Iran - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Iran cover image

Iran

April 28, 2026

Tehran 11:11 pm

16°C

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

UAE’s OPEC exit rattles cartel as Gulf alliances shift

OPEC's fourth-largest producer will leave the cartel on May 1, marking the most significant departure in the group’s history as the war changes Abu Dhabi's relationship priorities.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP via Getty Images

First LNG tanker transits Strait of Hormuz since Iran war began

Iranian walks past a giant billboard reading "The Strait of Hormuz remains closed" at the Revolution Square in Tehran on April 22, 2026.

Iran floats ‘plan B’ to defuse Hormuz standoff, delay nuclear talks

The proposal would postpone negotiations over Iran's nuclear program in an attempt to break the deadlock.

Latest News

Turkey’s military spending jumps to $30B, leads Mideast growth in 2025

Turkey's submarines and fast-attack craft ships participate in the live-fire phase of the Blue Homeland-2026 (Mavi Vatan) tactical military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, in Antalya on April 9, 2026.

Pistachios reach highest prices in eight years amid Iran war

An Iranian grocer sells pistachios imported from Iran at a Persian products shop in the Gulf emirate of Dubai on July 10, 2019. (Photo by Karim SAHIB / AFP) (Photo credit should read KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran FM meets Putin, Russia’s military intel chief as talks stall: What to know

Iran FM meets Putin and Russia’s military intel chief as talks stall: What to know

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

TOPSHOT - Vehicles jam a highway as a fire blazes nearby in the oil depots of Shahran, northwest of Tehran, on June 15, 2025. Israel and Iran exchanged fire on June 14, a day after Israel unleashed an unprecedented aerial bombing campaign that Iran said hit its nuclear facilities, "martyred" top commanders and killed dozens of civilians. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)

Exodus, shortages and strikes: Tehran reels under weight of Israel-Iran war

Israeli strikes on Tehran have continued, prompting evacuation warnings, creating fuel and internet disruptions, and adding to the growing number of residents who are fleeing the capital.

TEHRAN, IRAN - JUNE 15: People observe fire and smoke from an Israeli attack on the Shahran oil depot on June 15, 2025 in Tehran, Iran. Iran's foreign minister said the country would respond "decisively and proportionally" to a wave of attacks that Israel launched beginning in the early hours of June 13. The attacks targeted multiple military, scientific and residential locations, as well as senior government officials. (Photo by Stringer/Getty Images)

Analysis

As Israel-Iran strikes escalate, Russia weighs risks and opportunities

With evacuations underway and investments at risk, the Kremlin still sees a chance to benefit by boosting gas exports and mediating US-Iran talks.

Nikita Smagin

By Nikita Smagin

Bank Sepah

Cyberattack strikes Iranian bank with ties to IRGC: What we know

The hacker group that claims to be behind the attack said it targeted the bank over its role in financing Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs.

In this handout photo provided by the US Navy, the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln transits the Strait of Hormuz as an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the Nightdippers of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5 lifts off from the flight deck, Nov. 19, 2019.

First ships pull back from Hormuz as Israel-Iran war drags on: What to know

Missile fire between the Middle East’s two biggest foes continued into its fifth day on Tuesday, with more than 220 people killed in Iran and more than 20 in Israel.

Ben Gurion International Airport is seen mostly empty after flights were canceled following Israel's early morning attack on Iran on June 13, 2025, in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Iran's barrages hit at least 10 Israeli cities, towns: What to know

Iran’s latest wave of strikes on Israel reflects an escalation in strategy since its 2024 strikes, targeting urban centers and involving a broader range of missiles and drones.

Smoke rises from locations targeted in Tehran amid the third day of Israel's waves of strikes against Iran, on Sunday, June 15, 2025.

State TV to IRGC elite: Here are Israel’s main targets in Iran war

At least seven senior Iranian officials have been killed in the Israeli strikes, which have expanded to include government institutions and energy facilities in recent days.

Stefan Rousseau/Getty Images

Trump's deal-making tested as Israel, Iran trade blows

The Trump administration is hoping that Israel's bombardment will ultimately force nuclear concessions out of Iran.

Fire and smoke rise into the sky after an Israeli attack on the Shahran oil depot, Tehran, Iran, June 15, 2025.

Analysis

Will Trump cave to Netanyahu and join Iran strikes or will US stay out?

While the Israeli military campaign has dealt substantial blows to Iran’s nuclear program and military infrastructure, it is far from winning the war against the Islamic Republic.

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

South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images

US dispatches second aircraft carrier toward Middle East as Israel-Iran strikes escalate

The Nimitz is leaving the Asia-Pacific region and is expected to pass into the Middle East as Israel awaits a decision from Trump on whether or not to strike Iran's Fordow nuclear facility

Iran

Fearing risks of radiation, IAEA holds emergency meeting on Israel-Iran war

The head of the IAEA said that off-site radiation levels in Iran remain unchanged following the ongoing intense Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear and military facilities.

Smoke billows from a site that was hit by an Iranian missile strike in the city of Haifa early on June 16, 2025.

Gas prices surge, oil stabilizes as Israel-Iran conflict hits energy infrastructure

Israel hit several energy facilities in Iran over the weekend while Iranian missiles struck an oil refinery in Haifa.

ALAIN JOCARD/AFP via Getty Images

France blocks Israeli weapons display at Paris airshow: What to know

After their exclusion from the Eurosatory and Euronaval fairs, Israeli armament companies have now been prevented from participating in the Bourget defense show in Paris.