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Iran

September 13, 2026

Tehran 2:39 am

25°C

Fighters loyal to the Houthi authorities gather in Sanaa on Sept. 10, 2026.

Analysis

As Houthis seize Bab el-Mandeb, Iran appraises value of new Red Sea card

Iran is celebrating the Houthis' rapid advance toward Bab el-Mandeb, but appears reluctant to act on the win.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

member of the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces firing a heavy machine gun

Claude AI used for missile, influence projects in UAE, Iran, Yemen: Anthropic

Military and government actors across the Middle East — from Iran to Yemen to the United Arab Emirates — have used Anthropic's Claude AI model for war planning and influence campaigns.

Pedestrians walk past a wall mural along a street in downtown of Tehran on Aug. 31, 2026.

Analysis

Could Iran’s nuclear ambitions harden as war escalates?

A new report has raised alarm about the Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site that President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a meeting with Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Richard Marles at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on September 2, 2026. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Iran’s Pickaxe mountain tests limits of Trump’s military options

A secretive Pentagon innovation agency has hastened to test munitions that may penetrate deeper than the GBU-57 bombs dropped on Iran’s two main enrichment facilities.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Latest News

Iran's IRGC set to declare new ‘sanctions zone’ beyond Hormuz: What to know

Elke Scholiers/Getty Images

Brent crude sails past $100 as Middle East war intensifies

AFPTV / AFP via Getty Images

US strikes Iranian tankers after attempted attack on Navy ship

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) /

Analysis

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

Forces loyal to Yemen's Saudi-backed government

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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 Iran sees Russian-Turkish deal on Syria

Although it was left out of Russia and Turkey’s announcement of a cease-fire agreement in Syria, Iran is very much involved on the stage as the Moscow-Ankara accord builds on a trilateral understanding with Tehran.

Is Erdogan trying to wreck US-Turkey relations?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claims he has “evidence” of US support for the Islamic State; Iranian President Hassan Rouhani applauds valuable “victory” in Aleppo.

Bahrain shifts foreign policy with eye on Turkey

Bahraini officials want to deepen their ties with Turkey as regional politics become more unstable.

Iranian Reformists slam exiled dissidents over letter to Trump

The penning of a letter to US President-elect Donald Trump by Iranian dissidents has led conservatives in Tehran to attack Reformists.

'Grave sleepers' shock Iranians

An article on homeless drug addicts taking shelter in pre-prepared graves in a cemetery shakes Iranian society.

Why Rouhani’s social housing scheme faces more than bumpy start

The Rouhani administration’s long-delayed scheme to provide social housing for marginalized households finally appears ready to be implemented — but not without a bumpy start.

Why rift between Iran’s moderates, hard-liners is really about republicanism

The continuing public feud between Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Ayatollah Mohammad-Taghi Mesbah Yazdi suggests that the revolutionary clash between moderates and hard-liners over the nature of the Islamic Republic of Iran is far from over.

Why Iran’s 'green gold' is set to rebound

Despite being hit by climate change and sanctions, Iran’s millennia-old pistachio production appears set to increase production and export.

What is Rouhani seeking to achieve with his Citizens’ Rights Charter?

Barely out from the printing press, the Iranian president’s long-promised Citizens’ Rights Charter is coming under fire, and not just for coming five months before his bid for re-election.

Will Iran, Hamas break ties over Aleppo?

Relations between Hamas and Iran have been especially tense since the group publicly condemned the violent battle for Aleppo.

Why did Iranian opposition leader resign from his own party?

Green Movement leader Mehdi Karroubi, who has been under house arrest since 2011, has resigned as head of the Reformist party that he established.

Why Iran sees Aleppo as chance to get in rather than out

Rather than seeing the victory in Aleppo as an opportunity to wind down operations, the Syrian government’s Iranian ally appears to be preparing to push ahead with new offensives.