Iran-US tensions

US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff arrives for a press conference with the US president and Israel's prime minister in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on Feb. 4, 2025.

Witkoff meets Netanyahu as Israel warns against potential Iran deal

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s security chiefs briefed US envoy Steve Witkoff on the country’s concerns ahead of Friday’s US-Iran talks.

YASIN AKGUL/AFP via Getty Images

Iran seeks nuclear-only US talks, to drop Turkey as host: Source

Iran’s push for a bilateral, nuclear-only format and a possible shift to Oman has frustrated mediators.

This handout photo made available by the Iranian Army Office on March 12, 2025 shows navy vessels taking part in a joint Iranian-Russian-Chinese military drill in the Gulf of Oman.

Breaking | Last Updated: February 3, 2026, 2:56 pm

US F-35 downs Iran drone as IRGC boats target tanker near Hormuz

The US military accused Iran of "unnecessary aggression" after shooting down an Iranian drone near the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea and IRGC vessels approached a US-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz ahead of US-Iran talks later this week.

Diplomatic advisor to the United Arab Emirates President Anwar Gargash (C) react on stage with Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) and Atlantic Council President and CEO Frederick Kempe (R) during the World Governments Summit in Dubai on February 3, 2026. Spain will seek to ban social media for under-16s to protect them from harmful content such as pornography and violence, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on February 3, in the latest such move by governments. Australia established a world first i

On eve of talks, UAE's Gargash throws weight behind Iran-US deal

Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, spoke at a panel discussion at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, where he discussed the latest developments in Gaza, Iran, Sudan and Yemen.

United Arab Emirates

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UAE’s MBZ reportedly cancels Japan visit amid US-Iran standoff: What to know

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrives for a welcoming ceremony prior to talks with the Russian president at the Kremlin in Moscow, on Jan. 29, 2026.

United Arab Emirates

Gulf markets recover after gold rout, buoyed by Iran de-escalation hopes

A woman checks a window shop at a jewelry store in Dubai, on March 10, 2025.

United Arab Emirates

Turkey emerges as possible host for US-Iran talks: What to know

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi (L) give a statement at the Ritz Hotel as they meet on Jan. 30, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey.

US-Iran tensions fan oil disruption fears as Gulf states confront retaliation risks

A general view of Saudi Aramco's Abqaiq oil processing plant on Sept. 20, 2019.

In this handout photo provided by the US Navy, Logistics Specialist 1st Class Ousseinou Kaba (left), from Silver Spring, Md., and Logistics Specialist Seaman Abigail Marshke, from Flint, Mich., attach cargo to an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the "Nightdippers" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5 from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) May 10, 2019 in the Red Sea.

As Iran stalls, US military strikes risk uncertain outcomes

If Iran’s leaders refuse to negotiate over the Trump administration’s demands, the president may have to choose between strike options that can likely only further degrade its nuclear program — not fully destroy it.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, arrives in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sept. 27, 2025, to attend a memorial service for Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Putin meets Iran’s top security official as Trump says Tehran wants deal

President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran is seeking a nuclear deal but declined to specify a timeline for negotiations.

Men sign up to join the "martyrdom brigades" under the umbrella of Iraq's pro-Iran paramilitary group Hezbollah Brigades (Kataib Hezbollah), who called upon Iraqis to volunteer in fighting alongside Iran in the event of a full-scale war with the US and Israel, at a mosque in Baghdad on January 29, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP via Getty Images)

Iraqi militias claim volunteers readying to defend Iran from US: What to know

Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat al-Nujaba have said they are registering volunteers to defend Iran should the US attack.

TOPSHOT - Cars drive past an anti-US billboard installed on a building at the Enqelab Square in Tehran on January 26, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Israel ups Iran intel sharing with US, expects Trump to strike within 'weeks'

Israel is making vast amounts of intelligence available to the United States in preparation for a potential attack on Iran.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

US President Donald Trump addresses the nation, alongside US Vice President JD Vance (L), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (2nd R), and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (R), from the White House in Washington, on June 21, 2025, following the announcement that the US bombed nuclear sites in Iran.

Analysis

Iran resists US demands for nuclear talks despite Trump warning

As Iran balks at US demands and Trump dispatches military assets to the region, a nuclear deal remains out of reach.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Saudi Arabian Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pose for a photo opportunity ahead of a meeting in the US State Department Building on Feb. 25, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Saudi defense chief visits White House as Riyadh wary of Iran strike

The visit is occurring as the Pentagon amasses an armada off Iran and the United States continues to threaten to strike the Islamic Republic militarily.

A view of the guided missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black in the Mediterranean Sea, on Dec. 31, 2023.

Navy destroyer, aircraft join US armada amassing near Iran

The US is rapidly massing warships and strike aircraft around Iran as President Donald Trump openly threatens military action in an apparent bid to coerce its leaders to surrender their nuclear program.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

In this handout provided by the US Navy, The USS Gerald R. Ford, and Italian navy offshore Patrol Vessel ITS Paolo Thaon di Revel operate in the Mediterranean Sea, Oct. 2, 2025.

Analysis

Why Trump’s Venezuela playbook could face hard reality in Iran

On Wednesday, Trump said an armada larger than the one sent to Venezuela is heading toward Iran and “like with Venezuela,” it is ready to employ force if necessary.

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Old chemical barrels.

Oil climbs above $70 a barrel, hitting five-month high on Iran tensions

At 9:30 a.m. ET, Brent crude futures reached $70.44, the highest level since Aug. 1, 2025.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart following their talks in Moscow on December 17, 2025. (Photo by Ramil Sitdikov / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Iran FM heads to Turkey in last-ditch effort to avoid US escalation

Ankara is stepping up efforts to ease Iran-US tensions, as Turkey's top diplomat meets with a US envoy ahead of the Iranian foreign minister's Friday visit to Turkey.

US President Donald Trump gestures after holding a signing ceremony for the “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum on Jan. 22, 2026, in Davos, Switzerland.

Feature

Trump’s Iran threats deepen fears over detained Americans

The US military buildup could serve as powerful leverage for the administration to press for the release of Americans detained in Iran.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addresses foreign ambassadors to Iran, in Tehran on Oct. 5, 2025.

Iranian officials vow 'harsh' response as Trump threatens action: What to know

Iranian officials signaled openness to a nuclear deal but warned they would retaliate against any US military strike.