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July 21, 2026

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In this handout photo provided by the US Navy, Two F/A-18 Super Hornets launch from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 3, 2026 in the Mediterranean Sea.

US launches fresh strikes on Iran, reinforces air assets in region: What to know

After weathering five months of airstrikes, the IRGC's strategy to deny the US Air Force safe harbor at runways across the region still shows lethal progress.

ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images

Explainer

Iran's economy faces renewed pressure as ceasefire collapses

Tehran briefly regained billions in oil revenue under June's truce, raising questions about how long the Islamic Republic can withstand a fresh economic siege.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks during a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart following a meeting in Baghdad on June 28, 2026.

Iran's Araghchi reveals Turkey's role in thwarting Kurdish offensive

The account offers Tehran's first public confirmation of reports that Ankara intervened to stop armed Iranian Kurdish groups from entering the conflict.

Latest News

Oil tops $90 as Iran warns Hormuz 'will not be safe'

Amir Hossein KHORGOOEI / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

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

AFP

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Analysis

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

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.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Yemen's Houthis raise Red Sea stakes for Trump

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.

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

Russia's UN veto sign of warming ties with Iran says Khamenei adviser

Russia’s veto of a UN Security Council resolution condemning Iran in Yemen’s civil war is a sign of the growing ties between Tehran and Moscow, according to a top adviser to the supreme leader.

Sunsets 'tricky bit' in transatlantic talks on Trump Iran demands

Diplomats say sunset clauses that eventually will ease limits on Iran’s enrichment capacity are proving the most difficult issue in US-European negotiations to meet Donald Trump’s Iran ultimatums.

State Department OKs nuclear monitoring system for Iran

The State Department has approved US exports that will help a UN agency set up nuclear monitoring stations inside Iran to strengthen the nuclear deal.

Iran’s Islamic Azad University rocked by layoffs of pro-reform professors

In Iran, conservative elements appear to be targeting pro-Reformist professors at Islamic Azad University.

Abandoned boats in Sikh Sar village at Hamoon wetland near the Zabol town, in southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan bordering Afghanistan on February 2, 2015. AFP PHOTO/BEHROUZ MEHRI (Photo credit should read BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images)

Iranians call for soft power now to head off future water crises

At a conference on water, Iranian officials called for moving to resolve potential water disputes with neighbors peacefully, in light of expected drought and other water problems.

IRAN, TEHRAN - MAY 16: Iranian presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi (R) holds hands with former presidential candidate and mayor of Tehran, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (C), as he greets his supporters during a campaign rally at Imam Khomeini Mosque in the capital Tehran on May 16, 2017 in Tehran, Iran. Iran's presidential election on May 19 is effectively a choice between moderate incumbent Hassan Rouhani and hardline jurist Raisi, with major implications for everything from civil rights to relations with Wa

Iranian conservative duo rumored to be gearing up for parliament run

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s conservative rivals appear to be gearing up to enter parliament.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan chats with Jordan's King Abdullah as they pose for a group photo during an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey, December 13, 2017. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RC1F351E9400

Jordan and Turkey get cozy

Jordan and Turkey are boosting political, trade and economic ties amid regional challenges and shared interests in the outcome of nearby conflicts.

MUNICH, BAVARIA - FEBRUARY 18: In this handout photo Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds up what he claims is a piece of an Iranian drone that was shot down after it flew over Israeli territory at the 2018 Munich Security Conference on February 18, 2018 in Munich, Germany. The annual conference, which brings together political and defense leaders from across the globe, is taking place under heightened tensions between the USA, together with its western allies, and Russia. (Photo by Lennart Pre

Will Israel act against Iran?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toughened his speech against Iran, but the reality on the ground raises questions as to whether or not the Cabinet will follow up in deeds.

Iran's currency crisis shakes Rouhani’s middle-class base

Following the nationwide protests led by the Iranian working class in late December, the return of fluctuations on the foreign exchange market is putting pressure on the minds of middle-class Iranians.

Rivalry among Iran intelligence bodies spills out into open

Presidential adviser Ali Younessi has said that only the Intelligence Ministry is capable of determining who is a spy and criticized other organizations for making their own assessments.

Masrour Barzani, head of the Iraqi Kurdish region's national Security Council, casts his vote during Kurds independence referendum in Erbil, Iraq September 25, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari - RC16957934A0

KRG intelligence chief: Baghdad must give us our rights

Masrour Barzani, the son of former Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani, talks about the Kurds' thinking behind the Sept. 25 independence referendum and about what may happen next.

Iranian interference in Iraqi election stirs anger among Iraqis

With the upcoming Iraqi elections in May, Iranians have stepped up their actions to manage their alliances in Iraq to ensure the continuity of their influence.