Iran - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Iran cover image

Iran

September 6, 2026

Tehran 6:34 pm

34°C

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

ATTENTION EDITORS - VISUAL COVERAGE OF SCENES OF INJURY OR DEATH
The man credited with smuggling 50,000 photos said to document Syrian government atrocities, a Syrian Army defector known by the protective alias Caesar (disguised in a hooded blue jacket), listens to his interpreter as he prepares to speak at a briefing to the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington July 31, 2014. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY CONFLICT) TEMPLATE OUT - GM1EA7V1SKN01

Congress forgoes Iran war restrictions to save anti-Assad bill

In order to assure passage of a long-stalled Syria sanctions bill, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted down legislation restricting President Donald Trump’s ability to attack Iran.

Iran tightens noose on corrupt tycoons

Iran's judiciary is prosecuting individuals accused of corruption and embezzlement on a scale unheard of in the country.

Fighters of Hashed Al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization units) flash the victory gesture as they advance through a street in the town of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, after the Iraqi government announced the launch of the operation to retake it from Islamic State (IS) group control, on August 26, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / AHMAD AL-RUBAYE (Photo credit should read AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images)

Ninevah governor's election stirs Sunni split in Baghdad

The Ninevah Provincial Council has chosen a new governor close to the Shiite-dominated Popular Mobilization Units, prompting objections from many Sunnis.

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks to reporters after being briefed on Iran by the Secretary of State and acting Defense Secretary on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., May 21, 2019. REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan - RC1FC8F878D0

Democrats fret over Iran escalation risk

Democrats are urging the Donald Trump administration to tamp down tensions with Iran following an all-members briefing.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit during the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S., September 24, 2018. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri - RC1E713F5F70

Iran sticks to its guns: No room for talks with Trump

Iran's president has once again ruled out dialog with his US counterpart amid mixed signals from the White House. Yet third-party mediation remains an option both sides seemingly favor.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attend a news conference, after a meeting in the Black sea resort of Sochi, Russia, 14 February 2019. Sergei Chirikov/Pool via REUTERS - RC158EB139B0

Can Iran rely on Russia to dodge US pressure?

Iran is relying on Russia to minimize the impact of the US "maximum pressure" campaign, but Russia seems to have reservations while it also enjoys certain advantages if US-Iran tensions remain unresolved, albeit at a controlled level.

What does the UAE expect from Egypt?

Political analysts believe Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to Cairo helps solidify UAE-Egypt relations as the situation escalates in the Gulf.

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

A petrol station attendant (R) counts money as a man waits for his change at a petrol station in northwestern Tehran December 19, 2010. The price of gasoline will rise four-fold in Iran in the coming days, state television announced late on Saturday, as the most politically sensitive part of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's subsidy cuts plan takes effect. REUTERS/Morteza

What to do about Iran’s expected budget deficit

The impact of US sanctions on Iranian energy exports is bound to cause a budget deficit in Iran, with the Rouhani administration facing tough choices ahead.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attends a meeting with Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia May 8, 2019. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina - RC19DF14C2E0

Iran, US trade tweets as talk of war dies down

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif responded to Donald Trump’s tweets in a sign that both sides want to reduce tension.

Rocket strikes Baghdad’s Green Zone

A rocket has hit Baghdad's Green Zone near the US Embassy, ramping up US-Iranian tensions even further.

Russia may have designs on Iran's trade with Syria

Observers wonder whether Russia will cut into Iran's trade volume with Syria.

Why Saudi Arabia is focused on tensions with Iran

The Saudis have called an Arab summit for May 30 in Mecca to likely brand Iran as a terrorist state, with the apparent hope that the United States will strike Iran.