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Middle East

Latest Middle East stories from World.

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Briefing: Ranking Member of House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith discusses the war on Iran

Strategic angle: NPR's Scott Simon talks with House Armed Service Committee ranking member Adam Smith about the ongoing conflict and DHS funding.

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Rubio plans travel to France to sell Iran war to skeptical G7 allies

Secretary of State Marco Rubio aims to persuade G7 allies regarding the Iran conflict amid rising global fuel prices.

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Briefing: ‘He’s lied about everything’: Iran war puts Trump on shaky ground with young MAGA men

Strategic angle: The ongoing conflict in Iran is causing discontent among young supporters of Trump, raising questions about his credibility.

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Briefing: Rifts over Iran, but unity for Trump: Takeaways from CPAC 2026

Strategic angle: Members of the MAGA faithful gathered in Texas for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. While tensions over Iran split some attendees, Trump remained the glue holding them together.

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Briefing: How successful has the US been in achieving its war objectives in its now one-month-old war in Iran?

Strategic angle: The White House continues to claim major successes in its ongoing operations in Iran, which have now reached the one month mark.

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Briefing: War in the Middle East Live: Conflict enters second month, US expects to end it within two weeks

Strategic angle: The war in the Middle East entered its second month on Saturday as attacks continued across the region and the United States insisted that its objectives will be achieved within two weeks.

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Briefing: Europe's farms are reeling from the Iran war. Regenerative farmers saw it coming

Strategic angle: The Iran war has sent fertiliser prices soaring – but these farmers aren’t fazed.

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Briefing: How Pakistan put itself in the middle of US-Iran peace talks

Strategic angle: Islamabad seeks to capitalise on warming ties with both Trump and Tehran but has much to lose if efforts fail

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Briefing: War in Iran: Israel and Gulf states fear a hasty US exit

Strategic angle: Under pressure from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the US president could decide to call a ceasefire, but that would resolve neither the issue of access to this maritime passage nor the question of the Iranian threat in the region.

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Briefing: US envoy hopeful on Iran talks as strikes target nuclear facilities

Strategic angle: Steve Witkoff expresses optimism for upcoming meetings despite US-Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear sites.

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Briefing: Trump calls Strait of Hormuz the 'Strait of Trump'

Strategic angle: Trump recently floated the possibility that the strait could be controlled jointly by 'me and the ayatollah' as part of a resolution to the Iran war.

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Briefing: VW’s Struggles Has Led It To A Very Unexpected Conversation About The Iron Dome

Strategic angle: The Osnabrück plant loses its last car model in 2027, and the company is now in talks with Israel's Rafael about what comes next.

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Briefing: Former Trump Iran adviser says war is headed for escalation

Strategic angle: Insights from a former adviser on the potential for increased conflict in Iran.

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Briefing: UN Chief Launches Task Force to Aid Passage of Fertilizer Through Hormuz Strait

Strategic angle: As the conflict in the Middle East threatens to intensify, the UN is launching an interagency task force to mitigate the ripple effect of the global energy crisis.

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Briefing: The war in Iran sparks a global fertilizer shortage and threatens food prices

Strategic angle: The ongoing conflict in Iran is leading to a significant fertilizer shortage worldwide, raising concerns over food prices.

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Briefing: Iran to Facilitate Humanitarian Aid via Strait of Hormuz

Strategic angle: Iran announces plans to expedite humanitarian assistance following recent attacks on its nuclear facilities.

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Briefing: Syria: Wives of the missing push for legal reform

Strategic angle: Decades-old family laws affect hundreds of thousands of women and children, as custody and inheritance are in the hands of male relatives, and remarriage remains impossible.

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Briefing: Why seizing Iran's nuclear stockpile would be "one of the riskiest" missions in history

Strategic angle: An analysis of the potential dangers and implications of targeting Iran's nuclear assets.

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Briefing: Iran: Rolling Ultimatums, Moscow "at the EU table"?

Strategic angle: In a week of movable ultimatums set by President Trump regarding Iran's power plants, deadlines have been extended amidst ongoing discussions.

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Briefing: White House launches app touting Trump's record, with some key omissions

Strategic angle: The app includes a link to report tips to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.