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July 14, 2026

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US President Donald Trump gestures as he steps off Air Force One to board the new Qatari-gifted Boeing plane, en route to the United States following his participation in the NATO Summit at Royal Air Force Mildenhall on July 8, 2026, in Mildenhall, England.

Trump says US to strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site

Satellite imagery has detected recent construction at the underground facility.

The Liberian-flagged container vessel MSC Reef is seen docked along a pier at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in Sharjah Emirate, along the Gulf of Oman, on June 28, 2026.

Explainer

Trump’s Hormuz playbook echoes Iran’s attempts to monetize waterway

On Monday, Trump declared that the United States would become the "guardian" of the strategic waterway, reimpose a blockade on Iranian shipping and seek reimbursement equivalent to 20% of all cargo transiting the strait.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Oil climbs after US strikes Iran, Trump vows to control Strait of Hormuz

US Central Command said in a statement early on Monday that it struck dozens of Iranian targets overnight as Iran targeted American bases across the Gulf.

U.S. President Donald Trump returns to Joint Base Andrews on July 09, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump, switched from the old Air Force One to the new Air Force One while stopping in the U.K. at RAF Mildenhall Air Force Base was returning from his visit to Ankara, Turkey where he attended the NATO summit. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Trump says US to resume naval blockade of Iran's ports

President Donald Trump countered Iran's attempts to collect tolls on shipping via the Strait of Hormuz by announcing the US would do so at a rate of 20% for all cargo transiting the waterway.

Latest News

Analysis

Why Iran is making infrastructure next front in Mideast conflict

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.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

How Iran war could impact oil markets in 2027

Igor IVANKO / AFP via Getty Images

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

Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps listen to a speech in parliament in Tehran on Oct. 7, 2018, about a bill to counter terrorist financing.

IRGC officer killed by Kurdish fighters in skirmish

The Iran-Iraq border has recently witnessed a fresh uptick in cross-border attacks by Kurdish armed groups fighting for autonomy.

A general view shows the residence of a Swiss diplomat whose body was found at the entrance in the northern district of Tehran on May 4, 2021. A spokesman for the Iranian national rescue service said the body was found in the morning after the diplomat "fell from a (residential) tower in Kamranieh." In a message to AFP's Geneva office, Switzerland's Foreign Ministry confirmed that "a Swiss employee of the Swiss Embassy in Tehran died in a fatal incident."

Swiss diplomat falls to her death in Iranian capital

The unidentified diplomat was a top official at the Swiss Embassy in Tehran.

In this handout image provided by EU Delegation Vienna, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (R) speaks with other participants at the JCPOA Iran nuclear talks on April 27, 2021, in Vienna, Austria.

Iran downplays state media report on US prisoner swap

The US government has also denied that it reached a deal to swap prisoners with Iran.

KHAMENEI.IR/AFP via Getty Images

Iran's Khamenei responds to Zarif leak

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei defended former Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani after the uproar over a leaked audio recording by the foreign minister.

Zarif and Mottaki

Iran leaked tape scandal claims its first victim

One of the most powerful members of President Hassan Rouhani's inner circle has stepped down as the repercussions of a leaked audio file containing controversial statements by Iran's foreign minister continue to shake the country's political scene.

A grab from an AFPTV video taken on April 25, 2021, shows fighters loyal to the Saudi-backed Yemeni government along the Mashgah frontline against Houthi rebel forces near the contested northeastern city of Marib.

Iran’s Zarif backs cease-fire in meeting with Yemen’s Houthis

Saudi Arabia and Iran held talks in Baghdad earlier this month to de-escalate tensions.

Khamenei

As Iran looks to boost production, major political barriers remain

Iran’s leaders have put a renewed focus on increasing domestic production, yet to achieve this goal there must be political stability and sincere efforts to push back on corruption.

An Iranian health worker injects university professor Mahnaz Rasouli-Nejad with a dose of a locally made Iranian COVID-19 vaccine during the second phase of trials in the capital, Tehran, on March 15, 2021.

Iran enters third trial phase of domestic coronavirus vaccine

Iran-made vaccines may be available this summer as cases continue to rise despite lockdown measures.

Iranian Army office/AFP via Getty Images

US Navy fires warning shots in encounter with Iranian patrol boats

A US Navy patrol ship fired warning shots to ward off Iranian boats in the Persian Gulf on Monday, marking the second run-in between the two countries’ naval forces this month.

ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

Rouhani defends Zarif, Soleimani as Iran roils over leaked audio

Iran’s president and speaker of parliament both defended assassinated Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani after critical comments by the foreign minister became public.

Zarif

Zarif faces fury from Iranian hard-liners after leaked tape

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called for an investigation into the leak of a tape meant for posterity.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif gestures during a meeting with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza (out of frame), at the Casa Amarilla palace in Caracas, on Nov. 5, 2020.

Leaked recording of Iran's foreign minister stirs debate

The recording of Iran’s foreign minister has led to speculation as to motivations and meanings.