No peace, no normalization: What Lebanon really wants - analysis
The key question is why Lebanon, which until recently boycotted Israel, labeled it an enemy and avoided any form of public engagement, is now actively seeking direct talks.
Middle East
IDF troops uncover anti-tank launcher in southern Lebanon, strike Hezbollah targets
IDF continues operations in Lebanon as Trump says war ‘very close’ to ending
Trump says US-Iran war 'very close' to ending amid ceasefire deal
US destroyer interdicts two oil tankers attempting to leave Iran, official says
The tankers were blocked amid US President Donald Trump's blockade of Iranian ports, which aims to pressure Iran to end its closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
US-Iran mistrust cannot be solved overnight, but progress being made, says Vance
Speaking at a Turning Point USA event, Vance described talks in Islamabad as unprecedented, adding that meetings "at that level" hadn't occurred between the US and Iran in 47 years.
US Democrats will try, and try again, to rein in Trump's Iran war powers
Democrats have tried and failed over the past few months to pass war power resolutions to limit US President Donald Trump's military actions in Iran.
Turkey’s war of words, and its boundaries - analysis
Words are one thing; actions are another. It is one thing for Erdogan to fulminate regularly against Israel. But talk of invasion?
Norway to lift ban on wealth fund investments in Syrian bonds, document shows
The move by the $2.2 trillion wealth fund, the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, represents another step in Syria's re-entry into global finance.
US could return to Islamabad for additional negotiations with Iran in next two days, Trump says
"We are more inclined to go there," Trump told The New York Post, after reports surfaced of a new round of negotiations between the two countries.
Six ships turned around as part of Strait of Hormuz blockade, US military says
"No ships made it past the US blockade, and six merchant vessels complied with direction from US forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman," CENTCOM said.
Saudi Arabia asks US to end Hormuz blockade amid worries of possible Houthi retaliation - WSJ
Saudi officials appear to be weighing not only the direct risks in the Gulf, but also the possibility that Iran could respond through allied forces elsewhere in the region.
Food shortages and rising costs: UN agency warns of global food crisis if Hormuz remains blocked
The closure of the narrow waterway, which normally carries around a fifth of global Liquified Natural Gas supplies, will have a rippling impact beyond the Middle East, Maximo Torero warned.
Iran less likely to compromise in US talks as its isolation grows, analyst warns
The collapse of US-Iran talks is casting doubt on the ceasefire, suggesting it may be a fragile pause rather than a path to diplomacy.
