An encouraging step takes place in a plan to get detained Americans home from Iran. And a 300,000-year-old skull is raising new questions about humans. It’s time for The Rundown for Friday, Aug. 11, 2023.    Americans moved to house arrest in Iran under planned prisoner swap Five Americans imprisoned in Iran have been placed…

The United States is sending a clear message to Iran’s navy: stop acting like pirates or face the consequences. To make sure its message hits home with Iran, the U.S. military is taking the unprecedented step of offering to station Marines on foreign merchant vessels. It’s the latest sign the U.S. is still very much…

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard held a surprise drill on disputed islands in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, Aug. 2. The drill focused primarily on Abu Musa Island, one of three Persian Gulf islands under Iranian control but disputed by the United Arab Emirates. As part of the drill, the Guard’s navy unveiled new vessels equipped with…

Iran is able to compete with relatively inexpensive Russian oil because, Iranian officials say, it’s offering a discount of approximately $30 per barrel compared to its Persian Gulf competitors. Iran’s oil exports have surged to a five-year high in recent months, driven by increased sales to China and other nations. Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan sheds light on…