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Iran

August 17, 2026

Tehran 4:21 am

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A Baluch Iranian man rides a bicycle

Analysis

Why Iran is intensifying wartime crackdown in restive Baluchistan

A string of security operations in Iran's southeast has underscored Tehran's enduring fears that wartime instability could aggravate longstanding ethnic, sectarian and economic grievances.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Motorists drive vehicles past a billboard depicting Iran's late supreme leader Ali Khamenei along a street in central Tehran on August 8, 2026. Hopes for an imminent US-Iran deal to end the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz added to optimism that oil and gas, along with other key products, would again start flowing freely after more than five months of war. But oil prices turned higher ahead of the weekend in the absence of any confirmation of an accord, amid reports that Iran was planning to block US and Is

Explainer

What would BRICS Bank membership mean for Iran's reeling economy?

Iran’s Central Bank governor said the country will soon join the New Development Bank as he traveled to India this week for a meeting of the group’s finance leaders.

A photograph obtained from the Iranian Students’ News Agency shows an oil slick along the southern coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, August 13, 2026.

Oil spills off Oman, Iran's Qeshm Island reap environmental havoc amid war

One oil leak off the coast of Oman is estimated to cover more than 772 square miles, devastating local habitats.

Latest News

Iran’s Hormuz authority denies Trump claims of control over strait: What to know

Children swimming in the Strait of Hormuz

Hormuz traffic sinks to one-week low as ships attacked, talks stagnate

port attack

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

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Vance says US and Israel's 'interests diverge' on Iran nuclear issue: What to know

The rare admission by top Trump administration official comes as polling show US alignment with Israel in war against Iran is political baggage among a growing number of Republican voters.

Rocket trails are seen in the sky above the Israeli coastal city of Netanya on June 7, 2026.

US military helped Israel intercept Iran's missiles: What to know

Iranian barrages targeting Israel came after Israeli warplanes struck the outskirts of Beirut, despite the White House publicly signaling its opposition to such strikes.

An Airbus A321 airliner arrives at the Mehrabad international airport during the delivery of the first batch of planes to the Iranian state airline Iran Air in the capital Tehran on Jaunary 12, 2017. - The aircraft arrived as part of an order for 100 other Airbus planes with a list price of around $20 billion (19 billion euros) on December 22, placed after the lifting of international sanctions on the Islamic republic. It will be used for internal flights landed at Tehran's Mehrabad airport. (Photo by ATTA

Israel-Iran escalation grounds flights across parts of Middle East

Iran suspended flights across all airports after Israeli strikes hit the country.

Women walk past buildings destroyed in a joint attack by Israel and the United States on April 6, 2026, in Tehran, Iran.

Peace talks tested but continue after Iran-Israel escalation

President Donald Trump said “final negotiations on ‘peace’ are proceeding,” while Iran said the talks were unfolding “in an atmosphere of deep mistrust.”

Oil tankers and high-speed crafts anchored near the Strait of Hormuz, Muscat, Oman, March 30, 2026.

Analysis

Oman’s wartime paradox: Diplomatic losses, economic gains

Experts see Oman gaining long-term economic benefits from the US-Israel-Iran war even as the conflict bruises Muscat’s diplomatic standing.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Morocco's midfielder Azzedine Ounahi celebrates scoring with teammates during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E African qualification football match between Morocco and Niger at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat on September 5, 2025. (Photo by Abdel Majid BZIOUAT / AFP)

Culture

10 MENA teams at 2026 World Cup: Morocco eyes title, Iran faces visa hurdles

Jordan is competing in its first World Cup, while Iraq is making only its second appearance, as teams from the region seek to advance against European and Latin American powerhouses.

A monument depicting former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah stands in the town of Harouf, in the Nabatieh district of southern Lebanon, on May 14, 2026.

Analysis

Why Iran is making Hezbollah a red line in postwar diplomacy

Recent statements from Iran's military and diplomatic leadership suggest Tehran is determined to prove that war has weakened neither its regional alliances nor its leverage.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency, a katyusha rocket is fired from a speed boat during a military drill near the port of Bandar Jask in the Sear of Oman on May 10, 2010.

Iran unveils new missile-armed fast attack boat: What to know

The boats are the latest addition to Iran’s "mosquito fleet," a fleet of high-speed attack craft operated by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun delivers a speech during a meeting of Pope Leo XIV with authorities, civil society and diplomatic corps at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of the capital Beirut, on November 30, 2025. (Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP via Getty Images)

'Not your country': Joseph Aoun tells Iran to stay out of Lebanon's affairs

The Lebanese president called on Israel and Hezbollah to negotiate while the parliament speaker said he would endorse a ceasefire if Israel withdraws.

An Iranian flag flutters in the wind as ships remain anchored on May 16, 2026 in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran.

US sanctions network smuggling Iranian LPG as talks falter

The sanctions come as President Donald Trump has offered mixed signals on prospects for a deal.

AFP via Getty Images

Oman denies disruption at key oil hub after reported drone attack

Oman’s state-owned oil company rebuffed reports about the suspension of oil loading operations at a key port following an alleged drone attack.