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Iran

November 8, 2026

Tehran 11:11 pm

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People vote on Election Day during the midterm elections

Analysis

From sanctions relief to deterrence: How Iran reads US elections

Iran's negotiators now view US elections through the lens of political pressure and the costs of conflict, while even Javad Zarif frames diplomacy as part of deterrence.

Jamshid Jamshidi

By Jamshid Jamshidi

Alexey BABUSHKIN / AFP via Getty Images

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.

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

Irani workers weld the pipeline during a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the inauguration of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, in the city of Chahbahar in southeastern Iran March 11, 2013. Ahmadinejad and Zardari marked the start of Pakistani construction on the much-delayed gas pipeline on Monday, Iranian media reported, despite U.S. pressure on Islamabad to back out of the project. REUTERS/Mian Khursheed (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY BUSINESS) - GM1E93C06X401

How 'America First' could jump start Iran-Pakistan pipeline project

While there are important obstacles in the way of the realization of the Iran-Pakistan pipeline, the Trump administration’s policies amid the rise of Imran Khan could tip the scales in the project's favor.

Thousands left stateless in Iran amid ID card limbo

Thousands of mainly ethnic Balochs are deprived of access to basic government services in Iran as they are formally stateless without state-issued ID cards.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives to the weekly cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem, July 29, 2018. Sebastian Scheiner /Pool via Reuters *** Local Caption *** - RC1F49FF0D00

Why Netanyahu wants more money for security

Top defense experts estimate that the new 2030 Security Concept was designed not as a serious tool to protect Israel against its threats, but as a means to preserve Benjamin Netanyahu’s image of "Mr. Security."

Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov pose for a family photo during the Fifth Caspian Summit in Aktau, Kazakhstan August 12, 2018. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - UP1EE8C1E9DPM

Caspian Sea convention moves Iran closer to northern neighbors

While the signing of the landmark legal convention on the Caspian Sea has exposed the Rouhani administration to criticism at home, the accord provides Iran with important advantages while leaving the door open for further talks on boundaries.

Apparent death threat against Rouhani triggers fierce backlash

A placard seen at a recent gathering at a top seminary in Iran draws a fierce backlash, as it is being interpreted as a death threat against President Hassan Rouhani.

A board with the currency exchange rates of the U.S. dollar and the Euro against the Russian rouble is on display outside a bank branch in Moscow, Russia April 10, 2018. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - UP1EE4A0ZLRKM

Russia-led regional payment network could blunt US sanctions on Iran

Russia is reportedly expanding on previous talks with Iran to create a regional integrated payment network.

De-mining teams searches for landmines in the desert east of Basra province, April 1, 2015. In Iraq's vast southern desert, de-mining teams are working to remove millions of Saddam-era landmines and explosive ordnance that litter Iraq's southern giant oil fields, hampering the country's oil boom and delaying investment. Picture taken April 1 2015. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani - GF10000051566

Iran-Iraq War continues to claim lives 30 years on

The eight-year war between Iraq and Iran ended on Aug. 20, 1988, but its negative impacts linger on both sides.

Iranians ask government officials: #Where_is_your_kid?

Public calls for Iranian officials to account for the lifestyles of their children bring focus to the issue of the lack of trust in the political establishment.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani attends a news conference at the Chancellery in Vienna, Austria July 4, 2018. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner - RC1981F1CC40

Iran parliament report reveals 17 dual nationals in government

An Iranian parliamentary report revealed that there are 17 dual nationals working in the government.

Kurdish farmers hit by water crisis

With neighboring Iran diverting rivers and building dams, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq is in the midst of an already severe water crisis that threatens to get even worse, thanks to national and regional governments failing to acknowledge the urgency of the problem.

Iran-US conflict leaves Abadi in a dilemma

By rectifying his statement on supporting US sanctions against Iran, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is balancing between the United States and Iran in Iraq to keep both sides as his supportive allies.

Iran prosecutor warns ministers: no one is immune in anti-corruption probe

Iran’s judiciary and the Rouhani administration appear to be heading for a clash over prosecutors' approach to an effort to tackle corruption.