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Iran

May 19, 2026

Tehran 6:20 pm

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A bride and group couple rides in a military jeep arriving for a public mass wedding ceremony at Imam Hossein Square in Tehran on May 18, 2026. Iran said on May 18 that it had responded to a new US proposal aimed at ending the war, adding that diplomatic exchanges continue despite Iranian media reports describing Washington's demands as excessive. Washington and Tehran have been swapping proposals in an effort to end the conflict which the US and Israel launched on February 28, but they have held only a sin

Analysis

Israel pushes for full Iran blockade as it awaits Trump's next move

Israel’s preferred strategy, sources told Al-Monitor, calls for a comprehensive naval, economic, land and air blockade of Iran, alongside tighter sanctions and covert activity aimed at destabilizing the regime.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

A tugboat guides the Russian oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin as it arrives at the oil terminal in the port of Matanzas, northwestern Cuba, on March 31, 2026.

US extends Russian oil sanctions waiver as Iran war squeezes supply

The waiver temporarily lifts sanctions on Russian oil for 30 days.

Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images

Oil swings as UAE nuclear plant strike, Iran diplomacy push roil markets

International benchmark Brent crude futures whipsawed on Monday as markets digested a dangerous new escalation alongside signs of diplomatic progress.

Latest News

Iran confiscates assets of 129 alleged ‘traitors’ in West Azerbaijan province

Amid FARAHI / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Pakistan’s six corridors offer Iran a trade lifeline, could outlast Hormuz crisis

Iranian cargo trucks cross into the Pakistan-Iran border at Taftan, Balochistan province, on June 18, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

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

Analysis

From hoarding to unemployment: Iran's economy buckles under US pressure

Women shop from a street vendor at Enghelab Square in the capital Tehran on Nov. 11, 2025.

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

Iran's media unconcerned with Iraq-Saudi Arabia rapprochement

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s recent trips to Saudi Arabia appear to have been coordinated to reduce Iran’s influence in Iraq, but Iranian media outlets do not seem concerned by the apparent Iraqi-Saudi Arabia rapprochement.

Iranian banks slowly reconnect to the world

While Iran works to gradually reconnect its banking system to the world, major hurdles remain, even as companies find creative solutions.

Hamas backtracks on charter changes

Bellicose statements by some Hamas leaders appear to suggest the organizations' new leadership is tossing aside recent changes to its charter.

Trump undermines Iranian debate on economic role of IRGC

Rather than isolating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Trump administration’s targeting of the organization in effect stymies ongoing attempts to curtail its role within the Iranian economy.

Kurdish crisis could benefit Iran-Turkey-Russia energy deal

As markets react to Iraq's reclamation of Kirkuk oil fields, other countries stand ready to take advantage of opportunities being created for energy producers.

A display featuring missiles and a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is seen at Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran September 27, 2017. Picture taken September 27, 2017. Nazanin Tabatabaee Yazdi/TIMA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC11BFED01E0

Iranian leader refuses any negotiation over ballistic missiles

Iran’s supreme leader reacted to US officials’ recent talk about limits on Tehran’s ballistic missile program, saying the Islamic Republic’s missile power is non-negotiable.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks during a session of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, Russia October 19, 2017. REUTERS/Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool - UP1EDAJ1DRBAP

Moscow eyes working with tribes as its next move in Syria

Many major players are working to resolve the Syrian civil war, but Russia is finding that some smaller groups — local tribes — could play a significant role.

Iranian officials, media warn against Russian game

Iranian media and officials warn parents about Blue Whale, a Russian game that entices players to commit suicide.

Kurdish Peshmarga forces are seen near Altun Kupri, between Kirkuk and Erbil, Iraq October 20, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC18B4882C00

How Iran is winning game of chess in Kirkuk

Iran’s game in Kirkuk is a microcosm of how its shrewd, long-term investment in Iraq is paying dividends.

Did Khamenei block Rouhani’s science minister?

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has finally introduced two names for the Science Ministry and Energy Ministry positions, although the battles appear to be far from over.

How Trump has propped up Rouhani

Rather than undermining Iran's government, Donald Trump's hostile rhetoric may be strengthening President Hassan Rouhani and uniting Iranians around his administration.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attend a signing ceremony following their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia March 28, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - LR1ED3S15XREP

Are Russia, Iran outflanking the US in Iraq?

Russia deftly manages potentially choppy ties with Iran, while the United States claims Iran "subverting Iraq."