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May 1, 2026

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This photo obtained by AFP from the Iranian news agency Tasnim shows an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) boat allegedly taking part in an operation to seize ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, on April 21, 2026.

Trump faces three paths ahead in Iran war as Hormuz standoff intensifies

As the Hormuz standoff intensifies, Trump must choose between military escalation, a limited diplomatic deal, or continuing a pressure campaign against Iran.

AFP via Getty Images

In defiant message, Iran’s Khamenei threatens US but appeals to Gulf

The address was Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s third since coming to power and included a pledge to rid the Gulf of the US.

QESHM ISLAND, IRAN - APRIL 28: Boats navigate the sea on April 28, 2026 on Qeshm Island, Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's latest proposal for ending its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz calls on the United States to end its naval blockade of Iran's ports, and sets aside questions about what to do with Iran's nuclear program. The United States has not formally responded to the latest proposal, which was delivered by Iran's foreign minister to Pakistan two days ago. (Photo by Asghar Besharati/Getty Images

US blockade tests Iran's limits, but will global pain force Trump’s hand?

President Trump is doubling down on economic warfare against Iran, betting a naval blockade and sanctions can force a nuclear deal and end the war.

Latest News

Iran-linked group claims stabbing in Jewish area in London: What to know

Local residents look on from outside a cordoned off area in the Golders Green neighborhood of north London on April 29, 2026, following the stabbing to two people nearby.

Oil surges past $120 to war-time high as Trump rejects Iran overture

A pumpjack stands idle in the Huntington Beach oil field, with port cranes visible in the distance, on April 23, 2026, in Huntington Beach, California.

Trump speaks with Netanyahu, Putin as Iran pressure campaign escalates

President Donald Trump gives a speech during the State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn on April 28, 2026, in Washington.

Iranian rial hits new record low as blockade, war take toll: What to know

An Iraqi money dealer counts Iranian rial banknotes bearing a portrait of the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, at an exchange office in Baghdad on Feb. 3, 2012.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

Diplomatic Correspondent

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

Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Benjamin Houghton

In Durham, reporting on China in the Middle East

Rahim Rahimov

In Baku, reporting on Middle East-Caucasus ties

Mehrnaz Samimi

In Washington, DC, reporting on Iranian culture

US President Joe Biden speaks at a ”Reproductive Freedom Campaign Rally" at George Mason University on Jan. 23, 2024.

Biden faces Iran dilemma after drone attack kills US troops

The Biden administration is under pressure from Republicans to strike inside Iran after an attack by one of its proxies killed three American troops in Jordan.

A seal on the exterior of the US Department of Treasury building, March 13, 2023.

Who are the Iranians sanctioned by US, UK for murder plots against dissidents?

One of the plots culminated in the 2019 assassination of Iranian government critic Mas’ud Vardanjani in Istanbul, according to a statement by the US Treasury Monday.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a news conference in the capital Tehran, on Feb. 16, 2020.

Why are Iran hard-liners axing Rouhani from political scene?

By disqualifying Rouhani, Iran's ruling hard-liners pushed yet another boundary in their campaign to ensure that no influential, moderate figure will have a say in deciding the country's next supreme leader.

JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Iran says it won’t interfere in Lebanon-Israel border talks

Tehran will still need to sign off on deal if it happens; Iran and Sudan; Netanyahu is a prisoner of hostage talks; US rethinks its force posture in Syria and Iraq; and a US envoy says Israel must be ‘absolutely sure’ in Gaza military operations.

Week in Review

Andrew Parasiliti

Samuel Wendel

By Week in Review , Andrew Parasiliti , Samuel Wendel

A pro Palestinian activist waves Palestinian and South African flags as she demonstrates following the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling of the case against Israel brought by South Africa in The Hague at the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg on January 26, 2024. South African lawyers presented their case at the UN's top court in The Hague, where South Africa lodged an urgent appeal to force Israel to "immediately suspend" its military operations in Gaza. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled

Arab world, Iran, Turkey welcome ICJ ruling in Israel's genocide case

The region welcomed the ICJ’s ruling demanding Israel act to prevent acts of genocide against Gazans.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi (R) and Niger's Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine meet in Tehran on January 25, 2024. (Photo by president.ir)

How significant is Niger's PM visit to Iran post-coup and amid Africa push?

Iran wants better economic and political relations with sub-Saharan African states, including the sanctioned military junta in Niger.

While hosting Iran’s Raisi, Turkey’s Erdogan avoids harsh criticism of Israel

Erdogan's measured tone on Israel comes in midst of US-Turkey rapprochement following Ankara's ratification of Sweden's entry into NATO this week.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian listens to a question during a press conference with his Saudi counterpart (not pictured) in Tehran, on June 17, 2023.

Interview

Iran sent US back-channel messages on risk of wider regional war, FM says

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Tehran is not seeking a wider regional conflict, even as his country's network of militias across the Middle East are stepping up attacks on US bases and ships.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian

Foreign Minister of Iran

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan shakes hands with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during a meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Sept. 17, 2022.

Iran's Raisi makes first visit to Turkey seeking to close gap on Gaza, Zangezur

Apart from economic ties, the Gaza war is expected to be in focus, on which the two sides may share public rhetoric but diverge deeply when it comes to policy and interests.

Mohammad Ghobadlou

Outcry as Iran executes young protester with mental illness: judiciary

Mohammad Ghobadlou, who had allegedly a history of mental illness, was hanged in an Iranian prison in relation to his role in the 2022 nationwide protests.

Iranian mourners gather during the funeral ceremony of yesterday's explosion, Kerman, Iran, Jan. 5, 2024.

Soldier arrested in Iran after inside attack killing 5 troops in Kerman

The latest incident involves the killing of five soldiers by a fellow conscript in Kerman, which was the scene of a deadly bombing claimed by ISIS earlier this month.

Pakistan activists protest in Lahore on Jan. 19, 2024, after Iran launched an airstrike in Pakistan's southwest Baluchistan province.

What's behind Turkey's muted response to Iran-Pakistan escalation?

Two considerations stand out in Turkey’s muted response to recent Iranian strikes in Iraq and Pakistan.