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Iran

July 7, 2026

Tehran 8:57 am

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A picture taken on Nov. 10, 2019, shows workers on the construction site of a second reactor in Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, during an official ceremony to kick-start the works at the facility.

Russia’s Rosatom says staff to return to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant: What to know

Russia evacuated hundreds of personnel from Bushehr after the start of the US-Israel-Iran war, but it has pledged to continue helping Iran develop its nuclear capabilities.

Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei

Iran’s hard-line judicial chief Mohseni Ejei gets second term: What to know

The veteran judicial official, who has been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union, has been accused of overseeing widespread human rights violations for decades. His reappointment by Mojtaba Khamenei signals continuity in Iran's hardline judicial policies and crackdown on dissent.

A man walks past the flags of the countries attending the Gulf Cooperation Council summit at Bayan palace in Kuwait City on Dec. 5, 2017.

Analysis

How Iran war shaped divergent paths to security among GCC states

The Iran war left the Gulf more fragmented than united, with competing security strategies replacing any prospect of a common regional defense.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

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

Latest News

Analysis

Iran set to bury Khamenei, but his hard-line legacy may endure

Iranians walk past a billboard bearing a picture of Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei ahead of his funeral in Tehran on July 3, 2026. Iranian leaders began paying their respects on July 3 before the coffin of the country's late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, killed in the US-Israeli strikes that triggered the Middle East war, as Tehran prepared for a vast funeral. Khamenei's body arrived at Tehran's Grand Mosalla on July 3 ahead of ceremonies which are expected to draw millions. (Photo by AFP via Getty

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Analysis

As US-Iran talks falter, Israel views war outcome as 'total strategic failure’

Motorists drive past a billboard bearing a picture of Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei, ahead of his funeral in Tehran on July 3, 2026. Iranian leaders began paying their respects on July 3 before the coffin of the country's late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, killed in the US-Israeli strikes that triggered the Middle East war, as Tehran prepared for a vast funeral. Khamenei's body arrived at Tehran's Grand Mosalla on July 3 ahead of ceremonies which are expected to draw millions. (Photo by AFP via Ge

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

As Trump touts nuclear progress, US-Iran talks show little momentum

Nathan Howard / AFP via Getty Images

Oil falls below $71 as US-Iran talks continue, Gulf exports rebound

Crude oil tankers, bulk carriers and vessels sit anchored around Qaboos Port on June 22, 2026, in Muscat, Oman.

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

Office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran via Getty Images

Iran investigates Raisi helicopter crash: What we know

Some Iranian officials have blamed US sanctions for the helicopter crash that led to President Ebrahim Raisi’s death, while the first government report on the matter said nothing suspicious occurred.

Iranian mourners attend the funeral of late president Ebrahim Raisi in the city of Mashhad on May 23, 2024.

Raisi's death unlikely to rattle Iran's foreign, domestic politics

The Iranian president's sudden death is unlikely to cause major disruptions to the political dynamics in Iran, though the Islamic Republic will go through an adjustment process.

Iranians participate in the 12th term parliamentary elections and the 6th term Assembly of Leadership Experts' voting at a Tehran polling station on March 1, 2024.

Culture

What Iran's elections could signal about potential for US escalation

The sudden death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has plunged the country into new uncertainty, but it’s unlikely to derail Washington's quiet push to dial back tensions with Tehran.

Iranians follow a truck carrying coffins of the late President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions, who were killed in a helicopter crash, during a funeral ceremony for them on May 22, 2024, in Tehran, Iran.

Khamenei leads Raisi’s funeral attended by tens of thousands of Iranians, regional leaders

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash on Sunday, along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and a number of other officials.

An Iranian woman in Tehran passes by a poster of Iran's late president Ebrahim Raisi two days after his death on May 21, 2024.

Iran: 8 key contenders to watch as potential successors to Raisi

Facing the key issue of turnout of a disfranchised, apathetic public, Iranian authorities will be holding an early election next month to replace Ebrahim Raisi, whose tenure was cut short due to a deadly chopper crash.

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi welcomed by his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing, China on Feb. 14, 2023.

Analysis

After Raisi's death, China looks for answers on Iran's Khamenei succession

Raisi was hailed as a "good friend" of China and while his death is unlikely to stir those ties, Beijing is keeping watch of the race in Iran to succeed Khamenei.

Yun Sun

In Washington, DC, reporting on China-Middle East ties

A Turkish Bayraktar TB2 combat drone is on view during a presentation at the Lithuanian Air Force Base in Siauliai, Lithuania, on July 6, 2022.

Turkey's fastest drone plays key role locating Iran helicopter crash site

The location of the helicopter crash site was identified by Turkey’s Akinci drone, according to Turkish officials, after Ankara sent teams to help Iran's search mission.

AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images)

As Iran heads to elections after Raisi’s death, hard-liners face legitimacy crisis

While the Iranian president's death in a helicopter crash may pose immediate questions about the country's future trajectory, little significant change is expected, as the ruling establishment's key workings remain strictly in the supreme leader's tight controls.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani leaves after talks at the Coburg Palais, the venue of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in Vienna on August 4, 2022. - The United States and the European Union's Iran nuclear envoys on August 3, 2022 said they were travelling to Vienna for talks with Tehran's delegation as they seek to salvage the agreement on its atomic ambitions. (Photo by Alex HALADA / AFP) (Photo by ALEX HALADA/AFP via Getty Images)

Meet Iran's Mokhber and Bagheri Kani, interim president and FM after crash

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian died in a helicopter crash on Sunday along with a number of other officials.

Russian sign Raisi

From China to Houthis, leaders and groups react to death of Iran's Raisi

Regional and world leaders' condolences have poured in for the death of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials, including the foreign minister, in a helicopter crash.

Ebrahim Raisi, the president of Iran participate in the 12th term parliamentary elections and the 6th term Assembly of Leadership Experts' voting at a Tehran polling station on March 01, 2024. The elections encompass both parliamentary and Assembly of Experts' ballots, crucial for Iran's leadership selection and oversight. (Photo by Hossein Beris / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by HOSSEIN BERIS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Who was Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s president killed in helicopter crash?

Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash near the border with Azerbaijan, was a hard-line cleric under US sanctions whose term was marked by domestic turmoil and mounting tensions with the West.

JABRAYAIL, AZERBAIJAN - MAY 19: (EDITOR’S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images’ editorial policy.) In this handout image supplied by the Office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi Meets with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev as they inaugurate the Qiz Qalasi Dam, constructed on the Aras River on the joint borders between Iran and Azerbaijan, after which his helicopter has reportedly crashed near

Iran declares 5 days of mourning after President Raisi, FM die in helicopter crash

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials were in a helicopter with President Ebrahim Raisi when it went missing near the border with Azerbaijan.