Middle Orient

Key Takeaways Iran has not submitted a response to the latest US proposal as multiple mediators continue efforts to narrow gaps between the United States and Iran. Both US and Iranian officials said on May 21 that nuclear weapons and the Strait of Hormuz remain the two “sticking points” on …

Despite Iranian intransigence, the U.S. blockade of the Islamic Republic’s ports, which began on April 13, is already generating real pain — and real results — for the Islamic Republic. Iran exported a total of 29.45 million barrels of oil in April, down from a reported 35.7 million the previous …

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced hope of progress on ending the war with Iran, as he looked to Pakistani mediators to help advance efforts to strike an agreement. Previous comments by President Donald Trump had suggested weeks of stop-start negotiations to strike a permanent end to the war …

As negotiations with the United States hang in the balance, a hard-line Iranian general linked to notorious attacks at home and abroad over the past decades is believed to have seized a place near the center of power. Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, who heads Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), …

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Hamas has reportedly selected longstanding member Mohammed Odeh to lead the group’s so-called military wing, the Al Qassam Brigades. The news was first reported by Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat on May 18, after Israel eliminated the previous chief of Al Qassam, Izz al Din al Haddad, in a May 15 …

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Israeli media says Hezbollah’s explosive drones are restricting up to 80% of Israeli army operations in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah’s explosive drones are limiting around 80% of the Israeli forces’ assaults in southern Lebanon, according to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, as the armed group’s growing drone capabilities continue to challenge Israeli …

Iranian analysts say Washington has softened parts of its negotiating position as US officials warn Tehran used the ceasefire to strengthen its military power. A cloud of uncertainty continues to hang over relations between Tehran and Washington as the region swings between renewed military confrontation and a fragile political settlement, …

The residents describe how Israeli military raids and incursions have occurred almost daily, and how this is a disaster for the agricultural season. The countryside of Quneitra and Daraa, southern Syria, has witnessed further violence in recent hours by Israeli occupation forces, involving artillery shelling and repeated military incursions targeting …