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September 6, 2026

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A man walks past a mural depicting oil pumps and the Venezuelan flag, with portraits of Venezuelan independence leader Simon Bolivar (L) and former late President Hugo Chavez (R), in Caracas, Venezuela, on Sept. 3, 2026.

Analysis

Could Trump’s oil push in Venezuela upend OPEC’s energy order?

Washington’s growing role in controlling the Latin American country's crude riches could help reshape an energy order centered on OPEC as the Hormuz crisis pressures Gulf exports.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

mural of Iran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Analysis

How Iran's campaign against US bases is forging a new Gulf defense network

Iran's targeting of Gulf states is fueling a regional security architecture designed to counter the Islamic Republic.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Amir Yaryab

Who is Amir Yaryab, IRGC’s cyber commander in US crosshairs?

The US State Department has offered up to $10 million for information on Amir Yaryab, who oversees a key part of Iran’s cyber operations.

Ammar Ammar / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Playing for time: Despite US pressure, Israel stalls Lebanon talks until after election

Ahead of the eighth round of talks in Rome, the Israeli military reported clearing Hezbollah's underground stronghold at Ali al-Taher after besieging the ridge for months.

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

Latest News

US sanctions Turkey-based bank over Iran ties

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Saudi oil exports hit nine-year low as tanker attacks threaten recovery

A commercial vessel passes through an international shipping lane off Yemen's Hanish Island in the Red Sea on July 27, 2026.

US expands Iran campaign with strikes on oil tankers

A women stands overlooking the water as ships are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on Aug. 10, 2026, off the coast of Bandar Abbas, Iran.

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

Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Major General Hossein Salami speaks at the podium during an inaugural ceremony unveiling the new murals painted on the walls of the former US embassy in the capital Tehran on November 2, 2019. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)

IRGC head blames foreign influence for protest 'sedition'

In the aftermath of massive protests that saw hundreds killed in Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is still casting blame for the violence outward and warning Western and "hostile regional countries" against provoking unrest in the nation.

Iraqis await fallout from NYT expose on Iranian influence

Leaked documents from Iranian intelligence seem to back up Iraqi protestors' angry contention that Iran has corrupted top-level Iraqi politicians, though the politicians themselves offer rebuttals.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (2nd L-2nd R) listen to a special address during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos January 22, 2014. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse (SWITZERLAND - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS) - LR2EA1M1BK3KT

Rouhani set for Japan visit to salvage Iran deal

A visit by Iran's president to Japan is being finalized as Tokyo intensifies mediation efforts in search of a settlement to Tehran-Washington tensions and an end to the stalemate over the Iran nuclear deal.

Has Iran's award-winning actress left Iran to escape prosecution?

Appearing on a Saudi-funded TV show has led to speculations about the possible decision of Iranian actress Mahnaz Afshar not to go back to her home country.

(From L to R) Former Iranian foreign minister Kamal Kharazi, Omani Foreign Minister Yussef bin Alawi bin Abdullah and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attend the Tehran Security Conference on January 8, 2018, in Tehran. / AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran's regional peace initiative faces major challenges

While Oman and Iran may have high hopes for the Hormuz Peace Endeavor, regional security arrangements have typically needed great-power backing to hold them together.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks at a news conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S., September 26, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid - HP1EF9Q1DCLMP

How Rouhani and Trump almost reached a deal

While hopes have emerged as the result of a prisoner exchange between Iran and the United States, some analysts believe this won't lead to negotiations and a Trump-Rouhani meeting.

U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland Edward McMullen greets Xiyue Wang in Zurich, Switzerland December 7, 2019. U.S. Embassy in Switzerland/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC2GQD9FJJ4H

Iran ready for 'comprehensive' prisoner swap with US

Archenemies Iran and the United States appeared closer to exchanging all their prisoners, as Tehran said it was "fully ready" for such a swap.

Members of a Taliban delegation, led by chief negotiator Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar (C, front), leave after peace talks with Afghan senior politicians in Moscow, Russia May 30, 2019. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina - RC17FC2683A0

Is Iran-Taliban cold peace within reach?

To secure its part in Afghanistan's political future, Iran is actively engaging the Taliban, but the road will be bumpy, given the multiple ideological and geopolitical challenges.

Foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) arrive, ahead of an annual leaders summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, December 9, 2019. Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC2RRD9HRDDG

Underlying tensions still restrict full GCC reconciliation

While Qatar has been reinvited to the GCC party, the UAE appears to be spoiling for the role of party pooper.

U.S. President Donald Trump waves as he walks from the Marine One helicopter to board Air Force One and depart Washington for a day and evening trip to Florida from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., December 7, 2019. REUTERS/Loren Elliott - RC2KQD97NVV8

Trump says Iran prisoner swap shows deal can be made

A successful US-Iran prisoner swap is a confidence building measure but it remains to be seen whether it could be a prelude to negotiations on broader US-Iran tensions.

Iranian head of the reformists' coalition list for the parliamentary elections Mohammad Reza Aref at a polling station in Tehran on February 26, 2016. Iranians began voting across the country in elections billed by the moderate president as vital to curbing conservative dominance in parliament and speeding up domestic reforms after a nuclear deal with world powers. AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE / AFP / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran’s Reformists face major challenges in coming election

Iran's Reformist factions are in for an uphill climb leading to the parliamentary election because of their legislators' lackluster performance since the 2016 election.

Iraqi demonstrators carry pictures of people who were killed during ongoing anti-government protests in Nassiriya, Iraq December 4, 2019. Picture taken December 4, 2019. REUTERS/Alaa al-Marjani - RC2MPD9WP3M6

Chaos spreads in Iraq as PM office remains vacant

As Iraq approaches the constitutional deadline for selecting the new prime minister, chaos is spreading in the streets.