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

Iran cover image

Iran

September 8, 2026

Tehran 5:09 pm

31°C

The former chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohsen Rezaei, takes part in a demonstration against American "crimes" following the killing of IRGC Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani in a US strike on his convoy at Baghdad international airport, Tehran, Iran, Jan. 3, 2020.

Iran to announce new Gulf restricted zone, Hormuz route: What we know

Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the restricted zone would begin at the point where the US blockade of Iranian ports starts and extend into the Gulf.

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.

Latest News

Analysis

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

Ammar Ammar / AFP via Getty Images

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

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.

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

How Russia-Israel engagement is benefiting Iran

Russia’s engagement with Israel and the United States on Syria does not pose a direct threat against Iran, and it could even turn out to be beneficial for Tehran in several aspects.

Iran’s Khatami urged to launch ‘reforms within reform movement'

Amid signs of a decline in public support for Iran’s Reform movement, 100 activists have urged Reformist icon Mohammad Khatami to save the camp by initiating internal reforms.

Fighters from a Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)
camp stand guard during a news conference in the remote Qandil mountains near the Iraq-Turkish border in Sulaimaniya, 330 km (205 miles) northeast of Baghdad, August 13, 2010. Picture taken August 13, 2010. REUTERS/Stringer (IRAQ - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - GM1E68E1OH601

Turkey touts Iranian support for PKK offensive

Ankara claims it has Iran's support for the operation rolling out against the Kurdistan Workers Party in northern Iraq, but Tehran has yet to respond officially.

'Authorized protest venues' approved in aftermath of Iran protests

The administration of President Hassan Rouhani approved a list of locations for what it brands as "authorized rallies" in Iran's capital, drawing mixed responses.

Iranian nationalism grows amid rising US pressure

The US administration and its regional allies' policies toward the Islamic Republic appear to be fueling a rise in nationalist sentiment in Iran.

Syria's not waiting for peace to rebuild, and Iran wants to help

There's a lot of talk about reconstructing Syria, but at the moment, Iran seems to be the only country actively working toward that end.

A gas flare on an oil production platform in the Soroush oil fields is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Gulf July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/File Photo - S1AETIFZPBAC

Iran could become collateral damage of OPEC decision

If OPEC decides this month to increase oil output, it will probably be the result of a simple economic decision and not any desire by Riyadh and Moscow to cater to the United States.

Iran highlights ‘multilateralism,’ warns North Korea in Shanghai summit

Iran highlights the role of multilateralism at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, while a Foreign Ministry official warns North Korea to "be careful" when it comes to a deal with the US.

Did hard-liners dupe Reformists in struggle for Iran's parliament?

While the Reformists again failed to win the speakership in the Iranian parliament, their maneuvering displayed a willingness, for better or for worse, to forge a partnership with the hard-liners.

Iran faces new threat as Kurdish jihadis join IS in Afghanistan

The rise of the Islamic State's branch in Afghanistan poses a new challenge for the Islamic Republic, as it is becoming a magnet for Iranian Kurdish recruits.

Iraqi-Kurdistan

A view of damage on a street where Houthis have recently clashed with forces loyal to slain Yemeni former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa, Yemen December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah - RC1476393DB0

Congress seeks to insulate Oman from Yemen instability

As the 3-year-old proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran continues to destabilize Yemen, Congress seeks to shore up security in neighboring Oman.

Iran ups pressure on other countries to keep nuclear deal alive

Iran’s foreign minister penned a letter to his counterparts around the world to call for a united stance against US unilateralism.