Alex Vatanka

Missile strikes, tanker attacks push Iran–US showdown toward wider Gulf war

Each has its own complex history of ties with Tehran, yet they provide unique corridors for trade less susceptible to interception than sea transit

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei calls for national unity and stronger public morale as US economic pressure on Tehran intensifies

Instead, President Trump has charted a new and far more patient strategy that is making steady progress towards his objectives

Tehran retains proxy influence, missile strike capabilities and a 970-pound stockpile of enriched uranium buried under bombed sites

In that time, US President Donald Trump has published at least 319 posts mentioning Iran on Truth Social, his social media platform — roughly one every 14 hours

Since the onset of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, the Islamic Republic has fired missiles and drones toward the Arabian Peninsula, home to six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states hosting U.S. military bases, including Saudi Arabia

The U.S. resumed strikes for 13 consecutive nights until it paused on July 24, only for the fighting to resume on Tuesday, with strikes overnight on Wednesday and Thursday

While speaking with journalist Annie Jacobsen, Rogan voiced concerns about the conflict, agreeing with her assessment about a potential "fundamental warping" of the U.S. military

Talks highlight US-Israel alignment on Iran despite recent disputes over war strategy

Iran warns sustained naval pressure risks wider war as Oman advances strait plan

The conflicting narratives have fueled fresh uncertainty over diplomacy amid ongoing tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions, and military activity in the Middle East

The conflicting narratives have fueled fresh uncertainty over diplomacy amid ongoing tensions surrounding Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions, and military activity in the Middle East

The surprisingly blatant attack on tankers sent shockwaves across the energy markets, soaring oil prices $100 per barrel

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on July 24 condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s pledge to use frozen Iranian assets to cover potential damage to ships and cargo in the Strait of Hormuz from military strikes

Iranian officials have warned of possible retaliation if new strikes are launched against Iran, while regional actors such as Yemen’s Houthi rebels could potentially increase pressure on key shipping routes

Trump made his remarks on Thursday as oil prices once again surged past the symbolic $100 for a barrel of Brent crude, the international benchmark — and amid indications the price could go higher still

Trump made his remarks on Thursday as oil prices once again surged past the symbolic $100 for a barrel of Brent crude, the international benchmark — and amid indications the price could go higher still

The United States launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iranian military targets early Friday, July 24, marking the 13th night of active combat in the region as President Donald Trump vowed to use frozen Iranian assets to pay for any damage to shipping

Iraq’s Prime Minister presents a US-Iran ceasefire proposal in Tehran following Trump talks, while Iran’s Foreign Minister blames America's attitude for ongoing conflict

Trump made his remarks on Thursday as oil prices once again surged past the symbolic $100 for a barrel of Brent crude, the international benchmark — and amid indications the price could go higher still

Iran Draws Red Line On Oil Exports, Warns US Of Regional Fallout: 'If We Don't Sell Oil, No One Will'

Iran war reignites debate over US energy-permitting reform

US ramps up strikes on Iran as Tehran threatens powerful retaliation

Some international law experts and world leaders have criticized Trump's threats to target ​Iranian bridges and power plants as illegal ​under international ​law

US President Donald Trump has issued a new threat to destroy Iran's bridges as tensions explode once again

Now a leader who once owned some of the world’s best-known casinos may be about to take the biggest gamble of his presidency by restarting a war with Iran less than a month after agreeing to a ceasefire that he hailed as necessary to stop an economic crisis on a par with the Great Depression

In the past week, Trump has ordered a resumption of strikes against Iranian military and infrastructure targets after concluding that the memorandum of understanding (MoU) he signed in the Palace of Versailles on 17 June was dead in the water

President Donald Trump made striking remarks during a July 4 Independence Day address, commenting on recent U.S. military actions and tensions with Iran

Fresh uncertainty surrounds U.S.-Iran diplomacy after Iran ruled out any meetings with American officials in the coming days, despite Washington dispatching special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner to Doha for discussions with Qatari mediators

US president’s threats come as Vance joins other US officials in Zurich to hammer out peace deal terms with a battery of Tehran's leaders

United States Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland on Sunday to commence peace negotiations with senior Iranian officials, as both sides work to expand a fragile interim agreement aimed at ending the war

United States Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland on Sunday to commence peace negotiations with senior Iranian officials, as both sides work to expand a fragile interim agreement aimed at ending the war

Now that the war appears to be over, the new generation of leadership confronts competing demands, from hardliners to stick to rigid principles of the Islamic revolution and a population exhausted by economic hardship and repression

United States Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland on Sunday to commence peace negotiations with senior Iranian officials, as both sides work to expand a fragile interim agreement aimed at ending the war

United States Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland on Sunday to commence peace negotiations with senior Iranian officials, as both sides work to expand a fragile interim agreement aimed at ending the war

According to Iran International, President Masoud Pezeshkian had signaled Tehran's expectations early Sunday, saying, "$6 billion of our funds in Qatar will be returned. Trump, who tried to deny Iran its rights, acknowledged them in his recent speech."

Technical negotiations, however, will continue this week as the two sides aim to discuss a host of issues, including Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and free passage through the Strait of Hormuz

Historic negotiations between Iran and the United States are officially underway, marking the start of what mediators describe as a crucial 60-day process

Sometime around 7 million years ago, the human spine evolved as hominids began walking upright

Maritime intelligence firm Windward AI first detected the blackout in Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmissions near Fujairah, suggesting heightened electronic warfare, jamming, deliberate AIS shutdowns and intense cyber interference near the key UAE oil port

Maritime intelligence firm Windward AI first detected the blackout in Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmissions near Fujairah, suggesting heightened electronic warfare, jamming, deliberate AIS shutdowns and intense cyber interference near the key UAE oil port

Wood Mackenzie sees lasting oil, LNG and inflation risks despite diplomacy progress

Maritime intelligence firm Windward AI first detected the blackout in Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmissions near Fujairah, suggesting heightened electronic warfare, jamming, deliberate AIS shutdowns and intense cyber interference near the key UAE oil port

New reports and emerging claims are now raising deeper questions about whether the Trump-Netanyahu framework extended beyond military pressur into the realm of political engineering inside Iran itself

Iran’s supreme leader vows to prevent ‘enemy’s abuses’ of Hormuz strait

If Vice President JD Vance has seemed more reserved and less incendiary as of late, it's likely because he deleted the X app off his phone for Lent

Iranian officials on Sunday emphasized a lack of trust in American negotiators but appeared to leave the door open for further diplomacy after marathon peace talks in Pakistan ended without a deal

Cameramen film US Vice President JD Vance's speech telecast by state run television after his meeting with Iranian officials at a media center in Islamabad on Sunday

US-Iran ceasefire: Vance says no agreement with Iran after historic peace talks in Pakistan

JD Vance Meets Pakistan’s Leader Ahead of Historic Iran Talks

These reportedly include severe facial wounds that have left visible disfigurement, as well as significant damage to one or both of his legs