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May 18, 2026

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A tugboat guides the Russian oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin as it arrives at the oil terminal in the port of Matanzas, northwestern Cuba, on March 31, 2026.

Breaking | Last Updated: May 18, 2026, 1:36 pm

US extends Russian oil sanctions waiver as Iran war squeezes supply

The waiver temporarily lifts sanctions on Russian oil for 30 days.

Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images

Oil swings as UAE nuclear plant strike, Iran diplomacy push roil markets

International benchmark Brent crude futures whipsawed on Monday as markets digested a dangerous new escalation alongside signs of diplomatic progress.

Amid FARAHI / AFP via Getty Images

Iran confiscates assets of 129 alleged ‘traitors’ in West Azerbaijan province

Iranian authorities have cracked down on people accused of collaborating with the US and Israel since the war erupted in February while fears of renewed fighting remain high amid stalled peace talks.

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Analysis

Pakistan’s six corridors offer Iran a trade lifeline, could outlast Hormuz crisis

Iranian cargo trucks cross into the Pakistan-Iran border at Taftan, Balochistan province, on June 18, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

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

Analysis

From hoarding to unemployment: Iran's economy buckles under US pressure

Women shop from a street vendor at Enghelab Square in the capital Tehran on Nov. 11, 2025.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Analysis

How the Iran war is exposing a growing Saudi-UAE divide

Explosions rattled buildings in Dubai and a large cloud of smoke hung over a central area of the Middle East financial hub on March 13, 2026.

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Analysis

‘A reckless act’: Netanyahu sparks UAE fury by claiming secret visit

US President Donald Trump talks to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as he departs the Al Bateen Executive Airport on May 15, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

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

Protests erupt in southwest Iran over water shortages

A shortage of drinking water in southwest Iran has resulted in protests and conspiracy theories.

Iran’s Reformists hit by suppression at home, pressure from abroad

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Iranian Reformists have no choice but to reinvent themselves if they are to exert political influence.

For Israel, Syrian battles hit too close to home

Israel is facing a complicated situation on its Syrian border as Iran keeps reinforcing its presence in the country, the Syrian army gets closer to Israel and refugees continue to flee the combat zones.

An Iranian dress designer checks the fit of a veil on a bride at a high fashion studio in north Tehran October 2, 2007. Wearing the all-enveloping chador (veil) or a headscarf and loose-fitting full-length coat is obligatory under Sharia law, imposed after the 1979 Islamic revolution. Offenders face fines, whipping or jail. But that has not stopped image-conscious Iranian women and a growing number are going under the knife for new noses, tummy tucks, liposuction, lifting eyelids or breast augmentation. Pic

Instant verbal divorce rips families apart in Iran's Kurdish region

An uncommon Sunni practice granting immediate verbal divorce has wreaked havoc on the lives of many Kurdish-Iranian families, and some legal and religious parties argue it should be abolished.

Syrians wave Iranian, Russian and Syrian flags during a protest against U.S.-led air strikes in Damascus,Syria April 14,2018.REUTERS/ Omar Sanadiki TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1815671B90

US pushes for Plan B in Syria

Facing the collapse of a US-backed de-escalation zone in Syria’s southwest, the Donald Trump administration is split on plans to counter thousands of Iranian troops in the war-torn country.

Soccer Football - World Cup - Group B - Iran vs Portugal - Mordovia Arena, Saransk, Russia - June 25, 2018 Iran players line up before the match REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC1F71E7CCD0

Iran's national team sees popularity boost, but not just because of World Cup

The siege mentality that is re-emerging with the return of US sanctions appears to have acted to rally Iranians around the national soccer squad.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani attends an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey May 18, 2018. Arif Hudaverdi Yaman/Pool via Reuters - RC1D12304700

Iranian hard-liners smell blood as Rouhani under fire over economy

Iranian hard-liners continue to maneuver to not just undermine but wholly get rid of moderate President Hassan Rouhani.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani speaks during an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey May 18, 2018. Arif Hudaverdi Yaman/Pool via Reuters - RC129DDA4DA0

Rouhani urges Iran’s factions to unite against US pressure

Facing mounting economic pressure, President Hassan Rouhani urged Iran’s various factions to put differences aside and work together.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu climbs out after a visit inside the Rahav, the fifth submarine in the Israeli Navy's fleet, after it arrived in Haifa port January 12, 2016. The Dolphin-class submarines, widely believed to be capable of firing nuclear missiles, were manufactured in Germany and sold to Israel at deep discounts as part of Berlin's commitment to shoring up the security of the country set in part as a haven for Jews who survived the Holocaust. REUTERS/Baz Ratner - GF20000092316

Israel’s nuclear ambiguity policy blocks diplomatic process

There is little hope for peace in the Middle East as long as Israel insists on its ambiguous nuclear policy and refuses to sign disarmament agreements.

Tehran skyline as seen from Iran's interior ministry in Tehran, October 24, 2016. Picture taken on October 24, 2016. REUTERS/Gabriela Baczynska - S1AEUJFKZHAB

Child abuse case brings outrage, but no change in Iran

Just a month after a high-profile child molestation case shook Iran, the outrage has died down and very little is being done to prevent future abuse.

A worker installs a bumper on a car at the Iran Khodro automobile manufacturing plant, west of Tehran January 28, 2009. Iran Khodro is the Middle East's largest carmaker. Picture taken January 28, 2009. REUTERS/Caren Firouz (IRAN) - GM1E51T1GH901

Iran's car market engulfed in growing economic crisis

Crisis conditions bite into Iran’s car market, with customers forced to shell out higher prices for both foreign and domestically made vehicles.

Iran’s youngest minister becoming symbol of transparency drive

Iran’s youngest minister has received widespread praise for his “courageous” transparency campaign after revealing a list of allegedly fraudulent cellphone importers.