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November 3, 2026

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Iranian motorists drive past a poster of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in central Tehran on Nov. 1, 2026. I

Iran gives 2-day window for Hormuz deal as US mulls strikes: What to know

An Iranian spokesperson said on Monday that a revised proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could take effect within two days if Washington meets its demands.

US Vice President JD Vance speaks to the media at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on Oct. 27, 2026.

Will Iran take up Vance lifeline to avoid another US attack?

Vance’s letter comes amid a flurry of diplomatic activity ahead of the Nov. 3 deadline; Jordan and Syria move to deepen security ties following a terrorist attack.

Tehran

Analysis

Who will blink first in latest US-Iran diplomacy efforts?

The prospects for a US-Iran deal may depend less on the scope for compromise than on whether either side can afford to make the first concession.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Vessels transit the Hormuz Strait

Limpet mine attack in Hormuz suggests Iran may be shifting tactics

UKMTO report of the first successful limpet mine attack on a commercial vessel in the Middle East since 2019 appeared to undermine the Pentagon's claims to have fully cleared and opened the Strait of Hormuz.

Latest News

Oil tops $114 as traders brace for Iran escalation after US midterms

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the opening bell, New York City, Sept. 28, 2026.

Analysis

Mediators scramble to avert US-Iran fighting after Trump's midterm restraint fades

US President Donald Trump walks on stage

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

CENTCOM chief briefs Trump on Iran strike options

US CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper speaks during a press briefing

Iran arrests 16 in connection with alleged US-Israel-linked cells: What to know

John Moore/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

An Iranian woman without wearing mandatory headscarves walks past electoral posters in Tehran, Iran, on June 20, 2024. Iran is holding snap presidential elections to choose the next president after the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. People in Iran are increasingly showing less interest in casting their vote in the snap presidential election scheduled on June 28 after the disqualification of several candidates by the country's religious Guardian Council. Voter turnouts have hit historically lo

Iran’s Reformist, hard-liner candidates clash over foreign policy in last debate

Masoud Pezeshkian fiercely attacked his hard-line rivals in an intense live debate over their support behind the takeovers of the Saudi and British embassies and their sabotage against the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

US sanctions 'shadow banking network' used by Iran's military

The sweeping new sanctions come days before Iran holds elections to replace its late President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash last month.

NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoana, chairs a session of North Atlantic Council (NAC) with Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Sarajevo, on February 1, 2024. (Photo by Elvis BARUKCIC / AFP) (Photo by ELVIS BARUKCIC/AFP via Getty Images)

Interview

NATO's deputy chief says Iran helping Russian 'threat to European security'

NATO Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana warned of Iran's destabilizing influence reaching as far as Venezuela and Cuba while also sounding the alarm on Wagner's widespread presence in Sahel.

Mircea Geoana

Mircea Geoana

NATO Deputy Secretary-General

Iranian presidential candidate Saeed Jalili arrives to attend an election campaign rally in Tehran on June 18, 2024.

Runoff seen likely in Iran's election as Jalili, Pezeshkian, Ghalibaf lead polls

The Islamic Republic is still facing the key challenge of voter apathy according to the latest opinion polls, while fierce factional rivalries characterized the live debates seen by only one out of every four Iranians.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrives for a news conference on January 9, 2020 in Ottawa, Canada. - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday that Canada had intelligence from multiple sources indicating that a Ukrainian airliner which crashed outside Tehran was mistakenly shot down by Iran. (Photo by Dave Chan / AFP) (Photo by DAVE CHAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

How significant is Canada's designation of Iran's IRGC as terrorist organization?

Iranian Canadians have been advocating for designation of the IRGC for years, including after the downing of Ukraine International Airlines flight 752.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Former foreign minister of Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif, delivers a speech during an electoral campaign rally to support Masoud Pezeshkianin in Tehran, Iran, on June 19, 2024. Iran is holding snap presidential elections to choose the next president after the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. (Photo by Hossein Beris / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by HOSSEIN BERIS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Could Zarif tilt Iran's election toward long shot Reformist Pezeshkian?

By enlisting Mohammad Javad Zarif, Masoud Pezeshkian is sending a signal to the United States and the West, as well as to Iranians, about a possible change of course in Iran's foreign policy if he pulls off an upset next week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in the ceremony of signing an agreement on the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway.

Russia, Iran inaugurate Rasht-Caspian Railway: What we know

The railway was launched at a ceremony attended by Iran's acting president, Mohammad Mokhber, Minister of Transport and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash, and senior Russian and Azerbaijani officials.

Vehicles move past a billboard displaying the faces of the six candidates running in the upcoming Iranian presidential election in the Iranian capital Tehran on June 16, 2024.

In first debate, Iran’s 6 presidential contenders clash over sanctions, ailing economy

The first in a series of live debates was held as part of a campaign by the state broadcaster to instill voter enthusiasm and reverse anticipated apathy in a largely disillusioned electorate.

The Azerbaijan Army holds military pentathlon competitions on June 11, 2024.

Iran, Azerbaijan seek to move past tensions with joint military exercise

As part of its policy to build regional alliances, Tehran has been seeking to dissuade Azerbaijan against its warming ties with Israel, and to exert influence in the South Caucasus geopolitical calculations.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses his supporters after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won in country's general election, in New Delhi on June 4, 2024. Modi claimed election victory for his party and its allies on June 4, but the opposition said they had "punished" the ruling party to confound predictions and reduce their parliamentary majority. (Photo by Money SHARMA / AFP) (Photo by MONEY SHARMA/AFP via Getty Images)

From Israel to Iran, Modi 3.0 eyes deepening of India's Middle East ties

India refuses to be restricted by its former Cold War commitments; as with any other power or wannabe power, only self-interest matters, and the oil monarchies of the Gulf top India's list of friends in the region.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani leaves after talks at the Coburg Palais, Vienna, Aug. 4, 2022.

Iran’s acting FM in Iraq for talks on bilateral ties, Gaza war

The visit is part of an ongoing regional tour that also took Ali Bagheri Kani to Lebanon and Syria and kicked off shortly after his appointment.

BEIJING, CHINA - DECEMBER 31: China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi talks to Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during a meeting at the Diaoyutai state guest house on December 31, 2019 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Noel Celis - Pool/Getty Images)

With China-Iran ties on rollercoaster, Tehran can only grit its teeth, hang on

Iran can get upset about China’s statement over Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, or they can express their anger at China, move on and focus instead on extracting the many economic and political benefits that they derive from their relationship with Beijing.