Iran-US tensions

currency exchange in Tehran

Iran currency dips to new low of 1.2M per dollar as sanctions bite: What to know

Since US President Donald Trump took office in January, the rial has plummeted.

People walk past electoral campaign posters ahead of Iraq's parliamentary elections in central Baghdad on Nov. 6, 2025.

Analysis

Iraq’s next PM? Shatri, Eidani, Kadhimi and others jostle for lead

A number of establishment figures are being circulated as potential candidates, though experts believe the Coordination Framework, a powerful Shiite coalition, will again have the final say.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

US President Donald Trump meets with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on Nov. 18, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Analysis

F-35s, chips but no security guarantees: What MBS achieved — and didn’t — in Washington

A Saudi-US defense deal signed by Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House fell short of the de facto Saudi leader's ambitions for a US defense guarantee, but neither side appears in much of a hurry since the US military knocked out Iran's nuclear enrichment in June.

Jared Szuba

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

Supporters of incumbent Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani wave national flags in front of a screen displaying his portrait as they celebrate following the announcement of preliminary election results in Baghdad on Nov. 12, 2025.

Analysis

How Iraq’s next government could shape the US-Iran rivalry

Millions of Iraqis headed to the polls last week to vote, but it could be months before a new government takes shape.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

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

Latest News

Iran stops IAEA inspections following UN watchdog's reprimand

In this handout photo released by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) on November 10, 2025, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi (L) is accompanied by AEOI chief Mohammad Eslami during a visit to a facility in Tehran. (Photo by Atomic Energy Organization of Iran / AFP)

Trump says US will sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia, first Arab country to acquire jets

This photograph shows a pilot disembarking a Belgium's newly purchased Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jet for the first time, after arriving at the Florennes military airbase, southern Belgium on October 13, 2025. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP) (Photo by JOHN THYS/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran judicial chief orders crackdown on women defying hijab law: What to know

A couple sits facing the skyline of Tehran from Bam-e Tehran in Tehran, Iran on October 24, 2025. (Photo by Bahram / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by BAHRAM/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

With reduced Iranian threat, MBS visit seeks to advance F-35 deal, boost Saudi-US ties

Newly graduated Saudi air force officers march in front of F-15 fighter jets during a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the creation of the King Faisal Air Academy at King Salman airbase in Riyadh on January 25, 2017. / AFP / FAYEZ NURELDINE (Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)

Jared Szuba

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

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA - JUNE 22: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on June 22, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. U.S. President Donald Trump gave an address to the nation last night after three Iranian nuclear facilities were struck by the U.S. military. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Iran's missile systems 'did not see us': Pentagon says nuclear capabilities destroyed at Fordow

Largest-ever USAF B-2 bomber mission involved multiple feints — Iran’s air defenses did not fire a shot, top Pentagon general says.

Commuters drive past an anti-Israel billboard in Tehran, on June 22, 2025. President Donald Trump said the US military carried out strikes on June 22 on three Iranian nuclear sites and that Tehran "must now agree to end this war", following days of speculation over whether the United States would join its ally Israel's bombing campaign. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey airs 'deep concern' as Saudi Arabia, Russia condemn US strikes in Iran

Iranian-backed proxies, including Hamas and the Houthis, condemned the attack, with the Yemeni militants saying retaliation is only a "matter of time."

Smoke rises from locations targeted in Tehran amid the third day of Israel's waves of strikes against Iran, on Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Photo by Khoshiran / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by KHOSHIRAN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump: US dropped bombs on Iran's Fordow, Natanz, Isfahan nuclear sites

Donald Trump now calls for peace after the United States' "very successful attack on three nuclear sites in Iran including Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan."

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 01: The B-2 "Spirit" Stealth Bomber flys over the 136th Rose Parade Presented By Honda on January 01, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)

US B-2 stealth bombers on the move as Israel-Iran war rages

B-2 Spirit stealth bombers out of Whiteman Air Force Base headed out over the Pacific Saturday amid reports that the United States could launch high-stakes strikes against Iran.

Jared Szuba

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

Retired Israeli general and Executive Director of Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) Amos Yadlin attends a session at the Manama Dialogue security conference in the Bahraini capital on December 5, 2020. (Photo by Mazen Mahdi / AFP) (Photo by MAZEN MAHDI/AFP via Getty Images)

Interview

Amos Yadlin: Israel's goal to enable Trump to reach better Iran deal than 2015

In an interview with Al-Monitor, former head of the Israeli military intelligence directorate Amos Yadlin talks about the extent of the damage Israel has thus far inflicted on Iran and the strategic goals of the war.

Amos Yadlin

Amos Yadlin

Former head of Israeli military intelligence

A drone flies beside a damaged building following a strike by an Iranian missile in the Israeli city of Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, early on June 15, 2025.

Analysis

Israel's war in Iran redefining AI’s warfare role: The Gulf is taking notes

Israel’s AI-driven assault on Iran signals a new era of warfare in the Middle East, and Gulf states are watching closely.

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks to the media after his meeting with the E3 group of European ministers on June 20, 2025, in Geneva, Switzerland.

Analysis

As Iran courts Europe, can diplomatic blitz help avert Trump strikes?

As the Israel-Iran war entered its second week, Tehran was exhausting diplomatic channels in a bid to dissuade the United States from entering the fray — and ultimately to secure a ceasefire in a conflict that is rapidly eroding its defensive capabilities.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (C) gives a statement during his visit to the mausoleum of slain Lebanese Hezbollah's Leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli air strike in September 2024, in Beirut's southern suburbs on June 3, 2025.

EU FMs hold talks with Iran's Araghchi as US mulls strike: What to know

The meeting in Geneva follows President Donald Trump saying on Thursday that he will decide within two weeks whether to involve the United States directly in the Israel-Iran conflict.

A view of the Dubai skyline, May 12, 2025.

Analysis

Gulf growth forecast bright but Israel-Iran war threatens to derail outlook

The World Bank had predicted economic growth among Gulf Cooperation Council states to increase in 2025 and 2026, but experts are skeptical due to the regional conflict.

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

Smoke rises from locations targeted in Tehran amid the third day of Israel's waves of strikes against Iran, on Sunday, June 15, 2025.

Analysis

As Netanyahu pushes Trump to join Iran war, will Israel strike Fordow alone?

Israel needs the United States to join its attack on Iran in order to destroy the nuclear facility at Fordow, but it's also preparing contingency plans.

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

ISRAEL-IRAN-CONFLICT Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the Soroka Hospital in the southern city of Beersheba, after it was hit by a missile fired from Iran on June 19, 2025. Israel's defence minister warned that Iran's supreme leader "can no longer be allowed to exist" after a hospital was hit in an Iranian missile strike on June 19, spiking tensions in the week-old war. (Photo by Marc Israel SELLEM / POOL / AFP) (Photo by MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

What Iran’s hospital strike reveals about Israel’s missile defense limits

The direct strike highlights the limits of Israel's vaunted aerial defense systems as the Iran-Israel war intensifies.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi holds a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister after their meeting in Ankara, on Dec. 2, 2024.

Iran’s Araghchi to visit Turkey as Ankara seeks war mediation role

Iran’s top diplomat is expected in Turkey for the OIC talks as the Iran-Israel war dominates the agenda.