are poised to secure and remove undeclared nuclear material from a Syrian site under a U.S.-brokered agreement designed to prevent a clash between Israel, Syria, and Turkey.
Khamenei Names Vahidi IRGC Chief, Fills Six Senior Military Posts
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei formally installed Ahmad Vahidi as IRGC commander and filled five other senior military positions left vacant by Israeli and US strikes.
Iran's Theory of Victory at Hormuz
Tehran's six formal conditions for reopening the strait aren't a counteroffer — they're a strategic theory of victory, resting on US military limits, voter energy-price anger, and a market that's priced in a deal that may never come.
Caspian Sea Strike Reveals Iran and Russia's Long Military Alliance
A Ukrainian strike near the Caspian Sea appears to mark a new convergence of two wars. Analysts say Iran's role in Russia's campaign predates this incident by years.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Mutual-Defense Pact in Mecca
A joint agreement treating an attack on one as an attack on all binds the Gulf's top oil exporter, NATO's second-largest army, and the only nuclear-armed Muslim state—reshaping the region's security map after the Iran war.
Iraq and Turkey Strike 1-Year Pipeline Deal to Bypass Hormuz Closure
Iraq and Turkey have signed a one-year oil pipeline agreement to route Iraqi crude through Ceyhan as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed by the U.S.-Iran conflict.
Israeli Strikes Kill Four in Gaza as Trump Claims Breakthrough
Israeli airstrikes killed at least four Palestinians in Gaza on Sunday, including a child, as President Trump announced what he called a diplomatic breakthrough in the region.
Trump Orders New Wave of Iran Strikes Aimed at Forcing Regime's Surrender
The U.S. military is weighing renewed strikes against Iran as early as this weekend, as officials warn Tehran could attempt to rebuild its nuclear capabilities.
Iran Halts Ships in Hormuz Strait, Sending Oil Prices Higher
Tehran said it is stopping vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, sending crude prices higher and raising alarms about a chokepoint that carries one-fifth of global seaborne oil.
Iran Strikes Two Tankers Under U.S. Escort in Hormuz; Trump Convenes Cabinet
Iran said it struck two tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz under U.S. Navy escort as President Trump gathered his cabinet to weigh next steps in the widening war.
IRGC Strikes US Facilities in Kuwait, Iran Says, in Retaliation for Qeshm Strike
Iran's army says it hit 'strategic US centres' in Kuwait with drones a day after American strikes on Qeshm island and other Iranian sites, Al Jazeera reports.
US Treasury Sanctions Iran Mahan Air Networks in India, China, Russia
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced sanctions against financial networks in India, China, and Russia supporting Mahan Air and the IRGC, which he called a terrorist enterprise.
Drone Strike Hits Gas Vessels at Egypt's Damietta Port on Mediterranean
Two gas vessels were struck by drones at Egypt's Damietta Port on the Mediterranean coast Thursday, stoking concerns the Iran conflict is widening beyond the Gulf.
Treasury Sanctions Networks in China, India, and Russia Supporting Iran's Mahan Air and IRGC
The U.S. Treasury targeted six entities and individuals across four countries for enabling Mahan Air and an IRGC front company implicated in targeting U.S. and Israeli assets.
Iran Claims IRGC Missiles Destroyed Three U.S. F-35s at Jordan Air Base
The IRGC claimed ballistic missiles struck Al-Azraq Air Base in eastern Jordan, destroying three F-35 fighters — an assertion that neither the Pentagon nor Jordan has confirmed.
Oil Tanker Ablaze in Hormuz as Iran Claims IRGC Forced Vessels to Retreat
An oil tanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday as Iran claimed IRGC naval forces compelled two commercial vessels to withdraw from the critical waterway.
US Resumes Airstrikes; Explosions Reported Near Iran's Nuclear Plant
The U.S. resumed airstrikes against Iran after IRGC missiles struck an American military base, as explosions were reported near an Iranian nuclear facility on Wednesday.
US Launches Fresh Strikes on Southern Iran, Iranian State Media Reports
Explosions heard in Bandar Abbas, Abu Musa, Kish Island and Qeshm Island as US CENTCOM resumes strikes on Iran in response to attacks on US forces, officials say.
Trump Pledges Revenge for Iranian Attack as U.S., Saudis Strike Iraq
President Trump vowed retaliation following an Iranian missile attack as U.S. and Saudi forces conducted coordinated strikes on Iranian-backed groups in Iraq while Houthis mull Bab al-Mandeb tolls.
Axis of Aggressors: New Book Warns China, Russia, Iran and North Korea Could Overwhelm US
A new book argues that China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea have formed a coordinated axis capable of stretching US military and diplomatic resources beyond their limits.
PMF Says 20 Killed, 32 Wounded in US-Saudi Iraq Strikes
Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces say 20 fighters were killed and 32 wounded in overnight US-Saudi strikes; Trump tells Fox News the operation was 'coordinated' with Baghdad.
US Missile Strikes Northwestern Iran Near Piranshahr, State TV Reports
Iranian state media says a US projectile struck an uninhabited area near the northwestern border city of Piranshahr — the first reported US strike on Iranian soil in the current exchange.