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Iran

September 27, 2026

Tehran 9:02 pm

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A tugboat guides a ship at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in Sharjah Emirate, along the Gulf of Oman on July 14, 2026.

Analysis

Could Iran's 7-day Hormuz proposal culminate in diplomatic deal?

Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in seven days brings into focus the central challenge facing diplomacy with Washington: how to turn military leverage into a negotiated path without giving up too much in return.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

An Iran Air Airbus A300 prepares for boarding at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, Iran, Aug. 16, 2016.

‘Free for all or for no one’: Iran warns neighbors over flight bans

Several countries in the region have suspended Iranian flights under US sanctions after Washington warned global companies they would no longer have access to the dollar system if they do business with Iranian airlines.

Hector RETAMAL / AFP via Getty Images

Iran flights continue, UAE route closes on day 2 of US sanctions

All flights by Iranian carriers to the UAE have been canceled, according to Iran's ISNA news agency.

AFP via Getty Images

Iran threatens to expand war to Indian Ocean: What to know

An adviser to Iran's supreme leader has threatened to open a new front in the Indian Ocean if the US resumes its strikes against Iran.

Latest News

Fresh clashes leave 6 dead in Iran's Sistan and Baluchistan: What to know

Iranian security forces stand guard in the capital city on July 03, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Rubio: US-Iran talks 'positive,' no breakthrough yet

Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Cargo vessel attack in Hormuz kills 1 as world leaders gather at UN

The Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier vessel Manta Ursula is pictured moored in Muscat on July 25, 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

Residents look for survivors at a damaged site after what activists said was an air strike from forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Takeek Al-Bab area of Aleppo, December 15, 2013. REUTERS/Molhem Barakat (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX16JRO

Rise of Islamic Front a disaster for Syria

The ascendance of the Islamic Front threatens a political transition in Syria; Lebanon paralyzed by Syria conflict; Farea al-Muslimi named FP Leading Global Thinker.

President Nelson Mandela embraces President of Iran Mohammad Khatami September 2, during the 12th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Durban. Sixty heads of State attend the meeting which runs until September 3.

JN/WS - RTRGW4H

Iranian factions claim Mandela's legacy

Iranians of different political persuasions have sought to view Mandela through their own political views and wants.

Hezbollah contemplates next move

Israel’s president extends a hand to Iran, putting the ball in Hezbollah and Tehran's court.

Samy Gemayel: Hezbollah intervention helped bring Syria war to Lebanon

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Samy Gemayel, member of parliament and a senior leader of Lebanon’s Kataeb Party, said, “When you decide to go fight a war in another country, you have to expect that these people will go fight you in your own country.”

U.S. President Barack Obama (L) takes questions from the audience after a conversation with Israeli-American media tycoon Haim Saban about negotiations with Iran in Washington December 7, 2013. REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS MEDIA) - RTX168MN

US security guarantees can reassure Israeli public on Iran

American security guarantees can protect Israel from an Iranian nuclear threat, reassuring the Israeli public and opening the way to meaningful negotiations with the Palestinians.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal speaks during a joint news conference with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (not pictured) in Riyadh November 4, 2013. Kerry on Monday played down any rift with Saudi Arabia, saying relations between the two countries were strategic and enduring and that both agreed negotiations were the only way to stop Syria's civil war. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser (SAUDI ARABIA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX14ZTC

Israel's silent partner?

There may be common interests shared by Jerusalem and Riyadh, but there is no "alliance" on the horizon.

Gamers take on Iranian revolution

The Iranian director of the popular video game “Grand Theft Auto” has created a new one that takes place in and around 1979 Iran.

A storekeeper places money in the drawer of the cash register at his shop in Tehran May 4, 2008. With Western banks cutting ties with the Islamic Republic, it is becoming more and more difficult to transfer funds to the country of 70 million people. Tehran's increasing financial isolation is forcing some to bring in money by hand in thick wads of $100 bills on the plane from Dubai, the Gulf's financial centre, or elsewhere. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN) - RTX5GRN

Rouhani’s first budget reflects realism, discipline

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s budget submission to the parliament implies hope for sanctions relief and private sector investment.

Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters during a religious procession to mark Ashura in Beirut's suburbs November 14, 2013. Ashura, which falls on the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram, commemorates the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Mohammad, who was killed in the 7th century battle of Kerbala. REUTERS/Khalil Hassan
(LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS RELIGION) - RTX15CVK

Hezbollah escalates rhetoric against Riyadh

While Hezbollah and Saudi Arabia have been at odds for months over their opposing positions in the Syrian war, Hezbollah has recently escalated its rhetoric, directly accusing Riyadh of waging open warfare against the party.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attends a joint news conference with Kuwait's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah al Khalid al Sabah (not pictured) in Kuwait City December 1, 2013. REUTERS/Stephanie McGehee (KUWAIT - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX15ZK5

Iranian hard-liners in parliament go after Rouhani’s team

Hard-liners in parliament have become vocal critics of Rouhani's cabinet and have even begun the preliminary steps to have one minister impeached. UPDATED 12/10/13

Relatives of a victim of recent clashes hold his picture as they cry over the grave of Neda Agha-Soltan at Tehran's Behesht-e Zahra cemetery July 30, 2009. Baton-wielding Iranian police fired tear gas on Thursday and arrested protesters mourning the young woman killed in post-election violence who has become a symbol for the opposition to Tehran's hardline leaders. REUTERS/Reuters via Your View (IRAN CONFLICT POLITICS) - RTR268R8

Now is the time to engage Iran on human rights

On International Human Rights Day, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a former Maldivian foreign minister, is ready to work with the government of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani for the benefit of Iran’s citizens.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a joint news conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, December 5, 2013. Kerry said on Thursday that some progress had been made in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and that he had presented Israel with ideas for improving its security under any future accord. REUTERS/Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Pool (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX164LE

Netanyahu worries about US reset in region

If Iran is no longer a diplomatic taboo, could Hamas and Hezbollah be next for Washington?