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A tugboat guides the Russian oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin as it arrives at the oil terminal in the port of Matanzas, northwestern Cuba, on March 31, 2026.

Breaking | Last Updated: May 18, 2026, 1:36 pm

US extends Russian oil sanctions waiver as Iran war squeezes supply

The waiver temporarily lifts sanctions on Russian oil for 30 days.

Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images

Oil swings as UAE nuclear plant strike, Iran diplomacy push roil markets

International benchmark Brent crude futures whipsawed on Monday as markets digested a dangerous new escalation alongside signs of diplomatic progress.

Amid FARAHI / AFP via Getty Images

Iran confiscates assets of 129 alleged ‘traitors’ in West Azerbaijan province

Iranian authorities have cracked down on people accused of collaborating with the US and Israel since the war erupted in February while fears of renewed fighting remain high amid stalled peace talks.

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Analysis

Pakistan’s six corridors offer Iran a trade lifeline, could outlast Hormuz crisis

Iranian cargo trucks cross into the Pakistan-Iran border at Taftan, Balochistan province, on June 18, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Analysis

From hoarding to unemployment: Iran's economy buckles under US pressure

Women shop from a street vendor at Enghelab Square in the capital Tehran on Nov. 11, 2025.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Analysis

How the Iran war is exposing a growing Saudi-UAE divide

Explosions rattled buildings in Dubai and a large cloud of smoke hung over a central area of the Middle East financial hub on March 13, 2026.

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Analysis

‘A reckless act’: Netanyahu sparks UAE fury by claiming secret visit

US President Donald Trump talks to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as he departs the Al Bateen Executive Airport on May 15, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

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

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 signs a proclamation declaring his intention to withdraw from the JCPOA Iran nuclear agreement in the Diplomatic Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 8, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC157E042900

Trump, Netanyahu coordination goes beyond Iran deal

Having coordinated the US repudiation of the Iranian nuclear deal with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump has also offered Netanyahu "full and total" US military and diplomatic support in case of a regional war.

U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX) arrives at Trump Tower to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in New York, U.S., November 29, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar - RC17792FFC10

Divided Republicans struggle to formulate post-Iran deal policy

While some GOP leaders cautioned President Donald Trump against withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, others praised the move and pushed for new sanctions — and even a war authorization.

An Iranian military truck carries surface-to-air missiles past a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a parade on the occasion of the country's annual army day on April 18, 2018, in Tehran.
President Hassan Rouhani said during the parade that Iran "does not intend any aggression" against its neighbours but will continue to produce all the weapons it needs for its defence. / AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Pentagon braces for Iranian response to Trump withdrawal from deal

The US president’s decision to reimpose sanctions is sparking concerns that Tehran could retaliate against US assets and allies.

U.S. President Donald Trump displays a presidential memorandum after announcing his intent to withdraw from the JCPOA Iran nuclear agreement in the Diplomatic Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 8, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - HP1EE581FULTV

The P5 minus 1: Trump exits Iran deal

Iran and other world powers say they will try to preserve the deal without the United States.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson attends a news conference with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel and European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini after meeting Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (unseen) in Brussels, Belgium January 11, 2018. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir - RC1D1AB58660

Some Iranians say nuclear deal can survive if Europe cooperates

Some Iranian officials and analysts say that Tehran should remain in the nuclear deal with the European Union if Europe stands up to US pressure to end the agreement.

EU divided over efforts to appease Trump on Iran deal

Trump’s push for increased European pressure on Iran over its regional policies and missile program has caused divisions within the European Union, ultimately limiting the efforts of the E3.

An American made Patriot missile launcher of the Kuwait Air Force, used
to shoot down incoming ballistic missiles, is deployed in an undated
file photograph. A U.S. Patriot missile battery may have engaged a
British Royal Air Force aircraft near

the Kuwaiti border on Sunday, a Pentagon spokesman said. REUTERS/Kuwait
Ministry of Defence - RP3DRINEPZAA

Congress nudges Trump toward Gulf missile defense

Congress is trying to revive US-led talks for a GCC-wide missile shield against Iran that have stalled amid tensions with Qatar.

Why Europe could end up being blamed for nuclear deal collapse

Britain, France and Germany’s outreach to Trump has increasingly put them in a position where they will likely be blamed by all sides in case the nuclear deal collapses.

Rouhani suggests Europe can keep Iran nuclear deal alive

President Hassan Rouhani’s speech suggested that as long as Iran’s goals within the nuclear deal could be met, they would remain in the nuclear deal despite a US exit.

Netanyahu’s Iran revelations spark furor in Israel

Some prominent figures in the Israeli security community believe that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was motivated by politics in revealing the Mossad operation to retrieve Iranian nuclear program materials and view his public acknowledgment as a major mistake.

Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference at the Ministry of Defence in Tel Aviv, Israel April 30, 2018. REUTERS/ Amir Cohen - RC1245937670

Netanyahu banks on escalation with Iran

The Israeli prime minister expects political windfall from revealing "an open secret" about Iran’s past nuclear program.

In Iran, religious titles lie at heart of political games

Despite pushback from senior figures such as Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the politicization of clerical ranks in Iran continues unabated.