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Iran

September 15, 2026

Tehran 3:37 pm

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VTB Bank in Moscow

US hits major Russian bank VTB with Iran-linked sanctions

State-controlled VTB becomes one of the most prominent global names yet caught up in Washington’s ongoing effort to squeeze Iran's economy.

Milak border crossing near the town of Zabol, Iran

Third Sunni cleric killed in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan Province: What to know

Iran says it is stepping up its crackdown on armed groups in the impoverished province as Sunni clerics have been reported killed there and in the predominantly Kurdish northwest.

AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Saudi pipeline shutdown exposes shrinking global oil-supply buffers

Oil prices have climbed to their highest since May as disruptions to flows through the Strait of Hormuz and the temporary shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline tighten global supply.

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

A sailor from the navy of Yemen's Aden-based internationally recognized government stands at a machine-gun position aboard a vessel patrolling a shipping lane off Hanish Island in the Red Sea on July 27, 2026.

Oil tops $109 after Houthi strikes, Saudi pipeline shutdown

The Houthi militia said on Monday that it fired dozens of drones and ballistic missiles at military targets in Saudi Arabia in retaliation for airstrikes by Riyadh in Yemen.

Latest News

Analysis

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

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

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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

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

Analysis

Could Iran’s nuclear ambitions harden as war escalates?

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

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

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

Analysis

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

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)

Jared Szuba

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

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

De-mining teams searches for landmines in the desert east of Basra province, April 1, 2015. In Iraq's vast southern desert, de-mining teams are working to remove millions of Saddam-era landmines and explosive ordnance that litter Iraq's southern giant oil fields, hampering the country's oil boom and delaying investment. Picture taken April 1 2015. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani - GF10000051566

Iran-Iraq War continues to claim lives 30 years on

The eight-year war between Iraq and Iran ended on Aug. 20, 1988, but its negative impacts linger on both sides.

Iranians ask government officials: #Where_is_your_kid?

Public calls for Iranian officials to account for the lifestyles of their children bring focus to the issue of the lack of trust in the political establishment.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani attends a news conference at the Chancellery in Vienna, Austria July 4, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner - RC1981F1CC40

Iran parliament report reveals 17 dual nationals in government

An Iranian parliamentary report revealed that there are 17 dual nationals working in the government.

Kurdish farmers hit by water crisis

With neighboring Iran diverting rivers and building dams, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is in the midst of an already severe water crisis that threatens to get even worse, thanks to national and regional governments failing to acknowledge the urgency of the problem.

Iran-US conflict leaves Abadi in a dilemma

By rectifying his statement on supporting US sanctions against Iran, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is balancing between the United States and Iran in Iraq to keep both sides as his supportive allies.

Iran prosecutor warns ministers: no one is immune in anti-corruption probe

Iran’s judiciary and the Rouhani administration appear to be heading for a clash over prosecutors' approach to an effort to tackle corruption.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.
A man looks at newspapers at a news stand in Tehran March 4, 2012. Hardliners allied with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei maintained their lead in the country's parliamentary vote, with partial results on Sunday showing supporters of the president trailing behind. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - GM1E8341DST01

Sanctions, profiteering put Iranian newspapers in a bind

A paper crisis exacerbated by US sanctions is weighing down Iranian daily newspapers, which are resorting to everything from closures to online paywalls.

Reformism weakens as factional interests reign supreme in Iran

The lack of broad embrace of former Reformist President Mohammad Khatami’s call for change signifies not just continued conservative refusal to enter "national dialogue," but also the Iranian public’s increasing disregard for the pro-Reform camp.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu attend a news conference in Ankara, Turkey, August 14, 2018. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC180FCCDBD0

Russian, Turkish officials meet, keep low profile on Idlib ideas

Moscow and Ankara seem to share some common goals regarding Syria, but don't necessarily agree on how to reach them.

Pro-government media deny Rouhani 'sold out' Iranian Caspian Sea claims

Iranian social media has been inundated with claims that the government has given away much of the nation's share of the Caspian Sea, while pro-Rouhani newspapers reject such talk as baseless.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attend a meeting during the Fifth Caspian Summit in Aktau, Kazakhstan August 12, 2018. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - UP1EE8C1E0PP0

Assad’s advances heighten Iran-Russia rift in Syria

As the regime gains ground in Syria, the divergence of Iranian and Russian interests there becomes more apparent.

US sanctions put nearly half a million jobs at risk in Iran’s auto parts industry

Auto parts suppliers in Iran warn that US sanctions coupled with domestic mismanagement are bringing their industry to its knees.