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Iran

May 3, 2026

Tehran 2:22 pm

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Crops of wheat and barley in Terbol village on May 10, 2022, in Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.

Analysis

MENA wheat importers face food security risks as Hormuz crisis festers

Home to many of the world's largest wheat importers, the Middle East and North Africa face acute food security risks as the US-Israel-Iran war disrupts global fertilizer flows and pushes up prices.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

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

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies during a Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on April 22, 2026 in Washington, DC.

US sanctions Iran’s shadow banking channels moving oil proceeds from China

The latest sanctions come as the Trump administration weighs Iran's latest proposal to end the war.

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 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

US blockade tests Iran's limits, but will global pain force Trump’s hand?

QESHM ISLAND, IRAN - APRIL 28: Boats navigate the sea on April 28, 2026 on Qeshm Island, Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's latest proposal for ending its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz calls on the United States to end its naval blockade of Iran's ports, and sets aside questions about what to do with Iran's nuclear program. The United States has not formally responded to the latest proposal, which was delivered by Iran's foreign minister to Pakistan two days ago. (Photo by Asghar Besharati/Getty Images

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

In this handout image released by the South Korean Defense Ministry, a South Korean Air Force F-35A fighter jet takes off from the runway during the "Vigilant Storm" U.S.-South Korea joint aerial drill at Gunsan Air Base on Oct. 31, 2022 in Gunsan, South Korea.

US sends F-35s, Navy destroyer to Middle East amid aggressive moves by Russia, Iran

The Pentagon is bolstering its defenses in the region as Congress presses the Biden administration to crack down on Iran's oil and gas exports.

This handout photograph released by the Indian Ministry of Defense shows India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Kazakhstan Defense Minister Col. Gen. Ruslan Zhaxylykov (C) and Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu (R) attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in New Delhi, India, April 28, 2023.

Can Iran balance dependence on China with economic openness on India?

The International North-South Transport Corridor project has become a matter of urgency for Russia, India and Iran, as it would help Moscow and Tehran develop new markets and evade sanctions.

Iran nuclear

US, West turn up heat on Iran over Ukraine

Also: An October benchmark for the Iran nuclear deal could turn into a showdown over Ukraine, while signaling the end of the JCPOA.

An oil tanker unloads imported crude oil at Qingdao port in China's eastern Shandong province on May 9, 2022. - China OUT (Photo by AFP) / China OUT (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Republican lawmakers urge sanctions over Iran oil sales to China

Senate Republicans are pushing for harsher penalties against Chinese-linked actors involved in Iran’s oil and petrochemical trade.

rticipants hold placards reading "I choose Maryam Rajav."

Iran rebukes Italy over 'terror sponsorship' after hosting MEK leader

Iran was enraged by the Italian Senate Foreign Relations Committee after it hosted the leader of an opposition group that has been seeking regime change in Tehran for decades.

JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP via Getty Images

Iran’s Raisi seals 21 deals on Africa trip, attends drone exhibit in Kenya

Iran is seeking stronger ties to sub-Saharan Africa but faces competition from the Gulf and China.

AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images

UAE, after Kuwait, releases Iranian prisoners

The moves come as Iran works to restore its ties with Gulf countries following years of estrangement and tension.

United Arab Emirates

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders' summit in Samarkand on September 15, 2022. (Photo by Alexandr Demyanchuk / SPUTNIK / AFP) (Photo by ALEXANDR DEMYANCHUK/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran summons Russia's ambassador over UAE islands dispute

On Monday, Russia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) issued a statement calling for a “a peaceful solution” to the dispute over the Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunbs islands “in accordance with international law."

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi attends the signing of bilateral agreements ceremony at the Revolution Palace in Havana on June 15, 2023.

Iran in quest for foothold in Africa as Raisi sets out for landmark visits

The Iranian delegation looks to sign agreements in Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe, looking also on the horizon to engage in a tight race with such foreign investors as China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

General Brown

US Joint Chiefs nominee emphasizes Middle East cooperation to deter Iran

Air Force Gen. CQ Brown told Senate lawmakers that the United States should provide Middle Eastern states with the military capabilities they need to deter attacks by Iran.

Washington Connection

An Israeli F-15 Eagle fighter aircraft performs manuevers during the "Noble Dina 23" multilateral aeronautical exercise over the Mediterranean sea on March 27, 2023. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

US, Israel war games underscore warnings to Iran on nuclear enrichment

This week's Juniper Oak exercise follows reports that the Biden administration has sought to commit Tehran to an informal arrangement limiting its nuclear enrichment outside of the JCPOA.

Robert Malley, Biden administration special envoy for Iran, testifies about the JCPOA during a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill, Washington, May 25, 2022.

What does Rob Malley’s suspension mean for Iran?

While Iran's pro-government conservative media outlets have attempted to downplay the significance of this development, reformist sources view it as an ominous sign.