The war draws together Iran-backed Shia and Sunni militants in what appears to be closer cooperation between groups that differ in ideology but are united by opposition to Israel and the U.S.

The U.S. carried out an airstrike on a weapons warehouse in eastern Syria used by Iranian-backed militias, the Pentagon said, in retaliation for a number of attacks on U.S. troops in the region.

The reported death of Armita Geravand comes after her being in a coma for weeks and after the 1-year anniversary of the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini which sparked nationwide protests at the time.

The strikes on two locations linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps came in retaliation for drone and missile attacks against U.S. bases and personnel in the region that began early last week.

Israel's intensifying military campaign in Gaza is raising the specter of a broader regional war involving Iran-allied groups. Iran's foreign minister says its allies are ready to strike.

There have been questions about how Iranian-backed forces in the "axis of resistance" may influence the Israel-Hamas war. The network of forces is "a kind of NATO for militant groups," an expert says.

The move follows the deadly attacks by Hamas on Israel and Republican criticism of the White House deal with Iran, where $6 billion was unfrozen in exchange for the release of 5 detained Americans.

The surprise attack on Israel has brought the militant group back into the spotlight. A Hamas official tells NPR the attack was meant in part to lead to the release of Palestinians in Israeli jails.

Analysts have long accused Iran of backing militant groups in the region to counter Israel.

Narges Mohammadi's husband hopes prize will draw attention to the broader cause of human rights in Iran.

Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi, who remains in prison in Iran, is this year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Jamileh Alamolhoda, the wife of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, talks about why Iran's government is unwilling to compromise on compulsory headscarf rules.

The former prisoners were tearfully reunited with family and friends at the airport, hugging and crying after years of enforced separation.

It's the latest in what has been decades of prisoner swaps between the two countries. The Americans include Siamak Namazi, held since 2015, and Morad Tahbaz and Emad Shargi, both detained in 2018.

The death of a young woman in Iranian morality police custody sparked months of protests and a violent crackdown by the government. A year later, a more subdued defiance endures.