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Iran

September 14, 2026

Tehran 2:04 am

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Fighters loyal to the Houthi authorities gather in Sanaa on Sept. 10, 2026.

Analysis

As Houthis seize Bab el-Mandeb, Iran appraises value of new Red Sea card

Iran is celebrating the Houthis' rapid advance toward Bab el-Mandeb, but appears reluctant to act on the win.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

member of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces firing a heavy machine gun

Claude AI used for missile, influence projects in UAE, Iran, Yemen: Anthropic

Military and government actors across the Middle East — from Iran to Yemen to the United Arab Emirates — have used Anthropic's Claude AI model for war planning and influence campaigns.

Pedestrians walk past a wall mural along a street in downtown of Tehran on Aug. 31, 2026.

Analysis

Could Iran’s nuclear ambitions harden as war escalates?

A new report has raised alarm about the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site that President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

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

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a meeting with Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Richard Marles at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on September 2, 2026. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Iran’s Pickaxe mountain tests limits of Trump’s military options

A secretive Pentagon innovation agency has hastened to test munitions that may penetrate deeper than the GBU-57 bombs dropped on Iran’s two main enrichment facilities.

Jared Szuba

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

Latest News

Iran's IRGC set to declare new ‘sanctions zone’ beyond Hormuz: What to know

Elke Scholiers/Getty Images

Brent crude sails past $100 as Middle East war intensifies

AFPTV / AFP via Getty Images

US strikes Iranian tankers after attempted attack on Navy ship

Vessels transit the Hormuz Strait off the coast of Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas on September 7, 2026. Iran's top negotiator threatened on September 6 of a more forceful response to any further US attacks after Tehran targeted American warships in their latest round of clashes. The exchanges of fire, which began with US raids last week, come amid a deadlock in the six-month war between the two foes. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images) /

Analysis

What Houthi setbacks in Yemen mean for Iran's regional influence

Forces loyal to Yemen's Saudi-backed government

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) arrives at the EU headquarters in Brussels on May 13, 2019. - The US Secretary of State arrived in Brussels on May 13 to discuss the Iran nuclear deal, as Britain issued a stark warning about the risk of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP) (Photo credit should read JOHN THYS/AFP/Getty Images)

Frustrated European allies warn Pompeo against US-Iran escalation

European foreign ministers did little to hide their distress that Secretary of State Pompeo abruptly decided to consult them on rising Iran tensions, which they had warned would be a consequence of quitting the nuclear deal.

UAE Navy boats are seen next to Al Marzoqah, Saudi Arabian tanker, off the Port of Fujairah, UAE May 13, 2019.REUTERS/Satish Kumar - RC1AA0D0CE30

Iran: UAE sabotage incident should be no excuse for US ‘adventurism’

Iran has dismissed President Donald Trump’s offer to talk on the phone, saying if it was genuine, he would have stuck to the nuclear deal.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Panama City, Florida, U.S., May 8, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RC1E60C5DE30

Trump flashes art of the deal to Iran

Iraqi leaders meet all night following Pompeo visit.

Will China play a role in lessening US pressure on Iran?

As the United States continues to enforce its "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran, the Islamic Republic is relying on China not as a sole savior but at least as part of the solution.

Iranian National Oil Company opens office in Iraq

Tehran expands its economic and political influence in Iraq via its National Iranian Oil Company.

Despite FM's warm reception in Moscow, Russia can’t do much to save JCPOA

Tehran's disappointment with the Europeans leaves Russia as perhaps the only leverage Iran still has with the West on the nuclear deal, but there's little Moscow can do to help at this point.

U.S. President Donald Trump participates in NORAD Santa tracker phone calls from the White House in Washington, U.S. December 24, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC150CF26F80

Trump to Iran: Call me

Amid rising tensions, President Donald Trump urged Iran three times to call him and said he believed they could make a fair deal.

Pentagon’s new Middle East chief fixes sights on Iran threat

Gen. Frank McKenzie, the Pentagon’s new top military commander in the Middle East, faces the lingering threat of Iran with limited military authorities at his disposal and a wary Congress.

Afghans wait in line at the Soleimankhani centre for refugees in Tehran, Iran, October 24, 2016. Picture taken on October 24, 2016. REUTERS/Gabriela Baczynska TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - S1AEUJNHAXAA

Amid US pressure, Iran warns Europe of another ‘wave’ of refugees

Iran has warned Europe that if US sanctions continue to take a toll on its economy, it will no longer be able to host Afghan refugees.

Iraq's President Barham Salih meets with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Baghdad, Iraq May 7, 2019.The Presidency of the Republic of Iraq Office/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC16C5E30E00

Pro-Iran militia leader lashes out against Pompeo visit to Baghdad

Following US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Baghdad, pro-Iranian forces in Iraq sent a strong warning to the United States.

Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) speaks after the senate voted on a resolution ending U.S. military support for the war in Yemen on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., December 13, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - RC1B1270FAB0

Democrats slam ‘massive failure’ of Trump policy after Iran restarts nuclear activity

Democrats are blaming the Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign for Tehran’s decision to resume some enrichment activity constrained by the 2015 nuclear deal.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif attend a news conference in Moscow, Russia May 8, 2019. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina - RC1B21865100

Intel: How Trump's 'maximum pressure' campaign is bringing Iran and Russia closer together

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif's long-planned visit to Moscow today quickly turned into a grievance-sharing session with his counterpart Sergey Lavrov about the Donald Trump administration.