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July 19, 2026

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Analysis

How Hormuz crisis is turning Fujairah into the UAE’s strategic lifeline

New projects and infrastructure could turn the UAE's overlooked east coast emirate into one of the economic winners from the US-Israel-Iran war.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

People wave flags of Kurdistan during a march in Erbil, Iraq, on April 21, 2026, expressing support for the unity of Iranian Kurdish parties and condemning Iranian missile strikes and military actions against Kurdish groups in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Analysis

Why Iran's Kurdish front is becoming a growing wartime concern

A Friday Iranian strike on a Kurdish dissident base underscores Tehran's concern that its oldest internal security challenge has now become a wartime vulnerability.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Supporters of the Iran-backed Houthi movement brandish their weapons as they rally in solidarity with Iran and Lebanon in Sanaa on April 10, 2026.

Yemen's Houthis raise Red Sea stakes for Trump

With President Donald Trump ratcheting up his threats, will Iran play its Houthi card?

The sun sets behind overhead power lines in Kuwait City, June 19, 2024.

Iran strike damages Kuwait power, desalination plant: What to know

Kuwait, the world’s most water-stressed country, urged residents to reduce electricity and water use following the attack.

Latest News

Ahmadinejad denies alleged Mossad plot to install him as Iran leader: What to know

BEIRUT, LEBANON - OCTOBER 13: Lebanese people wave flags and hold portraits of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (not pictured) as he arrives in southern suberb of Beirut on October 13, 2010 in Lebanon. The controversial visit is seen as a boost for key ally Hezbollah. According to reports Mr Ahmadinejad may visit the border with Israel - the site of recent deadly clashes between Israeli and Lebanese forces. (Photo by Salah Malkawi/Getty Images)

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

5 reasons Iran is staying out of eastern Ghouta

Iran’s apparent low profile on the military operations in Afrin and eastern Ghouta has raised questions about its policy toward the Syrian war.

Customers use computers at an internet cafe in Tehran May 9, 2011. Websites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and countless others were banned shortly after the re-election of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the huge street protests that followed. Seen by the government as part of a "soft war" waged by the enemies of the Islamic Republic, social networking and picture sharing sites were a vital communication tool for the anti-Ahmadinejad opposition -- more than a year before they played a similar rol

Iran's conservatives see Twitter as next battleground

A prominent Iranian conservative compared being active on Twitter to being active on a battlefield.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud is seen during a meeting at the United Nations headquarters in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., March 27, 2018. REUTERS/Amir Levy - RC1FA9FE58F0

How Mohammed bin Salman unites usually divided Iranians

The Saudi crown prince’s harsh words against the Islamic Republic seem to have a unifying effect among Iranians.

TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY ARESU EQBALI Iranian temporary manual workers wait for work in Tehran on March 11, 2008. High inflation, unemployment, slack monetary policy and a lack of foreign investment: Iran is suffering from a litany of economic problems ahead of legislative elections on March 14. But despite windfall revenues from high oil prices, this has yet to be felt by millions of low and middle-earners who are finding their real incomes dwindling further due to inflation that has reached 17.8 percent.

Why economic growth has not led to job creation in Iran

Low capital formation and productivity are holding back the Iranian economy.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.

Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani arrives at Iran's Assembly of Experts' biannual meeting in Tehran March 8, 2011. Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani lost his position on Tuesday as head of an important state clerical body after hardliners criticised him for being too close to the reformist opposition. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi (IRAN - Ta

Will Khamenei dismiss Iran’s judiciary chief?

Reports are being circulated in Iranian media about the possible dismissal of Iran’s judiciary chief amid rising criticism of his performance.

Does Israel need France more than France needs Israel?

Meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu preferred to focus on common battles rather than preserving the nuclear deal with Iran, the main mission for Le Drian's visit.

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 20: (L to R) Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, foreign minister of Oman, speaks with Mohammad Javad Zarif Khonsari, the foreign minister of Iran, during the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters, September 20, 2017 in New York City. The most pressing issues facing the assembly this year include North Korea's nuclear ambitions, violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, and the debate over climate change. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

How Trump is prompting Iran to improve ties with its neighbors

Iran’s long-touted motto of prioritizing good ties with immediate neighbors is finally taking shape in apparent response to US-led pressure.

Iran’s supreme leader: I'm not in favor of polygamy

Iran’s supreme leader is reported to not be in favor of polygamy, denying a fatwa attributed to him about the matter.

Are Iranians ready to 'Buy Iranian'?

As Iran rings in the new year, the government has launched a campaign to encourage the public to buy locally made goods, but whether the public has as much enthusiasm for local products is another question.

Iranian official declares Bolton appointment a 'shame'

Iranian officials expect a more hostile US foreign policy with John Bolton's selection as the new national security adviser.

A general view shows the Azadi Cinema in Tehran on May 19, 2016.
As Iranian films and actors compete this weekend at Cannes film festival attention is turning toward the country's thriving independent cinema sector which is succeeding despite tough regulations. / AFP / ATTA KENARE / TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY ALI NOORANI (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

How conservatives are elbowing out Reformists in Iranian cinema

Even though most prominent Iranian producers and directors have Reformist leanings, it is conservatives who are the most proactive in this arena.

Russians fear Bolton may doom Iran deal, stoke arms race

John Bolton's upcoming role as national security adviser is controversial not only in the United States; it's raising eyebrows, and concerns, around much of the rest of the world.