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

Iran cover image

Iran

September 7, 2026

Tehran 7:50 am

28°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

Race for reconstruction heats up as Syrian war winds down

As the conflict in Syria winds down and reconstruction begins, Iran is racing alongside other friends and rivals for a role in the future Syrian economy.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to film or take pictures in Tehran.
An Iranian employee checks the food shelves at a shopping mall in northwestern Tehran February 3, 2012. With just a month to go before a parliamentary election, Iran has been hit hard in recent months by new U.S. and European economic sanctions over its nuclear programme, which Tehran says is peaceful but the West says is aimed at making a bomb. Picture taken February 3, 2

Intel: How the Europeans’ new Iran sanctions work-around helps Trump

The European Union launched its much-anticipated Iran trade mechanism today to an audible meh from the Donald Trump administration.

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)'s Dalian Petrochemical Corp refinery is seen in Dalian, Liaoning province, China January 22, 2019. Picture taken January 22, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. CHINA OUT. - RC1E5339B6F0

China’s emerging role in Iran’s petroleum sector

Despite the stumbling blocks, China’s strategic goal of securing energy resources for its future demands and Iran’s need for foreign investment will continue to pave the way for a greater Chinese role in the Iranian energy sector.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attends a meeting with European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel and France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Brussels, Belgium January 11, 2018. REUTERS/John Thys/Pool - RC14575CD590

Iran calls new European special payment mechanism ‘first step’

Iran called a new European initiative to establish a payment mechanism to facilitate trade a “first step” and hopes it will expand.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Ali Akbar Velayati, a top advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during their meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia July 12, 2018. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1122CD2770

Tehran, Moscow differ on Syria, but share interests elsewhere

Russia and Iran are cautious about labeling their relationship an alliance, but when they say it is a partnership, they mean it.

Decoding Nasrallah’s messages on Lebanon and Syria

In his latest interview, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah seemed to adopt a more measured tone toward Israel when compared with his previous speeches.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani (R) meets with Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in Tehran, Iran October 22, 2016. Miraflores Palace/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - S1AEUIMBOZAA

US 'coup' in Venezuela equally abhorred by Iran's hard-liners, Reformists

Iran's rival Reformist and hard-line political camps, which rarely see eye to eye, are now both expressing solidarity with Venezuela's incumbent president, blaming the United States for the crisis that has gripped the oil-rich South American nation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit (SCO) in Qingdao, China June 9, 2018. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS - RC1FFD5C2CA0

Are Russia, Iran engaged in tug of war over Syria?

Recent reports claim that pro-Russian and pro-Iranian forces are clashing in Syria, raising speculations on just how serious disagreements between Russia and Iran are in Syria.

Iran’s seminaries debate financial independence amid budget cuts

The Hassan Rouhani administration has slashed budget allocations for seminaries and other religious institutions, fueling a debate on whether Iran's theological seats of learning ought to be self-funded.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats testifies to the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing about "worldwide threats" on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 29, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - RC18CD6A93F0

US intel assessment suggests Trump's Iran policy not working

A new US intelligence assessment suggests that the Donald Trump administration’s Iran policy is not achieving its goals and may in fact be counterproductive.

Soccer Football - AFC Asian Cup - Semi-Final - Iran v Japan - Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates - January 28, 2019 Iran's Vahid Amiri in action with Japan's Hiroki Sakai REUTERS/Suhaib Salem - RC18FD209230

Iran’s defeat in Asian Cup sparks heated debate on political culture

Iran's national soccer team had to pack its bags and head home from the AFC Asian Cup following their 3-0 defeat against Japan in a match replete with controversial scenes.

How Iran can use rupees to build strategic trade with India

Iran and India’s signing of an agreement for how Iranian oil export proceeds can be used could turn into a blessing in disguise for the Islamic Republic.