Times reporters who cover the war, diplomacy, energy and the broader Middle East are joining our “Ask a Correspondent” feature as the conflict nears the six-month mark. Let us know what’s on your mind.

The Emirates has long been a major trading hub for Iran, and analysts say it has been key to Iranian efforts to evade international sanctions, which Emirati officials deny.

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Africans have turned to one of their own for fuel as the world’s supplies run low. But they are not the only ones with the continent’s richest man on speed dial.

© Taiwo Aina for The New York Times

Iran has survived decades of sanctions. Faced with more, it is likely to escalate rather than surrender, analysts said.

© Arash Khamooshi/Polaris for The New York Times