Amid rising tensions in the Middle East, punctuated by “Israel’s” September 9, 2025 aggression on Qatar, Iran turned toward Saudi Arabia in search of defense cooperation, raising fundamental questions about whether the two sides could move closer.

Iranian diplomat Saeed Khatibzadeh has been making headlines for months, not only because he once served as the Foreign Ministry’s spokesman and later as an ambassador, but also because he is regarded as the youngest figure in Tehran’s diplomatic circle.

The Iranian government continues to grapple with the presence of spies across its vast territory, amid concerns that they could carry out attacks soon under orders from “Israel’s” intelligence service, Mossad.

With Iran expelling more than 1.5 million Afghans since January 2025, questions have arisen over the reasons behind the accelerated pace of forced returns and the economic consequences their absence will leave on Iranian cities, where they made up a significant share of the labor force.

Lebanon is working to reshape its relationship with Iran on a state-to-state basis, distancing it from the influence of Hezbollah, the Tehran-backed group that Beirut has set a plan to disarm, ending the era of unchecked weapons in the country.