Iran

A cornered Iranian supreme leader might be tempted to boost his domestic standing by lashing out at Israel. Israel is ill-equipped to respond.

Iran’s military could probably make life uncomfortable for the U.S. in the Strait of Hormuz. But the downsides far outweigh the advantages of trying.

Questions over whether Iran is motivated to develop a military nuclear capability are misguided. It’s very clear.

The threat to blockade the Strait of Hormuz could come back to haunt Iran’s leaders. Still, Obama will be wary of becoming the second president to come unstuck over Iran.

Azerbaijan has strategic value for both Iran and Israel. How will Baku respond to being stuck in the middle?

China has worked hard behind the scenes to reduce tensions over Iran’s nuclear program. But as political pressure grows in the U.S. for action, will it have been for nothing?

Access to a downed U.S. stealth drone would offer plenty of scope for China to reverse engineer key technologies. Will Iran give it the chance?

An Iranian engineer claims Iran was able to hack the GPS of a U.S. drone to bring it down. Could it?

A former top Obama adviser on the Middle East says the president is serious when he says all options remain open. Just look at his track record.

With talk of possible coup swirling around Pakistan, the U.S. looks close to losing a key strategic partner.

The Diplomat speaks with Joseph Costa, co-director of the Truman National Security Project’s Nuclear Nonproliferation Experts Group, about the future of Iran’s nuclear program.

The U.S. admits it has asked for a downed drone back from Iran. But plenty of questions are still swirling.