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

Iran cover image

Iran

September 9, 2026

Tehran 3:24 pm

31°C

Vessels transit the Hormuz Strait off the coast of Iran's southern port city of Bandar Abbas on September 7, 2026. Iran's top negotiator threatened on September 6 of a more forceful response to any further US attacks after Tehran targeted American warships in their latest round of clashes. The exchanges of fire, which began with US raids last week, come amid a deadlock in the six-month war between the two foes. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images) /

US strikes Iranian tankers after attempted attack on Navy ship

Iran fired ballistic missiles into Jordan in response, targeting a key US air base in escalation after US aircraft destroyed five more oil tankers in Tehran’s fleet.

Forces loyal to Yemen's Saudi-backed government

Analysis

What Houthi setbacks in Yemen mean for Iran's regional influence

The renewed fighting in Yemen is testing one of Iran's most valuable regional partnerships just as Tehran scrambles to preserve its remaining leverage.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

TOPSHOT - Explosions from projectile interceptions by Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system are pictured over Tel Aviv on February 28, 2026. The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, with Israel's public broadcaster reporting that the Iranian supreme leader had been targeted, as the Islamic republic retaliated with barrages of missiles at Gulf states and Israel. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Israel braces for Iran attack as Trump’s economic squeeze on Tehran intensifies

Skeptical about the effectiveness of the American economic blockade on Tehran to weaken the regime, Israel is preparing for the possibility that Iran could decide to strike the Jewish state during the upcoming high holidays.

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

A picture take on September 14, 2017 shows an Airbus A340 of Mahan Air at the tarmac at Dubai's International Airport. (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

US hits 27 Iranian airlines with latest sanctions

The targets include Iranian airlines and operators in Malaysia, Turkey, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates, including Mahan Air.

Latest News

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

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.

Analysis

Could Trump’s oil push in Venezuela upend OPEC’s energy order?

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.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Analysis

How Iran's campaign against US bases is forging a new Gulf defense network

mural of Iran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Who is Amir Yaryab, IRGC’s cyber commander in US crosshairs?

Amir Yaryab

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

Iranian students run for cover from tear gas at the University of Tehran during a demonstration driven by anger over economic problems, in the capital Tehran on December 30, 2017.
Students protested in a third day of demonstrations, videos on social media showed, but were outnumbered by counter-demonstrators. / AFP PHOTO / STR (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Iran’s regional allies keep close eye on protest aftermath

While Iran’s regional allies have assured their supporters that the recent protests in the country are not a threat, the reality is that groups such as Hezbollah are highly vulnerable to any change in Iranian foreign policy.

Rouhani under fire over criticism of Shiite imams

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s apparent insistence that everyone can be criticized, including Shiite saints deemed infallible, riles the clergy.

Iran’s Interior Ministry outlines 3 reasons for recent protests

Iran’s Interior Ministry has issued a report on both the makeup of the Iran protests and reasons for them.

Icelandic musician discovers fan base in unlikely place

Young Iranians welcome the rare opportunity to see a popular international musician perform live in their country.

A Turkish military tank is seen near Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, Syria January 23, 2018. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi - RC17EC8A27B0

GCC's silence on Turkey’s Afrin adventure is telling

The Sunni Gulf states have failed to make a unified statement on Turkey's Operation Olive Branch in Syria, a sign of their competing interests.

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 13: U.S. President Donald Trump makes a statement on the administration's strategy for dealing with Iran, in the Diplomatic Reception Room in the White House, October 13, 2017 in Washington, DC. President Trump stated that the Iran nuclear deal is not in the best interests for the security of the United States, but stopped short of withdrawing from the 2015 agreement. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

US, Europe huddle on Iran after Trump ultimatum

The United States and major European powers are holding working group consultations to explore cooperation on Iran, but the Europeans say they will not renegotiate the nuclear deal.

Iran's absence at Davos sparks speculation

Following reports that he had canceled his trip, Iran’s Foreign Ministry claims Mohammad Javad Zarif never planned to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos this year.

Iran's conservatives step up scrutiny on university students

Principlists consolidate state control over Islamic Azad University in the aftermath of the recent protests in Iran.

US uncertainty over nuclear deal complicates Iran's economy

Far from an unintended consequence of President Trump’s posturing, the uncertainty around the future of the Iranian nuclear deal has slowed the re-entry of Iran's economy into the global market.

Rouhani’s first interview after protests backfires

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s first interview after the recent protests fails to satisfy the public.

Iranian painter's mouthless women speak volumes at Istanbul exhibition

Maryam Salahi, an Iranian artist living in Turkey, taps into her "foreignness" for an exhibition in Istanbul exploring identity and freedom in the Middle East.

Rouhani moves to leverage unrest to loosen IRGC grip on economy

The Hassan Rouhani administration appears to be leveraging the recent protests in Iran to continue pushing for its agenda of greater accountability and lesser military involvement in the economy.