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Iran

November 9, 2026

Tehran 6:09 am

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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

Saudi reforms put spotlight on Iran's women's movement

Absent political will to engage in genuine reform, Iranian women face a long road ahead in achieving their rights.

Israeli soldiers sit on top of tanks as they take part in an exercise in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, near the ceasefire line between Israel and Syria, March 20, 2017. REUTERS/Baz Ratner - RC16E85FD020

Will Israel launch pre-emptive strike against Assad?

Israeli experts claim that the Israel Defense Forces should have struck the Bashar al-Assad regime at the beginning of the war in Syria.

Hamas stands with Hezbollah, says Arab League ignores Israeli terror

After an Arab League summit including delegates from the Palestinian Authority produced a statement denouncing Hezbollah as a terrorist entity, Hamas and other Palestinian groups responded with defiance.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.

Hossein Badamaki (R) of Iran's Persepolis, Mishal Al Saeed (C) and Saud Khariri of Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad fight for the ball during their AFC Champions League soccer match at Tehran's Azadi stadium May 3, 2011. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi (IRAN - Tags: SPORT SOCCER) - GM1E75400KD01

Soccer politics reaches fever pitch in Iran

Despite promises to promote the privatization of soccer, Iranian authorities retain a firm grip over the sport in the country.

Iranian wrestler’s deliberate loss stirs controversy

The story of an Iranian wrestler who was pressured to lose against a Russian opponent to avoid facing an Israeli wrestler has caused controversy in Iran.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani together with his counterparts, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan, attend a joint news conference following their meeting in Sochi, Russia November 22, 2017. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1D16F4FF70

Sochi summit leaves Turkey facing unsavory possibilities

It's unknown how far Moscow will go to appease Ankara with regard to the Syrian Kurds.

A general view shows a deserted street at the beginning of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp April 29, 2015. A bout of fighting between militants over control of the Yarmouk refugee camp on the edge of Damascus has only compounded the misery of residents already suffering from acute shortages of food, clean water and power. REUTERS/Ward Al-Keswani - GF10000077547

Four-year-old siege still punishing civilians in Syria's Yarmouk camp

Despite talk of negotiations and a breakthrough, the siege imposed by the Syrian regime on the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus continues to claim the lives of civilians.

Iran prosecutor gets two years for being 'accessory to murder' of protesters

A former Iranian prosecutor receives a two-year sentence for murders at a notorious prison.

Iranians sit outside damaged homes after salvaging furniture and household appliances in the town of Sarpol-e Zahab in the western Kermanshah province near the border with Iraq, on November 15, 2017, following a 7.3-magnitude earthquake that left hundreds killed and thousands homeless days before. / AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Earthquake response shows Iranians' nationalism — and mistrust of authorities

While ordinary Iranians’ response to the deadly Nov. 12 earthquake has been a show of national solidarity, it also displayed mistrust in authorities.

Why did Hariri go to Cairo before returning home to Lebanon?

To spare the Middle East another battleground, Cairo played a role in containing the crisis of the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

Is Saudi crown prince winning or losing in the Middle East?

With Saad Hariri staying on as prime minister in Lebanon, the Saudi crown prince has suffered another setback in his efforts to counter Iran.

A money changer counts out U.S. dollars for a customer in Tehran's business district, Iran, January 20, 2016. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - GF20000100973

Imprudent foreign financing could jeopardize Iran’s economy

Contrary to common wisdom, not all foreign financing, especially the type currently trickling into Iran, is good for state finances and the country’s economy.