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Iran

September 15, 2026

Tehran 8:52 am

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VTB Bank in Moscow

US hits major Russian bank VTB with Iran-linked sanctions

State-controlled VTB becomes one of the most prominent global names yet caught up in Washington’s ongoing effort to squeeze Iran's economy.

Milak border crossing near the town of Zabol, Iran

Third Sunni cleric killed in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan Province: What to know

Iran says it is stepping up its crackdown on armed groups in the impoverished province as Sunni clerics have been reported killed there and in the predominantly Kurdish northwest.

AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Saudi pipeline shutdown exposes shrinking global oil-supply buffers

Oil prices have climbed to their highest since May as disruptions to flows through the Strait of Hormuz and the temporary shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline tighten global supply.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

A sailor from the navy of Yemen's Aden-based internationally recognized government stands at a machine-gun position aboard a vessel patrolling a shipping lane off Hanish Island in the Red Sea on July 27, 2026.

Oil tops $109 after Houthi strikes, Saudi pipeline shutdown

The Houthi militia said on Monday that it fired dozens of drones and ballistic missiles at military targets in Saudi Arabia in retaliation for airstrikes by Riyadh in Yemen.

Latest News

Analysis

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

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

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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

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

Analysis

Could Iran’s nuclear ambitions harden as war escalates?

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

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

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

Analysis

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

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)

Jared Szuba

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

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 to name coordinator for implementing Iran nuclear deal

With the Iran nuclear deal expected to survive congressional review, the Obama administration is preparing to pivot from defending the deal to the crucial task of implementing it, with diplomat Stephen Mull leading the new office to coordinate JCPOA implementation for the US government.

Iranian authorities scramble to stop 'Beat the Arab'

An online game targeting Arabs and hosted on Iranian websites is prompting authorities to take action.

Land-grabbing captures attention of Iranians

Mutual accusations of land-grabbing by two Iranian lawmakers reignite media coverage and public debate about this contentious issue.

Rouhani defends nuclear deal to IRGC

In his speech defending the nuclear deal to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani drew wide attention for calling other threats such as pollution and economic deterioration just as serious as Western influence.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) attends a news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in Strelna near St. Petersburg, November 22, 2013. Putin said on Friday Western states must persuade the Syrian opposition to attend talks with President Bashar al-Assad's government which he said should take place as soon as possible. REUTERS/Aleksey Nikolskyi/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS CONFLICT)

ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED,

Russia deepens Turkey’s Syrian impasse

Moscow’s increasing military support for the Assad regime makes a reassessment of Ankara’s Syria policy essential.

Zarif testifies before parliament’s nuclear deal committee

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif testified before parliament's special committee to review the final comprehensive nuclear deal.

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) addresses a Tea Party rally against the Iran nuclear deal at the U.S. Capitol in Washington September 9, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTSDEU

Republicans prepare for next round on Iran

A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing the week of Sept. 14.

Will Iran reach truce with the Islamic State?

Some members of Iran’s foreign policy elite are suggesting that Iran reduce regional military intervention — a policy that could help US President Barack Obama's administration sell the Iran deal to skeptical traditional allies and their US supporters.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani (R) is welcomed by Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan as he arrives for a meeting at Erdogan's office in Ankara June 9, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3SVX6

After tumultuous history, what's next for Turkish-Iranian relations?

For Turkey and Iran, preventing differences over regional issues from spilling into their bilateral relations will — now more than ever — be a balancing act.

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

Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani gives the opening speech during Iran's Assembly of Experts' biannual meeting in Tehran March 8, 2011. Rafsanjani lost his position on Tuesday as head of an important state clerical body after hardliners criticised him for being too close to the reformist opposition. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi (IRAN - Tags: POLITIC

Rafsanjani emphasizes importance of political parties

Ahead of the parliamentary elections, Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani seeks the strengthening of political parties.

How Bibi's Iran obsession has damaged American-Jewish community's image

By soliciting the aid of American-Jewish organizations to openly battle the Iran deal in the US Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu damaged the bipartisan image of the Jewish community in the United States.

Tehran's mayor and presidential candidate, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf (C) arrives to vote in the first round of the presidential election on June 14, 2013 at a polling station at Shah Abdolazim mausoleum in southern Tehran. Iranians are voting to choose a new president in an election the reformists hope their sole candidate will win in the face of divided conservative ranks, four years after the disputed re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. AFP PHOTO/BEHROUZ MEHRI (Photo credit should read BEHROUZ MEHRI/

Tehran's ever-ambitious mayor

Tehran's mayor, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, is making plans for his supporters to gain seats in the February parliamentary elections.