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Iran

November 4, 2026

Tehran 4:33 pm

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RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP via Getty Images

Explainer

War, oil, AI: What US midterms could mean for Middle East economies

Governments across the Middle East will be watching closely after the election amid fears the US-Israel-Iran war could spiral into a new cycle of violence.

A police officer monitors traffic as he stands under portraits of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, on Oct. 21, 2026.

Iran executes two men in case tied to January protests: What to know

Iran has stepped up executions during the war with the US, and attacks on police are on the rise in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan.

Evan Vucci/Getty Images

Analysis

'All we can do is wait': Netanyahu's push for Iran strikes hangs on Trump’s post-midterm call

Amid the political deadlock following Israel's elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leverage on Washington to resume Iran strikes will depend on the US' own vote.

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

Latest News

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

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

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

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

Analysis

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

Tehran

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Limpet mine attack in Hormuz suggests Iran may be shifting tactics

Vessels transit the Hormuz Strait

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

JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images

4 Arab Israelis arrested for Hezbollah ties, smuggling Iranian explosives

The Shin Bet announced today that four Arab Israelis suspected of involvement with Hezbollah's smuggling activities were arrested last month.

BRICS summit 2023

Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE to join BRICS

The Shanghai-headquartered New Development Bank, or so-called “BRICS bank”, had already admitted the UAE and Egypt as shareholders.

AFP via Getty Images

Iran sentences 7 men, 1 woman to prison as protest anniversary nears

Eight people were convicted of killing a paramilitary force member during Iran's nationwide protests that erupted following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini.

President Ebrahim Raisi, second right, at a ceremony to unveil the Mohajer-10 drone, Aug. 22, 2023.

Iran unveils new armed drone, defying pressure over shipments to Russia

With a range of over 1,200 miles, Mohajer 10 is the latest from a family of drones that Russia is believed to have imported from Iran to use in its war on Ukraine.

The Suez Rajan is pictured in this undated photo.

US finally unloads Iranian oil from seized tanker

The Iranian oil aboard the Suez Rajan sat unloaded off the coast of the United States for months amid threats from Iran, causing concern in Congress.

Xi Jinping at BRICS

BRICS summit: which Middle East states could join powerful bloc?

China and Russia are seeking to expand the group and their global influence, and several MENA countries are in line to apply.

Iran's "Fattah" missile.

Iran claims to have produced key engine for supersonic missile tech

The announcement was the latest in a chain of advancements Iran has claimed in its missile technology in defiance of Western criticism and amid regional tensions.

President Joe Biden speaks at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Aug. 10, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Analysis

Is Biden’s reset on Iran paying off?

Republicans say no; four benchmark dates to watch.

Week in Review

Andrew Parasiliti

By Week in Review , Andrew Parasiliti

A woman walks in front of a mural painting depicting the Iranian flag, in the capital Tehran on August 6, 2018.

Republican senators claim 'dangerous precedent' set by Iran prisoner deal

Some Republicans call the deal a "ransom payment," but US officials say Iran could only access its frozen funds for humanitarian purchases under tight supervision.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Saudi crown prince meets Iran's foreign minister in Jeddah

The sit-down between Mohammed bin Salman and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is the highest-level meeting between Saudi and Iranian officials since their countries resumed ties in March.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian gives a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart in Tehran on July 31, 2023.

Iran FM in Saudi Arabia for first visit since resumption of relations

Top Iranian and Saudi military officials also met in Russia in a further sign of detente between the two regional rivals.

A tugboat passes a ship docked on a stretch of the Houston Ship Channel, part of the Port of Houston, on March 6, 2019 in Houston, Texas.

US lawmakers question if Iranian 'intimidation effort' delaying seized oil transfer

American shipping companies have reportedly been reluctant to offload Iranian oil from a tanker anchored off the coast of Texas.