-
Iran Plays Its Last Card in the Region
The continued recruitment of volunteers by Iraqi militias, and their public display of missile capabilities in preparation for fighting on Iran’s behalf, point to an Iranian plan to activate its armed Iraqi proxies to confront Washington and Israel. Over the past two years, Iran’s regional axis has suffered a near-total collapse. Its principal arm, Lebanon’s…
-
Possible War Between the United States and Iran… Will the Gulf Be Spared?
Amid escalating exchanges between Tehran and Washington, a fundamental question has resurfaced: Are Gulf states truly prepared for a potential confrontation if warnings turn into a direct clash? In Tehran, officials are attempting to strike a balance between preparing for military confrontation and threatening to expand its scope. Iranian Chief of Staff Major General Abdulrahim…
-
Tom Gross: Iranian Regime Faces Humiliation and Shifting Alliances
Analyst Tom Gross asserts the Iranian leadership faces a profound crisis of authority. In an interview with MBN, Gross detailed how recent military setbacks exposed the regime’s inability to protect its own elite. A 12-day military operation in June 2025 targeted the core of Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. Israeli strikes killed the head of…
-
The Real Fight: Iran’s Proxies
Muscat is not only about centrifuges. It is also about Iran’s proxies, and Washington treated it that way from the start. U.S. and Iranian envoys met Friday in Oman with a narrow purpose: preventing a regional war driven less by Iran’s nuclear program and more by the armed network Tehran uses to project power across…
-
Muscat Talks Stall, Tensions Hold
Muscat delivered a pause in U.S.–Iran tensions, but the margin is thin. The talks ended “for now,” a wording U.S. officials say was intentional, a signal that the channel remains open even as both sides edge toward confrontation. A U.S. State Department official who works on Near Eastern affairs told MBN that neither side was ready to…
-
Money for Corpses in Iran
When Jaafar Al-Yassi went to the forensic medicine center in Iran’s Ilam province to receive the body of his cousin, he did not expect the farewell to turn into a heavy financial bargain. He told Alhurra: “We submitted a request to receive my cousin’s body, but the security authorities informed us that we would not…
-
What Happened in Muscat?
A senior U.S. State Department official, who requested anonymity, told Alhurra that the Muscat talks were not originally designed to produce an agreement. “What happened was a test of intentions,” the official said. “We wanted to see whether the Iranians were prepared to engage seriously, continue negotiations, and avoid escalation as long as this track…
-
Oman Talks: What Does Trump Want from Iran?
The United States and Iran are preparing to engage in talks on Friday in the Sultanate of Oman, amid conflicting statements about the agenda. The anticipated meeting comes against a backdrop of pressure, threats, deep mistrust, and disputes over the issues to be addressed in the negotiations. Washington insists that the talks must include Iran’s…
-
Turkey’s Iran Dilemma
Turkey’s preparation for an Iran crisis is not only military. It is also geopolitical. Ankara is now operating on the assumption that a U.S. military strike on Iran is a real possibility. It is moving before anything happens. Turkish officials believe refugee flows begin before bombs fall, not after. A retired Turkish ambassador told MBN that Turkey’s overriding fear is…
-
Allies Pull Trump Apart on Iran
Washington is receiving sharply conflicting messages from Israel and Saudi Arabia as President Trump weighs military action against Iran. A former Gulf diplomat told MBN’s Joe Kawly that what’s unfolding in D.C. is not coordination but competition. “Everyone agrees Iran is weaker than it was,” he said. “The fight now is over whether you finish the job with force,…