Middle East

Iran Warns of Strong Response as U.S. Pressure Mounts
Iran Warns of Strong Response as U.S. Pressure Mounts

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced that Iran would respond strongly to any U.S. attack on the country on Wednesday in a post on X as the U.S. “armada” arrives in the Gulf. “Our brave armed forces are prepared—with their fingers on the trigger—to immediately and powerfully respond to any ...

Syrian President al-Sharaa Meets Putin as Russia Repositions Military Presence
Syrian President al-Sharaa Meets Putin as Russia Repositions Military Presence

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa traveled to Moscow on Wednesday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the future of the two countries’ relationship. Their meeting is expected to focus on Russia’s military presence in Syria and bilateral economic relations. On Tuesday, Russian troops and military assets were withdrawn from ...

Trump Warns Iran: “Massive Armada” Headed Your Way
Trump Warns Iran: “Massive Armada” Headed Your Way

President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Iran on Wednesday on his Truth Social account, saying a large U.S. naval force is en route and urging Tehran to negotiate a deal to halt its nuclear ambitions. Trump described the deployment as an “Armada” moving quickly toward Iran, and emphasized the fleet’s power and ...

Turkey Urges U.S.-Iran Disputes Be Resolved ‘One by One’
Turkey Urges U.S.-Iran Disputes Be Resolved ‘One by One’

Turkey's foreign minister on Wednesday urged the U.S. to resolve its disputes with Iran "one by one" instead of through a sweeping deal, saying this would avoid humiliating Iranian officials, and added that Tehran was ready for talks on its nuclear programme. "If you put them as a package all of them, it will be very difficult for our Iranian ...

Iran Executes Man on Charges of Spying for Israel: Judiciary
Iran Executes Man on Charges of Spying for Israel: Judiciary

Iran on Wednesday executed a man arrested in April 2025 on charges of spying for Israel's espionage agency Mossad, the judiciary said. Hamidreza Sabet Esmailpour, who had been convicted of passing information to a Mossad agent, was hanged at dawn, the judiciary's Mizan news agency said. Rights groups have previously said 12 people have been ...

Riyadh Will Not Permit Attacks on Iran from Saudi Territory: Foreign Ministry
Riyadh Will Not Permit Attacks on Iran from Saudi Territory: Foreign Ministry

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during a call on Tuesday that the Gulf monarchy would not allow attacks on Iran to be launched from its soil. Prince Mohammed "affirmed during the call the kingdom's position on respecting the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and that the Kingdom ...

Lebanese Neutrality: The Strategic Interest Shared by Beirut and Jerusalem
Op-edLebanese Neutrality: The Strategic Interest Shared by Beirut and Jerusalem

Lebanon's neutrality in regional conflicts is the single most important strategic choice it can make today, serving its core national interests and those of Israel in equal measure. If the Lebanese understand this, their country will be well on its way not only to recovery but to an economic boom. More than a year after the November 2024 ...

Trump Says U.S. Will Stop Helping Iraq if al-Maliki Returns to Premiership
Trump Says U.S. Will Stop Helping Iraq if al-Maliki Returns to Premiership

President Trump expressed on Truth Social on Tuesday that the U.S. will cease helping Iraq if former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki returns to power.  Trump asserted that “because of [Nouri al-Maliki’s] insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq.”  Al-Maliki was ...

How Would Hezbollah Respond to U.S.-Iran Escalation?
AnalysisHow Would Hezbollah Respond to U.S.-Iran Escalation?

On Tuesday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said in an address that the pro-Iranian militant group would not remain neutral in the event of any aggression against Iran, stressing that Hezbollah is prepared to defend itself and would determine the timing and nature of any response. Hezbollah “will not remain silent about ...