Iran-US tensions

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks to the press, in front of the portrait of slain Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, after meeting with Syrian officials at the Iranian embassy in Damascus on Oct. 5, 2024.

Analysis

Araghchi’s second act: Meet diplomat behind Iran’s nuclear deal gambit

Back at the table in Muscat, Iran’s veteran negotiator blends bazaar tactics with diplomatic finesse as talks with the United States quietly resume.

Ali Hashem

In Doha, reporting on Iran, regional politics, conflict

A woman walks along Karim Khan Zand Avenue in Tehran on April 8, 2025, past the building with the landmark anti-US mural with the slogan, "Down with the USA," and skulls replacing the stars on the US flag.

Analysis

Enrichment clash in focus as Iran, US set for contentious talks in Rome

Ahead of the Saturday meeting, Iran's foreign minister met with the Russian president in Moscow as Tehran sought consultation on how to push back against American pressure to fully dismantle its nuclear program.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

The front page of Iran's newspapers in a sidewalk newsstand in Tehran, Iran, on April 13, 2025.

Trust gap widens ahead of next US-Iran nuclear talks

With distrust running high on both sides, will this next round of negotiations be the last?

This handout photo made available by the Iranian Army Office on April 17, 2025 shows Iran's Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major-General Mohammed Bagheri (L) receiving Saudi Arabia's Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman (C) in Tehran on April 17, 2025.

Saudi defense chief meets Khamenei in historic Iran visit: What to know

Prince Khalid’s visit marks a further step in Iran and Saudi Arabia’s political reconciliation, but it comes at a tense time in the region, with the second round of US-Iran nuclear negotiations just two days away.

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Analysis

US-Iran gaps seen as bridgeable as Israeli strike leak undermines Netanyahu

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 07: U.S. President Donald Trump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives at the White House on April 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump is meeting with Netanyahu to discuss ongoing efforts to release Israeli hostages from Gaza and newly imposed U.S. tariffs. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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

IAEA chief in Tehran as Iran FM returns to Russia with Khamenei letter

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (L) and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov walk together after their meeting to give a joint press conference at the foreign ministry headquarters in Tehran on February 25, 2025. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)

Witkoff’s enrichment U-turn sows confusion over Trump’s Iran strategy

This combination of file photos created on April 9, 2025, shows US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff speaking to reporters.

Analysis

Iran claims upper hand in nuclear talks even as Trump floats military option

A man and woman walk past a mural depicting an Iranian official in civilian clothing sitting across the table from an American official wearing military fatigues painted on the outer walls of the former US embassy in Tehran, colloquially referred to as the "Spy Den," on April 8, 2025.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Cecilia Sala

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala lands in Rome after release from Iranian prison

After more than three weeks of detention, Cecilia Sala has been released from Tehran's Evin Prison and was met at the airport in Rome by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

A general view of the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility is seen on April 9, 2007, 180 miles south of Tehran, Iran.

What to make of Iran's IRGC drills near Natanz nuclear site amid Israeli threats

The exercise, which was part of larger-scale drills, tested the capabilities of several air defense systems designed to thwart potential strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

A picture taken on July 15, 2021, shows an abandoned Israeli army post in the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank near the border with Jordan (background). - As scientific warnings of dire climate change-induced drought grow, many in Israel and Jordan cast worried eyes at the river running between them and the critical but limited resources they share. (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA / AFP) (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Israel sees surge in Iran weapons smuggling to West Bank via Jordan

With its proxies in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria all but paralyzed, Iran is encouraging a Palestinian uprising against Israel in the West Bank.

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

Trump and Meloni

After meeting Italy’s Meloni, Trump agrees to halt extradition of Iranian detainee: What we know

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and US President-elect Donald Trump have reportedly agreed to delay a US extradition request for an Iranian citizen to allow Italy to negotiate the return of its journalist Cecilia Sala, currently detained in Iran.

A man walks past a mural depicting slain commander of the IRGC's Quds Force Qasem Soleimani in Caracas on April 26, 2024. (Photo by Juan BARRETO / AFP) (Photo by JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Iran's Quds Force struggling for relevance 5 years after Soleimani's death

Already shaken and crisis-hit after Soleimani, the Quds Force has been commanded by a low-charisma successor and remains on a path of diminishing influence, with its operational capability targeted by deadly Israeli campaigns and crippled by the fall of the Syrian regime.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Israel's covert Syria operation signals planning for potential Iran strike

Israel has released details on its daring September commando operation in Syria in a message to Tehran that it is willing and able to do the same in Iran, with or without US participation.

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

Iranians lift up a flag and the mock up of a missile during a celebration following Iran's missiles and drones attack on Israel, on April 15, 2024, at Palestine square in central Tehran.

Analysis

Iran's turbulent 2024: Regional losses, economic pains and impending threats

Iran is bidding farewell to a 2024 rife with severe setbacks ranging from the Gaza war and escalating tensions with Israel to major geopolitical shifts and a faltering economy at home.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

17th September 1978: U.S. president Jimmy (James Earl) Carter (left) and Egyptian president Anwar al-Sadat (1918-1981), sitting in Dogwood Lodge during a break in the Egypt - Israel peace agreements, at Camp David, Maryland. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Jimmy Carter, 1924-2024: Legacy of peace in Middle East

The United States' late President Jimmy Carter was a devout Christian who prioritized calming the Arab-Israeli conflict during his term in office.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a controversial address to a joint session of Congress in Washington, on July 24, 2024.

Analysis

In 2024, Congress doubled down on unconditional support for Israel

In a closely divided Congress, moderate Democrats helped Republicans create an unbreakable line of defense against any attempts to slow US arms shipments to Israel or respond to alleged war crimes.

Megan Mineiro

By Megan Mineiro

In Washington, DC, reporting on US Congress

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on during a meeting between the top diplomats of Iraq, Syria and Iran at the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, in Baghdad, on Dec. 6, 2024.

Iran’s foreign minister lands in China amid regional and domestic turmoil

The Iranian foreign minister arrived in China on Friday as Iran seeks stability after the weakening of its proxy network, particularly Hezbollah, the fall of Syria’s Assad and its own domestic crises.

Syrian men stand outside the building of the Iranian Embassy.

Analysis

Iran’s strategy unravels: Assad fall and collapse of Tehran's regional bloc

What began as a bold strategy to challenge Israel and reshape the Middle East’s balance of power now appears increasingly fragile, with Iran’s influence faltering and its allies under siege.

Ali Hashem

In Doha, reporting on Iran, regional politics, conflict

This handout image supplied by the IIPA shows a view of the reactor building at the Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant as the first fuel is loaded, on Aug. 21, 2010.

Iran agrees to stricter nuclear monitoring as US raises concerns

After a report claimed Iran has been significantly increasing its production of highly enriched uranium, the country reportedly agreed to comply with stricter monitoring by the UN's nuclear watchdog.