Iran-US tensions

A security personnel sits in a market after markets reopened in Islamabad on April 23, 2026, following heightened security measures amid the ongoing US-Iran peace talks.

Analysis

What UAE’s $3.45B pullback from Pakistan signals about Abu Dhabi's priorities

As Abu Dhabi pulls back long-rolled deposits while investing selectively, Pakistan faces an era of more conditional Gulf support tied to strategic alignment.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

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

Ali Al-Zaidi

Analysis

US banking on Iraqi turnaround with nomination of Zaidi as new PM

Trump signals hope for a "tremendous new chapter” in US-Iraq ties with the nomination of Ali Al-Zaidi as prime minister.

Week in Review

By Week in Review

Soldiers from Iran's land, navy, air force and special forces parade on the occasion of National Army Day in Tehran, capital of Iran on April 18, 2025, in Tehran, Iran.

Analysis

How Iran is rebuilding its bruised military as ceasefire masks recalibration

Iran is using the fragile truce to recover by blending redeployment and reverse engineering into broader preparedness for renewed conflict.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Ibrahim AMRO / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Without exit strategy, Israel faces emboldened Hezbollah, limited options on Iran

While President Donald Trump remains undecided on striking Iran again, the Israeli military is sinking deeper into its Lebanon quagmire with a reinforced Hezbollah.

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

Latest News

Trump congratulates Iraq PM-designate Zaidi in call: What to know

Iraq's prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi, at Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's office on April 28, 2026.

Trump faces three paths ahead in Iran war as Hormuz standoff intensifies

This photo obtained by AFP from the Iranian news agency Tasnim shows an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) boat allegedly taking part in an operation to seize ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, on April 21, 2026.

In defiant message, Iran’s Khamenei threatens US but appeals to Gulf

AFP via Getty Images

Trump speaks with Netanyahu, Putin as Iran pressure campaign escalates

President Donald Trump gives a speech during the State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn on April 28, 2026, in Washington.

U.S. President Donald Trump displays an executive order imposing fresh sanctions on Iran in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., June 24, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria - RC1310DB3000

Iran shrugs off new sanctions

Iranian officials said they will continue to reduce their nuclear commitments under the JCPOA.

REFILE - UPDATING BYLINE The purported wreckage of the American drone is seen displayed by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in Tehran, Iran June 21, 2019. Meghdad Madadi/Tasnim News Agency/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1CF0139CF0

Will drone downing lead to Iran-US negotiations?

Although some in Tehran see a prime opportunity for talks, major obstacles still stand in the way.

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives flanked by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) and U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton (R) for the annual meeting of the Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons annual meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., October 11, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC1E9B59B7C0

War-averse Trump looks for off ramp with Iran

President Donald Trump “really wants to avoid a war,” former Trump National Security Council official Fred Fleitz said.

The purported wreckage of the American drone is seen displayed by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in Tehran, Iran June 21, 2019. Tasnim News Agency/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1FEE5FE760

Iran: We gave 'multiple warnings' before downing drone

Iranian officials have made statements to reduce tensions following the downing of an American drone off Iran's southern coast.

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a chart of military hardware sales as he welcomes Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. March 20, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC14FF352EF0

Senate votes to constrain Trump on Gulf arms sales as Iran tensions heat up

A bipartisan group of senators rebuked President Donald Trump for his Iran emergency declaration hours after Tehran shot down a US drone over the Persian Gulf.

US sanctions fail to bend Iran’s economy, expert says

Al-Monitor contributor Bijan Khajehpour said at an Al-Monitor event in Washington today that the Donald Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign has not succeeded in crippling the country's economy.

The MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system completes its inaugural cross-country ferry flight at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland in this U.S. Navy photo taken September 18, 2014. The Pentagon's review of intelligence and surveillance programs should be completed by mid-October, which will help clarify the future of the Navy's proposed carrier-based unmanned spy plane, a senior Navy official said on Tuesday. REUTERS/U.S. Navy/Erik Hildebrandt/Handout (UNITED STATES - Tags: MILITARY) THIS IMAGE HAS

Intel: What's next for US-Iran tensions after drone downing

Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated further as both sides confirmed that Iran shot down a US military drone today.

ARLINGTON, VA - JULY 13: U.S. Army Secretary Mark Esper announces that Austin, Texas, will be the new headquarters for the Army Futures Command during a news conference at the Pentagon July 13, 2018 in Arlington, Virginia. The Army is undergoing its biggest reorganization in 45 years with the creation of the Army Futures Command, which is tasked with modernizing the fighting force. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

New Pentagon chief faces first test with Iran

Army Secretary Mark Esper is set to take the helm as the Pentagon’s newest acting chief, but comes to the job with limited Middle East experience.

U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton speaks during an interview at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 29, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid - RC12E94345A0

Intel: How Democrats are using John Bolton’s Iraq War baggage to push back on Trump’s Iran policy

National security adviser John Bolton wasn’t on Capitol Hill today, but he still took center stage as Democrats grilled State Department Iran coordinator Brian Hook on the Donald Trump administration’s maximum pressure policy.

An Iraqi soldier stands next to a military vehicle at the entry of Zubair oilfield after a rocket struck the site of residential and operations headquarters of several oil companies at Burjesia area, in Basra, Iraq June 19, 2019. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani - RC1B5B815400

Iran already turning Iraq into battleground against US

The array of recent attacks against US interests in Iraq indicate Iran's proxies are hard at work.

U.S. President Donald Trump listens to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a lunch meeting with Poland's President Andrzej Duda in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., June 12, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RC120F191060

Pompeo visits CENTCOM amid mixed messaging from US on Iran

In a strange move for a top US diplomat, Mike Pompeo visited a US military command solo to avow that the United States doesn't want war with Iran.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and head of delegation Sergey Ryabkov attend a Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) conference in Beijing of the UN Security Council's five permanent members (P5) China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, China, January 30, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/Pool - RC15C6930520

As Jerusalem meeting nears, Russia seeks ways to ease US-Iran tensions

Russia is urging the United States to cease provocations of Iran and also is seeking to persuade Tehran to stay in the nuclear deal.