Iran - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Iran cover image

Iran

September 20, 2026

Ostān-e Tehrān 7:36 am

27°C

A picture of Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who was killed during Israeli strikes on Tehran in June, is displayed Zahedan, the capital of the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, during a media tour organized by the Iranian government on Dec. 18, 2025.

Analysis

How a new Baluch militant coalition raises pressure on Iran-Pakistan border

Iran's military standoff with the US may be creating opportunities for Baluch groups to launch operations from the mountainous, sparsely populated frontier region with Pakistan.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Members of Iran's Basij paramilitary force march

Analysis

As Iran regime marks 200 days of war, is it also preparing for dissent?

Seven months into the war with the US, Iranian authorities staged a pro-government mobilization in Tehran, combining patriotic spectacle with a carefully calibrated demonstration aimed for domestic internal security capacity.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

A pedestrian passes by the Treasury Building in Washington, DC on Jan. 18, 2023.

US sanctions Iranian crypto exchange BitBank over Hormuz payments

The US government says the exchange was used to channel payments from an Iranian maritime-insurance scheme to the regime.

AFP via Getty Images

China presses Iran, US to reopen Hormuz as disruptions threaten oil supply

Conflicts in the region are disrupting two key routes for oil bound for China, with Iranian crude affected by the Strait of Hormuz and Saudi shipments facing growing risks in the Red Sea.

Latest News

Exclusive

Lacking deterrence, Israel’s security establishment opposes attacks on Houthis

Fighters loyal to the Houthi authorities, brandish their weapons during a rally to recruit more fighters, in Sanaa on September 10, 2026. The country relapsed into war in July after years of calm, drawn into the regional conflict triggered by the US-Israeli offensive against Iran that began at the end of February. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP via Getty Images)

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Analysis

How far will Iran push Houthis against Saudi Arabia amid raging conflict?

Houthi fighters marching

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

Palestinian girls take part in a ballet class at Gaza college in Gaza City September 3, 2012. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (GAZA - Tags: SOCIETY EDUCATION) - RTR37FYP

Iran Cuts Funding to Hamas For Cultural Programs

Iranian funds for Gaza's cultural, education and sports scene have withered due to the fallout with Hamas over Syria.

Congress Not Won Over By Rouhani Victory in Iran

Congress wants to press ahead with sanctions on Iran but the White House may go slow if Iran improves cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

A supporter of moderate cleric Hassan Rohani celebrates his victory in Iran's presidential election along a street in Tehran June 16, 2013. Rohani won Iran's presidential election on Saturday, the interior ministry said, scoring a surprising landslide victory over conservative hardliners without the need for a second round run-off. REUTERS/Yalda Moayeri (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTX10PBJ

The Rouhani Surprise

The election of Hassan Rouhani as president of Iran has defied analysts and created an opportunity for the West.

Shi'ite Muslims attend a religious ritual at the Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad, January 8, 2011. REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen (IRAQ - Tags: RELIGION POLITICS) - RTXWC4X

Prominent Shiite Clerics Diverge From Iran on 'Islamic' Punishment

While Iran continues to enforce Islamic punishment through its legal system, many Shiite clerics remain critical of such practices.

A Shi'ite Muslim reads a book at the Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad, January 9, 2011. REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen (IRAQ - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY) - RTXWD4I

Fewer Iranian Religious Tourists Are Visiting Iraq's Holy Places

Economic and security concerns have led to a marked decrease in the number of Iranians visiting Iraq as religious tourists.

Rouhani Should Recast Relations in the Levant

Iranian President-elect Hassan Rouhani has an opportunity to chart a new course for the region.

Israel Should Give Rouhani a Chance

The election of Hassan Rouhani as Iran's next president proves that the Iranian people seek change.

Presidential candidate Hassan Rohani shows his ballot before casting it during the Iranian presidential election in Tehran June 14, 2013. Millions of Iranians voted to choose a new president on Friday, urged by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to turn out in force to discredit suggestions by arch foe the United States that the election would be unfair. REUTERS/Yalda Moayeri (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTX10ND6

Rouhani, Iran Key To Political Solution in Syria

Inviting Iran to the Geneva II conference on Syria would be an encouraging gesture from Washington, supporting President-elect Hassan Rouhani in his moderate stance.

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

A general view of housing complexes in northwestern Tehran on a clear day February 12, 2011. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN - Tags: CITYSCAPE ENVIRONMENT) - RTR2IHNH

Iran’s Housing Crisis

President-elect Hassan Rouhani must tackle a seemingly intractable crisis in Iran’s housing sector.

Iranian presidential candidate Hassan Rohani (L) waves to supporters in the central Iranian city of Shiraz June 11, 2013. Picture taken June 11, 2013. REUTERS/Fars News/Mohammad Hadi Khosravi (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS PICTURE WAS PROCESSED BY REUTERS TO ENHANCE QUALITY. AN UNPROCESSED VERSION WILL BE PROVIDED SEPARATELY - RTX10L2E

Obama Should Invite Iran's Rouhani to Geneva

The election of Hassan Rouhani as president of Iran might present an opening for a political solution to the Syria war.

Iranian President-elect Hassan Rohani (C) speaks to the media following a visit to the Khomeini mausoleum in Tehran June 16, 2013. Reuters/Fars News/Seyed Hassan Mousavi (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - RTX10Q47

Iran’s Predictable Elections

The victory of Hassan Rouhani is a triumph for rationality.

A supporter of moderate cleric Hassan Rohani gestures with a picture of him as she celebrates his victory in Iran's presidential election on a street in Tehran June 15, 2013. Rohani won Iran's presidential election on Saturday, the interior ministry said, scoring a surprising landslide victory over conservative hardliners without the need for a second round run-off. REUTERS/Fars News/Sina Shiri (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL US

Rouhani’s Election Win in Iran Promises to Ease Tension

Hassan Rouhani's election is expected to ease tensions among Iranians and the international community.