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Iran

September 13, 2026

Tehran 11:37 pm

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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

US seizure of Iranian assets may open old wounds

One month after the US Supreme Court’s ruling that frozen Iranian assets can be used to compensate families of victims of a 1983 bombing, the Rouhani administration is under mounting pressure to take action.

Stephen Mull, the US State Department's Lead Coordinator For Iran Nuclear Implementation, speaks during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on December 17, 2015. AFP PHOTO/NICHOLAS KAMM / AFP / NICHOLAS KAMM (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

Does Obama administration oppose key Iran bill?

Congress blows up over the administration's refusal to endorse renewal of the expiring Iran Sanctions Act.

Tehran accuses Israel of holding four Iranians who disappeared 34 years ago

Iran's defense minister said that Israel is holding prisoner the four Iranians who were kidnapped in Lebanon in 1982.

Hard-line cleric clinches Assembly of Experts leadership

Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati has been elected to head Iran's Assembly of Experts, the body that will choose the next supreme leader of Iran.

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 - RTX2AOPF

What's fueling opposition to Iran's new oil contracts?

The future of a new framework for Iranian oil contracts remains blurry as political infighting seems to be preventing its finalization.

Riot police stand guard while Syrian protesters hold anti-Assad placards in front of the Arab League headquarters in Cairo where a meeting of Arab foreign ministers is taking place September 5, 2012. The placards say, "We are on hunger strike for the sake of the Syrian children". REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR37IEC

Why hasn't Egypt taken a clear stance on Syria?

Since Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power two years ago, Egypt has repeatedly stated that it wants to preserve the Syrian state and army, but it has been vague when it comes to voicing an opinion on the regime itself.

Rouhani praises 'historic' day for Iran, India, Afghanistan

The leaders of Iran, India and Afghanistan gathered in Tehran to sign an agreement to develop a transit system connecting their countries via the southeastern Iranian port of Chabahar.

Is it time to tame Iran's lawless publishing sector?

Iranians are debating whether to join the international Berne Convention on copyright, with advocates arguing that signing on will bring legitimacy to Iranian publishing and detractors fearing copyright enforcement will only benefit the corrupt and powerful.

How Leonardo DiCaprio became unlikely champion in Iran

Iranians are elated that actor Leonardo DiCaprio is helping to raise awareness of the drying of Lake Urmia.

Iraqis divided over Soleimani's role in their country

Iran's Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani is stirring controversy in the Iraqi street, where citizens are waving both Iranian and Iraqi flags during demonstrations for or against his presence.

An Iranian anti-narcotics policeman stands guard beside a display of confiscated drugs during a ceremony concluding anti-narcotics manoeuvres in Zahedan, 1,605 kilometers (1,003 miles) southeast of Tehran May 20, 2009. The head of the U.N. crime agency praised Iran during a visit on Wednesday for curbing the flow of smuggled heroin from Afghanistan and helping keep the drug off Western streets. Picture taken May 20, 2009. REUTERS/Caren Firouz (IRAN CRIME LAW POLITICS SOCIETY) - RTXKL1B

Will Iran stop executions for drug offenses?

Mohammad Javad Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Human Rights Council, has been joined by other officials in his repeated calls to cut down on executions for drug offenses.

Rouhani’s greatest win on the verge of becoming liability

Both ends of the bargain of the nuclear deal must be delivered to ensure the agreement will be a lasting legacy.