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June 12, 2026

Tehran 11:46 am

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Members of the Iranian national soccer team including midfielder Alireza Jahanbakhsh (R) arrive at Tijuana International Airport on June 7, 2026, in Tijuana, Mexico.

Culture

World Cup opens amid visa disputes for Iran, Iraq and Somalia

Iran says a number of team staff were denied entry into the US, with Trump administration officials touting efforts to prevent affiliates of designated terrorist groups from entering.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Bessent says Iran's frozen assets will pay for Gulf damage, Hormuz tolls

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that any damage Iran inflicts on Gulf allies will be paid for with funds extracted from Iranian accounts.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Explainer

US strategic oil stockpile nears four-decade low as Iran war drags on

The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell to 349.2 million barrels amid the global energy shock caused by the war in Iran.

President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Air Force One prior to departure from John F. Kennedy International Airport, in New York, on June 9, 2026.

Trump weighs releasing billions to Iran after blasting past payments

As mediators scramble to broker a peace deal, a key hurdle remains the release of Iranian assets frozen under US sanctions.

Latest News

Trump vows continued ‘very hard’ strikes on Iran as negotiators leave Qatar

Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Trump launches new airstrikes on Iran as deal stalls

In this US Navy released handout, an F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14, prepares to take off from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 1, 2026 at Sea.

US, Iran trade strikes after downing of Apache helicopter: What to know

In this US Navy released handout, an F/A-18F Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 41, makes an arrested landing on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in support of Operation Epic Fury, Feb. 28, 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

The most powerful woman in Iran

The death of Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has brought to the fore the story of the power and influence of Effat Marashi, his wife.

National security adviser General Michael Flynn delivers a statement daily briefing at the White House in Washington U.S., February 1, 2017. REUTERS/Carlos Barria TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2Z7RT

Iran brushes off being 'put on notice'

Iranian officials are downplaying threatening and critical remarks by the Trump administration, calling them “hollow threats.”

Stock market employees work at Tehran's Stock Exchange, Iran, January 17, 2016. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RTX22Q7R

Iran’s Bank Mellat loses 37.5% in share value in one day

The Tehran Stock Exchange tanks as market regulators allow resumption in trading of Bank Mellat shares. The key question is why there has been a sudden plunge.

Iranian-made missiles are pictured at Holy Defence Museum in Tehran September 23, 2015. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMAATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. NOT FOR USE BY REUTERS THIRD PARTY DISTRIBUTORS. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

White House warns Iran on missile test, but signals intent to enforce nuclear deal

Trump national security aides warned Iran against missile tests and its support for Yemen’s Houthi rebels, but said they were drawing a line between Iran’s regional behavior and the Iran nuclear deal.

UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura (C) shakes hands with Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov (L) as Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaber Ansari stands beside during the announcement of a final statement following Syria peace talks in Astana on January 24, 2017. / AFP / Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV (Photo credit should read KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Getty Images)

Why are Syrian rebels stepping up efforts to isolate Iran?

The Syrian rebels’ rejection of Iran as a guarantor of the cease-fire in Syria is about much more than simple anti-Iranian sentiment among Sunni militants.

Iranian president calls Trump 'novice in politics'

Iran’s defense minister has confirmed the reports of a new Iranian missile test, saying it is not in violation of the nuclear deal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu climbs out after a visit inside the Rahav, the fifth submarine in the fleet, after it arrived in Haifa port January 12, 2016. The Dolphin-class submarines, widely believed to be capable of firing nuclear missiles, were manufactured in Germany and sold to Israel at deep discounts as part of Berlin's commitment to shoring up the security of the country set in part as a haven for Jews who survived the Holocaust.REUTERS/Baz Ratner - RTX221FU

Could submarine scandal blow up in Netanyahu’s face?

A private report by Zionist Camp Knesset member Erel Margalit claims that the submarine purchase affair and the possible involvement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu run much deeper than preliminary revelations in the press.

Why Rafsanjani’s real lasting legacy in Iran isn’t in politics

While long considered a pillar of Iran’s post-revolutionary political establishment, Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s most lasting legacy is more likely in higher education.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault (L) and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (R) attend a news conference in Tehran, Iran, January 31, 2017. REUTERS/John Irish - RTX2YZ8H

French FM sends clear message to Trump from Tehran

France’s foreign minister, during a two-day trip to Iran, emphasizes the importance of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, while also saying France is studying the reports of a Jan. 29 Iranian missile test.

People walk past a billboard depicting Syria's President Bashar al-Assad at Saadallah al-Jabri Square, in the government controlled area of Aleppo, Syria December 17, 2016. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki - RTX2VGTH

Is Syria any closer to political solution after Astana talks?

It remains unclear whether the Astana talks were a success or a failure, amid intransigence by the Syrian government and the opposition to keep implementing their own agendas.

Iran’s president: We’re neither xenophiles nor xenophobes

Amid continuing criticism by hard-liners over the US visa ban, Iran’s president has lashed out, asserting that independence is not equivalent to isolation.

Gulf of mistrust mars Kuwaiti initiative for Iran-GCC dialogue

Despite Kuwait’s reported initiative to resolve tension between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council, it appears that the two sides are not yet ready to address the deeper causes of conflict and tension.