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Iran

November 8, 2026

Tehran 8:56 am

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Analysis

Iran turns to Putin as war, US election reshape strategic calculations

A Kremlin meeting with Iran's top security official coupled with reports of new arms deals amid looming war demonstrate Tehran's push to turn vulnerability into strategic leverage.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Tump

Can Trump turn midterm defeat into Iran breakthrough?

Although Iran may have contributed to Republican losses in midterms, the Trump administration still has a historic opportunity in the Middle East.

ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images

As Trump weighs Iran strikes, possible nuclear opening emerges

Sticking points include Iran's highly enriched uranium and lack of access for international inspectors.

Latest News

Russia to provide Iran with 90 missile launchers as military ties grow: Reports

Russian Mil Mi-8 military helicopters fly over a joint Russian and Turkish convoy, northeastern Hasakeh province, Syria, Feb. 4, 2021.

Turkey says soldier killed by gunfire from Iran at border: What to know

A sign marking the border of Turkey in Van, Turkey, on March 14, 2026.

Explainer

Democrats’ midterm sweep tests US-Israel ties as Eisenkot vows reset

An aerial view shows a campaign billboard depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud party and President Donald Trump in Tel Aviv, on Oct. 26, 2026, on the eve of Israel's legislative elections.

Analysis

Iran cheers Democrats’ midterm victory but fears Trump's next move

Iranians walk along a building installed with a giant poster depicting Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during a rally in front of the former US embassy to mark the anniversary of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, in Tehran on Nov. 4, 2026.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Iraq's President Barham Salih during the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2020. The Presidency of the Republic of Iraq Office/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC20LE9BTG35

Iraq president calls for restraint after meeting Trump in Davos

Stressing the need for reforms to address youth unemployment and security, Iraqi President Barham Salih said "this is not time for another conflict" after meeting with his US counterpart in Davos.

A view shows a new S-400 "Triumph" surface-to-air missile system after its deployment at a military base outside the town of Gvardeysk near Kaliningrad, Russia March 11, 2019. Picture taken March 11, 2019. REUTERS/Vitaly Nevar - RC11938EDE40

Will Russia provide missiles to 'close the entire sky' over Iran?

Given the recent escalation in tension between Tehran and Washington, Moscow is examining ways to possibly beef up Iranian military capabilities.

‘Pro bono’ lobbyists bet on regime change payday

Unpaid lobbying contracts can lead to lucrative connections by helping the right people get into power.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.

Members of Iran's Basij militia march during a parade to commemorate the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88), in Tehran September 22, 2010. Iranian leaders hoping to lift morale at a time of rising prices, food shortages and threats of attack from Israel, are drawing on memories of another era when people united against a common foe: Saddam Hussein's Iraq. P

IRGC officer gunned down in Iran's southwest

Unknown gunmen have shot dead the commander of a local branch of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the country's southwest.

Palestinian Hamas militants take part in an anti-Israel military show in the southern Gaza Strip November 11, 2019. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa - RC2Z8D9ZR40Q

Gaza developments portend military escalation with Israel

Israel's political impasse is expected to affect the Palestinians' situation in the Gaza Strip, and Israeli intelligence believes new military confrontations will erupt as the security and humanitarian situation there continues to deteriorate.

A man holds a picture of late Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, as people celebrate in the street after Iran launched missiles at U.S.-led forces in Iraq, in Tehran, Iran January 8, 2020. Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC2JBE917CLC

Donald Trump, the 'divine gift' to Iranian hard-liners

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who had advocated diplomacy with the West, has lost public support after the United States' assassination of Gen. Qasem Soleimani, giving hard-liners an opening they can easily exploit.

The Reformist push for Rouhani's resignation

Iran's Reformists have proposed that President Hassan Rouhani step down, but, surprisingly, hard-liners have opposed the idea.

Are we seeing the calm before the storm in the Gulf?

The Gulf states need calm for economic growth and security, but it all depends on what the United States and Iran do next.

OSAKA, JAPAN - JUNE 29: (RUSSIA OUT) Saudi Arabia's Prince and Defence Minister Mohammad bin Salman al Saud speeches during a bilateral talks at the G20 Osaka Summit 2019, on June 29, 2019 in Osaka, Japan. Vladimir Putin has arrived to Japan to partcipate the G20 Osaka Summit and to meet U.S.President Donald Trump. (Photo by Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)

How Soleimani’s slaying could affect Iran-Saudi ties

The US killing of Iran’s revered Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani could pose serious security repercussions for Saudi Arabia.

General view of the debris of the Ukraine International Airlines, flight PS752, Boeing 737-800 plane that crashed after take-off from Iran's Imam Khomeini airport, on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran January 8, 2020 is seen in this screen grab obtained from a social media video via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. - RC26DE9NFQEP

Iran in tug of war over downed plane's flight recorders

The international probe into a Ukrainian plane downed by Iran is facing bumps as Tehran is refusing to transfer abroad the recovered black boxes, while admitting it doesn't know how to decipher the data.

Meet the dismissed sports host who challenged Iran’s state TV

Popular sports host Adel Ferdosipour, who recently witnessed his show being taken off the air by hardliners in the state TV, has now launched a new show on the internet.

Iran's top cultural event jeopardized by artist boycotts

Following a series of announced boycotts, including by the Iranian director Massoud Kimiai, this year's Fajr International Film Festival announced the cancellation of its opening ceremony in a gesture of solidarity with the families of the people killed when Iran-fired missiles struck a Ukrainian airliner.