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Iran

May 6, 2026

Tehran 11:35 pm

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In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, second right, talks to his Iranian Counterpart Abbas Araghchi, left, during the bilateral meeting in Beijing, Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

Iran, China discuss Hormuz reopening amid potential US-Iran talks

China’s foreign minister told his Iranian counterpart that “persisting in negotiations is particularly important.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a press conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on May 5, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Rubio warns Iran of 'total defeat' if it refuses deal

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for Iran "to make a sensible choice" and resume negotiations.

Latest News

Analysis

Iran's Gulf gambit: Attacking the UAE to shift US calculations

A billboard with the image of the late Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wraps the front of a building in Tehran on May 5, 2026.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Iran’s Araghchi heads to China as US presses Beijing over Hormuz: What to know

Parker Song / Getty Images

EU says energy costs tied to Hormuz crisis have surged past $35B

Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP via Getty Images)

Few ships pass Hormuz despite US efforts to break Iran's hold

Tankers are seen at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal in the Sharjah Emirate, along the Strait of Hormuz on June 23, 2025. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via 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

Khamenei

Iran's supreme leader blames US for Russia war on Ukraine

Iran's supreme leader said the United States was the "root cause" of the Ukraine war as he refrained from condemning Russia for the invasion.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh speaks to media during a press conference in Tehran on Nov. 15, 2021.

Iran says US should not 'stretch out' nuclear talks

Iranian officials said most of the nuclear agreement is ready and the United States needs to make a political decision.

Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Enrique Mora arrives at the Coburg Palace, venue of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) meeting that aims at reviving the Iran nuclear deal, in Vienna on Feb. 8, 2022.

Iran says three obstacles remain to nuclear deal

As negotiators reconvened in Vienna on Monday, a spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry said three sticking points need to be resolved.

AFP PHOTO / ANDREY KRASNOSCHEKOV

Analysis

Iran, Iraq, Egypt rely on Ukraine for sunflower oil

The Russian attack on Ukraine has also already had major effects on the region’s energy sector and wheat imports.

AL-MONITOR Staff

By AL-MONITOR Staff

Baquer Namazi

Who are the Americans held by Iran?

Here's a look at the four US citizens — Siamak Namazi, Baquer Namazi, Morad Tahbaz and Emad Shargi — whose fates could be decided in Vienna.

Pakistani soldiers wear facemasks on the closed border of Pakistan-Iran in Taftan, as fears over the spread of the coronavirus escalate following an outbreak in neighboring Iran, Feb. 25, 2020.

Pakistan boosts Iran border security, maintains balance with Riyadh

Following several terrorist attacks along the Pakistan-Iran border, both countries are discussing security measures, while Pakistan tries to maintain its relations with both Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Iran nuclear

Analysis

The Takeaway: Iran nuclear talks so far unaffected by US-Russia showdown

Israel and Turkey weigh responses on Ukraine; Egyptians respond to film about gay love story; Sheikh Jarrah tensions escalate again; Yazidis react to al-Qurayshi killing; and more … all in less than 1,200 words!

Andrew Parasiliti

Elizabeth Hagedorn

Joe Snell

By Andrew Parasiliti , Elizabeth Hagedorn , Joe Snell

Iran internet

Iran pushes ahead with internet 'protection' bill

The revival of a controversial bill in Iran seeks to limit the country’s access to the internet.

KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images

Raisi says Iran's gas production strong despite US sanctions

Iran's president declared that US sanctions have failed to put a brake on his country's lucrative natural gas production.

Taliban head of the Nangarhar intelligence services Dr. Bashir (C) walks inside the provincial intelligence compound in Jalalabad on Dec. 12, 2021.

Border crossings and foreign fighters rise after Taliban takeover

A recent UN report and other worrying signs point to a likely surge in both an al-Qaeda and Islamic State presence in Afghanistan in the six months since the Taliban has been in power.

US President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in the Oval Office at the White House on Aug. 27, 2021, in Washington, DC.

Analysis

Does Raisi need a nuclear deal more than Biden?

Also: The Iran talks in Vienna enter their final days, what comes next, and why neither president should expect an assist from the US Congress on Iran.

Week in Review

By Week in Review

Sarahbeth Maney/Getty Images

House Republicans urge Biden to change course on Iran talks

In a letter to President Joe Biden, more than 160 GOP lawmakers warned a deal reached without their approval could "meet the same fate" as the original nuclear agreement.