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July 2, 2026

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

With a final nuclear agreement far from reach, the US-Iran conflict risks settling into a new status quo.

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

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

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in an X post on Wednesday that Iran and the United States had made "positive progress."

Latest News

Analysis

Why Iran's Pezeshkian is facing an uphill battle in postwar diplomacy

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian listens during a joint press conference alongside Armenia's Prime Minister in Yerevan on August 19, 2025.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Analysis

For Israel, Lebanon deal 'historic' despite fears Hezbollah will rebuild

Shia Muslim devotees gather for a mourning ritual near the shrine of Hassan Nasrallah, the slain leader of the Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah who was killed in a 2024 Israeli-airstrike, in Beirut's southern suburbs on June 26, 2026 at the peak of Ashura, a 10-day period commemorating the seventh century killing of Prophet Mohammed's grandson Imam Hussein. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP via Getty Images)

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

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

President Donald Trump pauses as he finishes speaking about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington.

Trump agrees to halt war for 2 weeks if Iran reopens Hormuz

Gas prices over $6.00 are displayed at a Shell station across from the Marathon Petroleum Corp's Los Angeles Refinery on April 02, 2026, in Carson, California.

EIA hikes 2026 oil price forecasts 22% as Hormuz fuels long-term market fallout

In its latest update, the agency said international benchmark Brent crude is now expected to average $96 per barrel in 2026, up from $79 previously, with higher prices now expected to last through 2027.

A family sits against the backdrop of a dockyard in Khor Fakkan in the Gulf emirate of Sharjah, off the coast of the Gulf of Oman, on Feb. 25, 2026.

Iran threatens energy shock, ups Gulf strikes ahead of Trump deadline: What to know

Majid Mousavi, head of the IRGC Aerospace Force, declared the start of a “new phase” of the war in response to US threats to target key Iranian civilian infrastructure.

A view of the damaged B1 bridge, a day after it was destroyed by an airstrike, on April 3, 2026, west of Tehran in Karaj, Iran.

Israel, seeking wider war, hits Iranian railways, bridges as Trump deadline nears

Since the Trump administration announced its deadline, Israel has prepared for a potential US escalation, including airstrikes on civilian infrastructure or ground operations.

The Foreign Minister chaired the Security Council session on cooperation between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United Nations.

China, Russia veto scaled-back Hormuz resolution at UN Security Council

The vote came hours before the US deadline for Iran to reopen the global chokepoint.

The Dubai skyline with the landmark Burj Khalifa skyscraper (R) is pictured as a smoke plume rises from an ongoing fire near Dubai International Airport on March 16, 2026. Flights were gradually resuming at Dubai airport on March 16, previously the world's busiest for international flights, the airport operator said, after a "drone-related incident" sparked a fuel tank fire nearby, as Iran kept up its Gulf attacks. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) /

Gulf nations in line of fire brace for Iran escalation: What to know

A bridge linking Saudi Arabia to Bahrain was briefly closed as Iran escalates its attacks in the Gulf ahead of a looming US deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

United Arab Emirates

Motorists ride scooters near a large political banner, depicting missiles being fired behind Iranian demonstrators in solidarity with the government, at Valiasr Square in Tehran on April 6, 2026.

US strikes Iran’s Kharg Island as Trump threatens 'whole civilization'

Iranian outlets reported several explosions on the island, which is crucial to the country’s oil industry, just hours ahead of a US deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Israeli soldiers patrol a street in Hebron's Old City in the occupied West Bank on January 23, 2026, deployed as settlers entered the area under army protection. (Photo by Mosab Shawer / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

Four Israeli soldiers arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran: What to know

Since the Oct. 7 attacks, several Israelis have been prosecuted for spying for Iran, but this is the first case involving active-duty soldiers.

TOPSHOT - A view of the B1 bridge is pictured, a day after it was destroyed by a strike in Karaj, around 20miles (35kms) southwest of Tehran, April 3, 2026. US President Donald Trump said on April 2 the tallest bridge in Iran had been destroyed, hours after threatening to bomb the country "back to the Stone Ages." (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images) /

With Trump's goals unmet, can strikes on Iran's economy force a deal?

Ordering the US military to destroy Iran's road transit system and electrical grid risks war crimes that may harden Iranian resistance after five weeks of bombing has failed to deliver Trump’s strategic objectives.

Indian vessel Nanda Devi, carrying liquefied petroleum gas, arrives at Vadinar Port in the Jamnagar district of Gujarat state on March 17, 2026, after Iran allowed it to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a

From France to India: Who is Iran allowing through the Strait of Hormuz?

Ships from Qatar turned around on Monday after sailing toward the Strait of Hormuz, while a growing number of countries have received permission to traverse the waterway.

US President Donald Trump looks on during a press conference about the conflict in Iran in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, on April 6, 2026, in Washington.

‘No bridges, no power plants’: Trump ups threats against Iran if deal fails

President Trump said he wasn't worried that striking civilian infrastructure could amount to war crimes.

This handout photograph provided by the Turkish Foreign Ministry press service shows Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (L) meeting with Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (R) in Damascus on Dec. 22, 2025.

Analysis

How the Iran war can help Syria manage Turkey and its regional rivals

Rising regional tensions and disrupted oil flows are giving Damascus leverage to balance Ankara and other neighbors while exploring alternative energy corridors.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture