The BBC, Guardian, Independent and Financial Times report that, according to state media, a suicide attack in south-eastern Iran has killed at least 27 members of the Revolutionary Guards and wounded 13 others. The BBC reports that the bomber targeted a bus transporting personnel in Sistan-Baluchestan province near the border with Pakistan. The Sunni Muslim militant group, Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), has said it was behind the bombing. The Revolutionary Guards, which is a major military, political and economic force in Iran, blamed foreign powers. The Revolutionary Guards branch in south-eastern Iran said a unit of its ground forces had been returning from the Pakistan border area on Wednesday when a car filled with explosives blew up beside their bus on the Khash-Zahedan road. In a statement, it blamed “takfiri terrorists and mercenaries of the intelligence services of hegemonic powers”. “Takfiri” is a term used to describe Sunni extremists who see other Muslims as non-believers. It did not identify the “hegemonic powers”, but Iran’s foreign minister linked the bombing to a US-led conference on the Middle East taking place in Warsaw, Poland, that will include discussions about Iran’s activities in the region.

The Times has an exclusive interview by Anthony Lloyd with one of three schoolgirls who left east London in 2015 to join the Islamic State group says she has no regrets, but wants to return to the UK. In the interview, Shamima Begum, now 19, talked about seeing “beheaded heads” in bins – but said that it “did not faze her”. Speaking from a refugee camp in Syria, she said she was nine months pregnant and wanted to come home for her baby. She said she’d had two other children who had both died. She also described how one of her two school friends that had left the UK with her had died in a bombing. The fate of the third girl is unclear. The BBC, Telegraph and Guardian all follow up on the Times interview.

In the Times, Catherine Philp reports that Iranians are blaming President Rouhani for the onset of economic woes the country is experiencing, with traders “angry as US penalties bite”. After US President Donald Trump announced that sanctions would resume in Iran, Philp writes that the “bazaar’s narrow alleyways were filled with tear gas as riot police tried to quell protests against rising prices and food shortages caused by the rial’s collapse”. In Tehran traditional revolutionary thinking dictates that blame for the economic woes of ordinary Iranians should fall on the “Great Satan” of the US, casting it as the enemy of the people but the view from inside the bazaar, says Philp, is different.

Richard Spencer writes in today’s Times, that: “(The) US has forgotten why it is punishing Iran”. One problem of the sanctions, writes Spencer, is that it has not always been clear what their aim is, or how they are going to achieve their goal. When US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions last year he said the 2015 nuclear deal had too many loopholes. At the same time, Mike Pompeo unveiled 12 demands that the US now required Iran to meet, but only four were to do with the programme. Indeed, argues Spencer, “it was, in fact, a call for Iran to abandon its entire foreign policy”. John Bolton, Trump’s national security adviser has gone further, implying he really wants an end to the regime altogether. Spencer concludes by saying: “Not surprisingly, these conditions have failed to win support from members of NATO, let alone Russia and China”.

In the Guardian, Ece Temelkuran writes: “From Tahrir to Trump: nationalism has hijacked the hope of the people”. Temelkuran argues that, like the height of the Arab Spring, millions around the world are protesting once again. However, Temelkuran says that “the mood and the message have changed. This time they are demanding respect for their ‘truths’ and their divisive political choices. The battle for dignity has been replaced by an aggressive assertion of pride – in the nation, or in a particular version of ‘the people’”.

Reuters reports that, on Wednesday, the European Commission added Saudi Arabia, Panama and four US territories to a blacklist of nations it considers a threat because of lax controls on terrorism financing and money laundering. The move is part of a crackdown on money laundering after several scandals hit EU banks, but yesterday’s move has been criticised by several EU countries, including Britain, who are worried about their economic relations with the listed states, notably Saudi Arabia. The US has also disapproved of the measure. The Saudi Government said it regretted the decision in a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency, adding: “Saudi Arabia’s commitment to combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism is a strategic priority.”

The Financial Times reports that Iran’s foreign minister played down the summit in Warsaw on peace and security in the Middle East saying the US would not gain anything from it. “On the Warsaw conference, I believe it is dead on arrival,” Mohammad Javad Zarif told foreign media in Tehran on Wednesday. “It’s another attempt by the US to pursue an obsession with Iran that is not well founded.” Speaking hours before the conference began in Warsaw, Zarif added that “many people who went there told us that we had no other choice. Is that global governance?” While the conference is focused on regional security, it also has a strong anti-Iran angle with Israeli and American officials expected to warn against Iran’s rising influence in the region.

The BBC, Guardian, Independent and Financial Times report that US prosecutors have accused a former US Air Force officer of spying for Iran in an elaborate operation that targeted her fellow intelligence officers. Monica Witt, who allegedly defected to Iran in 2013, had previously worked as a US counterintelligence officer. Four Iranian citizens have also been charged with attempting to install spy software on computers belonging to Witt’s colleagues. According to the FBI, Witt was last seen in southwest Asia in July 2013. Prosecutors say Witt had been granted the highest level of US security clearance and worked in the US Air Force from 1997 to 2008. The US Department of Treasury has also sanctioned two Iranian companies – New Horizon Organization and Net Peygard Samavat Company – for their role in the plot. “It is a sad day for America when one of its citizens betrays our country,” said Assistant Attorney General John Demers, the head of the Justice Department’s national security division.

In the Telegraph, former UK Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon writes that: “Isil’s defeat is a lesson in successful intervention”. Fallon concludes that “the history of Western intervention in the Middle East is not a happy one. But this campaign may in time be seen as a better approach: yes, we should answer the call from fragile democracies but the fighting on the ground is best done by local troops.”

The Telegraph reports that a British official has said the US should not abandon Kurdish and Arab allies who are leading the fight against ISIS, warning a rapid withdrawal of its troops would risk a resurgence of the jihadists. Western-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are expected to announce the territorial defeat of ISIS in the coming days, after a four-and-a-half year battle against the group spanning Syria and Iraq. “President Trump’s decision to withdraw so quickly is as bizarre as it is short-sighted,” Bob Seely, member of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and co-chair of all-party parliamentary group Friends of Syria, told the Telegraph.“We need to be realistic but supportive. Syrian Kurdish territory is part of Syria. However, we, the US and France need to be willing to repay that debt of thanks to the Kurds and make sure that in Syria they are not left to the mercy of (ISIS) or the Assad government,” the Conservative MP said. He added: “If we are not willing to stand by our allies, we will find we have fewer of them.”

The Independent reports that two former members of Syria’s secret police have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of torturing anti-government activists early in the country’s uprising. The men were arrested in Berlin and the southwestern state of Rhineland-Palatinate on Tuesday, according to prosecutors. They had been living in Germany since 2012. Anwar R, 56, was described as a high-ranking member of Syria’s General Intelligence Directorate, and is accused of responsibility for the torture of detainees at the al-Khatib detention facility in Damascus between 2011 and 2012. Forty-two-year-old Eyad A is accused of being part of a unit that brought detainees to the infamous prison.

The Financial Times and Guardian report that the US House of Representatives has voted to end US military assistance to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, delivering a rebuke to President Donald Trump over his unwavering support for the kingdom. The Financial Times reports that the resolution, which passed by 248 to 177, is similar to a measure already passed by the Republican-controlled Senate in December, but died before it was put to a vote in the House. Eliot Engel, Democratic chairman of the House committee on foreign affairs, said that by passing the resolution ending support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen, Congress would take a step toward reclaiming its constitutional power to declare war. “Article I of the constitution gives Congress the responsibility to declare war,” said Engel, speaking on the House floor. “Yet we’ve given presidents of both parties a virtual blank cheque to send our brave service members into harm’s way while we’ve stood on the sidelines.” The fresh resolution, which is the first use of the 1973 War Powers Act by the House, is expected to be voted on by the Senate in a matter of weeks. If passed, it could prompt Trump to use the first veto of his presidency, underlining the growing divide between lawmakers and the White House over the America’s diplomatic relationship with Saudi Arabia in the wake of journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing.

The Financial Times reports that Rudy Giuliani appeared at a rally in Warsaw on Wednesday against Iran’s regime at the behest of a controversial group once labelled a terrorist organisation by Washington, and without the approval of the Trump administration. Giuliani, who serves as Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, said he attended the demonstration at the invitation of the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), an Iranian resistance group that was on the US state department’s terrorist list until 2012. The former New York mayor has represented MEK for 11 years, but his work for the group has come under renewed scrutiny since he assumed a formal role in Trump’s legal team in April. He has acknowledged giving a paid speech for the group in May and appeared at an MEK event outside Paris in July.

The Guardian reports that Jeremy Hunt has warned of “a shortening window of opportunity” to save Yemen’s partial ceasefire, in advance of talks in which Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will face pressure to not resume their military offensive. The two countries are backing a UN-recognised Yemen government seeking to repel an Iranian-supported Houthi administration, and are frustrated that Houthi forces have not withdrawn from the vital port of Hodeidah. Hunt said the talks, which are being held on the margins of a summit in Warsaw, would focus on a drive to inject money into Yemen’s central bank so tens of thousands of public sector workers, including those in Houthi-controlled areas, can be paid. A lack of cash, a devaluation of the rial and food shortages have led to famine in parts of the country. The UN-backed government has not paid salaries in Houthi-controlled areas for up to three years. Hunt said: “We now have a shortening window of opportunity to turn the ceasefire into a durable path to peace, and stop the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Real progress has been made to reach a political solution but there are also real issues of trust between the two sides which mean the agreement in Stockholm has not been fully implemented.”

The Telegraph reports that an outbreak of a deadly respiratory illness is gathering pace in Saudi Arabia, with the country reporting more than 50 cases since the beginning of the year. The latest figures from the Saudi Ministry of Health show 19 new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) occurring in three locations in the country. There have been 29 cases of the disease in the Wadi ad-Dawasir area of the country. The World Health Organization has also reported five cases of the disease in Oman. MERS is a relatively new disease and was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012 – since then there have been 2,298 cases and 811 deaths. The outbreak exploded in 2014 when there were 662 cases worldwide.

In the Israeli media Israel Hayom looks ahead to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meetings with US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later today in Warsaw. Yediot Ahronot notes, between meetings yesterday, Netanyahu found time to shoot a video that he posted on Facebook. “It’s cold here but Israel’s relations with the world are warming quickly,” Netanyahu told his followers. “Later I have a meeting with 60 representatives of countries, foreign ministers and Arab countries. That is unprecedented. They are sitting beside an Israeli prime minister and are discussing how to fight Iran.” An error in translation resulted in Netanyahu’s remarks being literally translated as if Israel were trying to enlist a coalition for a war against Iran, whereas his intention was a “struggle.” The paper notes Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif leapt at the opportunity, tweeting: “We’ve always known Netanyahu’s illusions. Now, the world – and those attending #WarsawCircus – know, too.” The mistake in translation was corrected two hours later. Reflecting on Netanyahu’s successful engagement with the Arab world Maariv refers to a “new vision for the future”. The commentary in Yediot Ahronot compares and contrasts the Warsaw conference with the 1996 conference in Sharm el-Sheikh: “In March 1996 the re-election prospects of then-prime minister Shimon Peres in May that year had worsened. The White House became anxious; experts who worked for President Clinton were afraid that Peres losing the elections would be catastrophic for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process … twenty-three years later, under different circumstances, the White House has convened an international conference in Warsaw for ‘peace and security in the Middle East.’ The objectives are similar to those of the Sharm el-Sheikh conference: against terrorism, against the sponsors of terrorism in Iran and in support of the incumbent Israeli prime minister.”

Maariv and Haaretz report the IDF intelligence forecast for 2019. They highlight one of the chief concerns that Hamas will try and drag Israel into widespread fighting in Gaza. This assessment has prompted the new Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, to prioritise the IDF’s readiness for a development of that kind. The intelligence assessment also reviews the potential for a military conflagration in Syria and Lebanon while pointing to the various contributing factors, particularly Iran’s activity in the region.

Kan radio news reports that Israel blocked a Palestinian initiative for members of the UN Security Council to visit the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) territory, following Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision not to renew the mandate of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron. Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, told Equatorial Guinea Ambassador to the UN, Anatolio Ndong Mba, who serves as president of the Security Council, that Israel would be pleased to host private visits by ambassadors to the UN, but not as part of a Palestinian initiative that was meant for fraudulent propaganda purposes against the State of Israel. Danon said that the Security Council ought to take action against the PA’s campaign of incitement and the policy of paying salaries to terrorists, against the backdrop of the murder of 19 year-old Ori Ansbacher, and not cooperate with mendacious attempts at ruses.

Yediot Ahronot reports on the mess in Likud as they recount votes in their primary election. In the end, the top four slots remain the same, but Channel 13 news notes that with the final count, just seven votes kept Gilad Erdan in third place behind Gidon Saar. Several minor changes were made in the order of the candidates; Yariv Levin rose to sixth place at Yoav Galant’s expense. Haim Katz rose to twelfth place and Tzahi Hanegbi to thirteenth. Both of them pushed Ofir Akunis down to fourteenth place. Yuval Steinitz was ranked in fifteenth place in the updated list. Tzipi Hotovely is now in sixteenth place.

Kan news reports that Meretz will hold its first ever party primary today. Around 21,000 registered Meretz members can vote in 131 polling places throughout Israel.

Maariv and Haaretz both report that Attorney General Mandelblit yesterday denied a request from Prime Minister Netanyahu’s lawyers to carry out further investigations in the cases in which the Prime Minister has been implicated. A letter that was sent by the Attorney General’s senior aide to Netanyahu’s lawyers read: “At the stage we currently are at, no additional investigative actions are needed.” The Justice Ministry informed Netanyahu’s lawyers that the information in their possession was very limited, and noted that several of the people whom the lawyers asked be interviewed for statements had already given statements in the course of the investigation. They also quote Netanyahu who attacked Mandelblit in response, saying: “It’s regrettable that the pressure by the left and the media apparently has prompted the attorney general to rush to announce a hearing before the elections, while the truth will come to light in the process of the hearing only after the elections.”