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Iran

September 13, 2026

Tehran 9:57 am

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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

Smoke rises from the community hall where Saudi-led warplanes struck a funeral in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen on October 9, 2016. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah/File Photo - RTSRJA4

Will Obama push for Yemen cease-fire?

The United States, which fired cruise missiles at rebel radar sites in Yemen on Oct. 13 after missiles were fired at a US warship, needs to push for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Yemen before things get even more out of hand.

Iran's head of Atomic Energy Organisation (IAEO) Ali Akbar Salehi (L) talks with the Head of the Central Bank of Iran, Valiollah Seif, as they arrive for a press conference of Iranian President on January 17, 2016 in the capital Tehran after international sanctions on Iran were lifted.

President Hassan Rouhani said that sceptics who said a nuclear deal with world powers would not bring benefits to Iran were all proven wrong.

/ AFP / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Im

Why Iran’s banking shake-up won't be enough

The first shake-up of Iran's banking sector in three decades is only the first step toward supporting the economy.

Iranian Shiite Muslims chant in western Tehran on October 12, 2016, during the annual Ashura commemorations marking the killing of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Islam's Prophet Mohammed in 680AD. / AFP / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Iranian eulogist in trouble for saying Imam Hussein used to swear

A eulogist stirred strong reactions and possible legal consequences after a televised interview in which he described how Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, used to swear.

Iranian pop singer Mohsen Yeghaneh (C) performs on stage during the 31th Fajr International Music Festival at the Milad hall in the capital Tehran, on February 17, 2016. / AFP / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Rouhani’s opponents take aim at concerts

The continuing controversies surrounding the holding of concerts in Iran appear to have less to do with Islam and more to do with the country’s upcoming presidential vote.

Iranian fans wave a religious banner to mark Ashura, which marks the death of Prophet Mohammed's grandson Imam Hussein in the seventh century, during the 2018 World Cup qualifying football match between Iran and South Korea at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran on October 11, 2016. / AFP / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Grieving Iranians beat South Korea in soccer

After weeks of debate over the confluence of the Iran-South Korea soccer match and the most significant Islamic holiday for Shiite Muslims, Iran beat South Korea — while people cheered and mourned simultaneously.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (R) and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif shake hands following a joint press conference at the Foreign Ministry in Ankara on August 12, 2016. / AFP / ADEM ALTAN (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Is Turkey ditching Saudi Arabia for Iran?

The recent string of high-level meetings between Iranian and Turkish officials suggests that the two regional powerhouses may be moving closer on Syria.

A view of Zalikan Camp in Bashiqa, October 6, 2016. Picture taken October 6, 2016. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - RTSR6ML

Turks blame US, Iran for encouraging Baghdad against Ankara

Turkey's opinion-makers think Iraq isn’t acting alone in its calls for Turkish troops to leave a camp near Mosul.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani attends a meeting during the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) summit at the Foreign Ministry in Bangkok, Thailand, October 10, 2016. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha - RTSRK1N

Five reasons Rouhani will be president for another term

With former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad apparently sidelined by the supreme leader, Rouhani seems set for a second term in office.

German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel and Iranian economy minister Ali Tayebnia sign contracts during a conference in Tehran, Iran October 3, 2016. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke - RTSQIGL

Finance minister says Iran seeks 'resilient' economy

Iran's Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Ali Tayebnia tells Al-Monitor that Iran is boosting non-oil exports, unifying its exchange rate and increasing the independence of its Central Bank and that remaining US sanctions are the main impediment to Iranian-American investment.

Valiollah Seif, Governor of Central Bank of Iran, waits to start a meeting with Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond (unseen) in Tehran, Iran August 23, 2015. REUTERS/Darren Staples - RTX1PBAT

Why Iran’s central bank can’t control money markets

The Central Bank of Iran appears powerless to compel thousands of "unlicensed" credit and finance institutions to comply with interest rate caps, leaving much to be desired about its monetary policies.

Mohammad Forouzandeh (L), new chairman of the Foundation for the Disinherited and War Disabled, sits with outgoing chairman Mohsen Rafiqdoost (R) during the innauguration ceremony in Tehran July 28. Foroozandeh says he plans to make the sprawling foundation more efficient and cost effective.

JDP - RTRQNR6

Iranian commander breaks silence on wartime arms imports

A prominent Iranian military figure who served as minister of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during the Iran-Iraq War has broken the long tradition of silence surrounding Iran's arms imports during its war with Iraq.

Iran's former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (C), Iranian former vice president Mohammad Reza Aref (centre, L) and a group of reformists pose for a photo in Tehran February 22, 2016. REUTERS/Mohammad Kazempour/TIMA TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. IT IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS. FOR EDITORIAL USE ON

Iranian Reformists send clear support for Rouhani

A new, unofficial think tank in Tehran intends to give advice to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and aims for there to be more Reformist influence in the president’s inner circle.