Iran protests

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (C) waves as he returns to his car after visiting the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted Beirut's Basta neighbourhood, on October 12, 2024. At least 22 people were killed in Israeli strikes on a densely populated area of central Beirut on October 10, the Lebanese health ministry said, with a security source saying a Hezbollah figure was the target. (Photo by Ibrahim AMRO / AFP) (Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)

Meet Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, IRGC-vetted figure at center of US talks

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has emerged as one of the Islamic Republic’s most visible figures amid the conflict.

Traffic rolls along a main throughfare under a banner with images of past and present leaders that reads in Farsi, "Domino fall", as daily life returns to the streets following nationwide protests, in the Iranian capital Tehran on January 19, 2026. Demonstrations sparked in late December by anger over economic hardship exploded into protests widely seen as the biggest challenge to the Iranian leadership in years. Limited internet access briefly returned in Iran before dropping again, a monitor said January

Analysis

Iran’s longest-ever internet blackout leaves 99% offline: What to know

Facing a historic internet blackout, Iranians are locked in a struggle with authorities to find loopholes to get around this communications crackdown, leading to "shutdowns within a shutdown."

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Saudis shop for fresh products at a market in Riyadh on Feb. 18, 2026, on the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia.

Analysis

Alternative supply routes emerge as Iran war tests Gulf food security

Roughly 61 million people in the Gulf rely on established food supply chains, many of which have been upended since the United States and Israel launched their attack against Iran on Feb. 28.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Iranian nationals arrive in Turkey after passing through the Razi-Kapikoy border crossing in Van, northeastern Turkey, on March 3, 2026.

Feature

Iranians crossing into Turkey haunted by regime crackdown more than war

Many Iranians crossing into Turkey suggest the regime’s deadly crackdown on recent protests, not the bombardment, is the trauma they cannot shake.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Latest News

Which 6 Kurdish groups could join the war in Iran?

A picture from the formation of the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan on Feb. 22, 2026.

Exclusive

US-backed Kurdish forces poised to enter Iran from Iraqi Kurdistan 'within days'

A member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) participates in a military drill in an outpost near Erbil, Kurdistan region of Iraq on Jan. 15, 2026.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, architect of regional expansion, declared dead

In this photo released by the official website of the Supreme Leader's Office on Thursday, June 26, 2025, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appears among his supporters for the first time since the Iran-Israel war, in Tehran, Iran. (Photo by Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran via Getty Images)

New Zealand slaps 40 Iran officials with sanctions over protest crackdown

A member of the security forces stands guard during a rally marking the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Tehran on Feb. 11, 2026.

People walk near a burnt bank, after protests against increased fuel prices, in Tehran, Iran November 20, 2019. Picture taken November 20, 2019. Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC2GGD9E7BEK

How Iran's protests could impact foreign policy

Critical comments from France and Germany about the Iranian protests could further accelerate the dismantling of the Iran nuclear deal.

People protest against increased gas price, on a highway in Tehran, Iran November 16, 2019. Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC2CCD9U9AIN

Tehran says protests subsiding as internet blackout drags on

Iranian authorities say a recent wave of nationwide protests has largely subsided, but a government-enforced internet shutdown and tight security measures remain in place.

People stands in the street to show their protest against increased gas price in Tehran, Iran November 16, 2019. Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC2BCD9CNWMV

Iranian media seems to be preparing public for clampdown on protests

The IRGC issued a statement warning that continued unrest would result in a firm confrontation.

Reduction in Iran's gasoline subsidy sparks anti-government protests

President Hassan Rouhani’s announcement of a large reduction in the gasoline subsidy sparked protests across a number of cities, with deaths having been reported.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks at a news conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S., September 26, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid - HP1EF9Q1DCLMP

Angry protests, empty seats overshadow Rouhani speech

Leaders of several student unions walked out of a commencement speech by President Hassan Rouhani after they were barred from the podium.

Iran arrests dozens at International Workers’ Day protests

Iran has marked International Worker's Day with arrests and threats against independent labor unions.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to film or take pictures in Tehran

A clergyman sits at his bookshop in Tabriz historic market, 633 km (393 miles) northwest of Tehran, early morning August 28, 2011. The Tabriz market was located along the Silk Road trade route and comprised of interlinked structures and spaces for various commercial, religious and educational uses. This market has been registered as a UNESCO heritage site on July 31, accord

Can books be used for punishment?

The sentencing of a veteran Iranian dissident to a jail term and to copy three books by hand has brought the phenomenon of “alternative sentences” to the fore.

Iran spy services claim infiltration of foreign-based opposition in new series

Iran's state broadcaster is airing a documentary series to show off the country’s intelligence services’ infiltration of the foreign-based opposition.

Why Iranian teachers are protesting

Iranian teachers are raising their voices to demand better conditions both for themselves and their students, and the struggle is moving forward with both protests and engagement with the authorities.

Reza Pahlavi, the last heir apparent to the defunct throne of the Imperial State of Iran and the current head of the exiled House of Pahlavi speaks during an interview with Reuters in Washington, U.S., January 3, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - RC1829E98ED0

Son of deposed shah urges US to back Iran regime change

The son of the former shah of Iran urged the US administration to back Iran regime change rather than try to pressure the Iranian government to change its policies abroad and at home.

Iranian shop closed at the ancient Grand Bazaar in Tehran on June 25, 2018. - Grand Bazaar shop owners closed their shops on monday in a rare strike movement to protest against the depreciation of the Iranian currency. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Iran braces for more general strikes as budget negotiations in sight

The recent string of strikes in Iran appeared geared to extract more concessions ahead of budget negotiations.

Iraqi Shi'ite pilgrims run between the Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas shrines as part of a ritual of the Ashura ceremony in Karbala, Iraq September 20, 2018. REUTERS/Abdullah Dhiaa Al-Deen - RC1A6C155200

Iranians lash out at preferential treatment of pilgrims

While many Iranians have criticized the authorities’ decision to allow visa fees for the Arbaeen pilgrimage to be paid at the secondary foreign currency market rate, the move could, in reality, be filling the administration’s coffers.