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Iran

September 27, 2026

Tehran 9:39 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

Two men display tattoos on their arm and neck while standing in front of an Iranian painting at a shopping centre in northern Tehran September 21, 2006. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN) - RTR1HM9D

Tattooed in Tehran

Iranian officials are actively trying to stem the appeal of tattooing, which is illegal but increasingly popular among youths.

US, region pivot to confront terrorist threat in Syria

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari warns of a "Islamic emirate" in Syria, former US diplomat Ryan Crocker suggests a channel to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Israeli President Shimon Peres says he would be willing to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa attends the IISS Regional Security Summit - The Manama Dialogue, in Manama, December 7, 2013. The United States has a proven and enduring commitment to Middle East security, backed by diplomatic engagement and a fierce array of warplanes, ships, tanks, artillery and 35,000 troops, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told Gulf Arab leaders on Saturday. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed (BAHRAIN - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) - RTX167RU

Bahrain's foreign minister asks Iran to end regional interference

Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Bahrain's foreign minister, says Iran must take "concrete steps" to show that it is turning a page in its relations with Bahrain and the Gulf.

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton (2nd R) speaks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (R) during a photo opportunity before the start of two days of closed-door nuclear talks at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva November 20, 2013. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse (SWITZERLAND - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX15LX0

Independence key to Iranian foreign policy

Iran's demand for the "right to enrichment" is best understood in the context of Iran’s drive for independence, as outlined in the latest book by R.K. Ramazani.

The flag of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) flies in front of its headquarters during a board of governors meeting in Vienna November 28, 2013. Iran has invited U.N. inspectors to visit a nuclear-related heavy water facility on December 8, their chief said on Thursday, a first concrete step under a plan to clarify concerns about Tehran's disputed nuclear programme. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader (AUSTRIA - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY) - RTX15W76

For Iran, nuclear deal is not at expense of regional concerns

The Geneva nuclear deal between Iran and the West can provide Iran the opportunity to address regional concerns with its neighbors, particularly Saudi Arabia.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.

An Iranian man walks past a BMW displayed at a car shop in central Tehran March 1, 2012. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN - Tags: SOCIETY BUSINESS TRANSPORT) - RTR2YP9L

Economic scorecard for Rouhani's first 100 days

The Iranian president may feel under pressure to expand government benefits, but it should stay focused on growth strategies.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (R) shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif after a ceremony at the United Nations in Geneva November 24, 2013. Iran and six world powers reached a breakthrough agreement early on Sunday to curb Tehran's nuclear programme in exchange for limited sanctions relief, in a first step towards resolving a dangerous decade-old standoff. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse (SWITZERLAND - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY) - RTX15QLU

Iran and the nuclear agreement: Trust but verify

Three senior former diplomats from the United States and Iran write that the interim agreement with Iran can lead to progress not only on the nuclear file but also in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Baluch Sunni woman elected mayor is first for Iran

The election of the first female mayor by the city council of Kalat in the Sistan-Baluchistan province can open doors for many other woman in a province where woman face societal discrimination.

Musicians perform on stage in Manger Square, outside the Church of the Nativity, the site revered as the birthplace of Jesus, in the West Bank town of Bethlehem December 1, 2013. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (WEST BANK - Tags: RELIGION) - RTX1605A

Bethlehem gets assist from UNESCO for Christmas season

UNESCO's recognition of the Church of the Nativity as an Endangered World Heritage site has brought much needed funds to revamp the once-popular tourist destination.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (2nd R) arrives for talks over Iran's nuclear programme in Geneva November 22, 2013. REUTERS/Fabrice Coffrini/Pool (SWITZERLAND - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY) - RTX15OC8

The other Iranian breakthrough

The rhetoric from Iran about Israel is still unacceptable, but the nuclear deal, while not perfect, offers Israel a chance for a diminished Iranian threat.

Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman (2nd L) listens to Russia's President Vladimir Putin (3rd L) as Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) and Israel's President Shimon Peres (R) sit beside them during an unveiling ceremony for a monument commemorating the victory of the Soviet Red Army in World War Two in the coastal city of Netanya, north of Tel Aviv June 25, 2012. Peres on Monday urged visiting Putin to take steps to avert the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran and to stop the bloodshed in Syria

Israel’s foreign minister: 'We welcomed the agreement with Syria'

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman discusses US-Russian cooperation in the Middle East, Iran and Syria, and US-Israeli ties.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu listens to a question during a joint news conference with his Italian counterpart Enrico Letta at the end of a bilateral meeting at Villa Madama in Rome December 2, 2013. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi (ITALY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX1616K

Israel's right of self-defense should not include attacking Iran

An Israeli attack on Iran could not be legally justified as self-defense, considering that Iran so far has not breached the NPT, to which Israel is not a signatory.