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October 27, 2026

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Saudi Arabia’s KBS, top Turkish and Pakistani officials hold rare meeting in Iran: What to know

In first such gathering, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman will join Pakistani army chief Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin for talks with Iranian officials amid fears of renewed US and Israeli attacks against Iran.

Putin

Analysis

Putin puts Trump ahead of Iran in bid to mediate war

Anton Mardosov, reporting from Moscow, and our correspondent in Tehran assess the limits of Russian influence in Iran; Ben Caspit reports that Netanyahu could force a unity government with an attack on Iran after the elections.

Week in Review

Andrew Parasiliti

By Week in Review , Andrew Parasiliti

Motorists drive past an anti-US billboard in Tehran on Aug. 24, 2026.

Analysis

From Hormuz to data centers: How Iran’s threats are raising stakes of renewed war

As the prospect of renewed conflict looms, Tehran is escalating warnings that another war would impose prohibitive costs on Washington, its allies and global markets.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Amir Levy/Getty Images

Analysis

How Netanyahu could attack Iran to force Israel into unity government after elections

While a strike against Iran before the Oct. 27 elections appears unlikely, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could launch one immediately afterward to pressure his rivals into joining a wartime unity government.

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

Latest News

Explainer

What Iran’s threats to Hormuz internet cables mean for Gulf

MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP via Getty Images

US sanctions law firm based in Panama, Greece over Iran shipping ties

Chip Somodevilla/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

Iranian civic rights activists challenge authorities with hunger strikes

Iranian authorities are increasingly challenged by a wave of hunger strikes conducted by civic rather than political activists.

Members of Iraq's Shi'ite militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq, who are supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, take part in a parade in Karbala March 21, 2014.REUTERS/Mushtaq Muhammed (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST MILITARY POLITICS CONFLICT) - GM1EA3M0DPL01

Intel: Congress wants to sanction Iran’s allies in Iraq. Here’s why the State Department thinks it’s a bad idea.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani exits following a news conference on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid - RC189E994530

How Rouhani may be destroying his own Moderation camp

If Iran’s president continues to focus on his future rather than the present, his continued failure to fulfill his campaign promises is likely to herald the end of his political career.

A general view shows the first meeting of national security secretaries of Afghanistan, China, Iran, India and Russia, in the Iranian capital Tehran on September 26, 2018. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Pushing multilateralism, Iran hosts regional security conference

Iran hosted its first Regional Security Dialogue with senior security officials from China, India, Russia and Afghanistan as the Iranian media touts a positive UN General Assembly gathering for Tehran.

U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 25, 2018. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri - HP1EE9P152YZW

Why Trump’s UN speech should worry Netanyahu

For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump is the be-all and end-all of Israel’s security.

U.S. forces set up a new base in Manbij, Syria May 8, 2018. Picture Taken May 8, 2018. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RC172453D3E0

Congress warns of mission creep in Syria

Lawmakers ripped into Pentagon officials after the Trump administration suggested it would keep US troops in Syria to counter Iran’s presence in the war-torn country.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani speaks at a news conference on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid - HP1EE9Q1E4JH6

Rouhani says US, not Iran isolated at UN

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani suggested it was the United States, not Iran that was isolated at the UN over President Donald Trump’s decision to leave the Iran nuclear deal.

U.S. President Donald Trump departs a meeting of the United Nations Security Council held during the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz - HP1EE9Q1938EO

US stands alone on Iran at Security Council

President Donald Trump threatened "severe consequences" for anyone resisting US sanctions.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 25, 2018. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton - HP1EE9P1F9A74

Iranian media hails Rouhani for scoring in UN battle against Trump

The Iranian president's UN speech was widely hailed as a triumph against his US counterpart, but it seems to have done little to slow the national currency's sharp devaluation.

Iranian soldiers sit atop their tanks in an Iranian border province next to Afghanistan October 1. Iranian forces staged mock attacks close to the border with Afghanistan in preparation for war-games involving over 200,000 troops. - PBEAHUMFTDH

What are prospects of limited engagement between Iran, US in Afghanistan?

While tensions between Iran and the United States are escalating, their shared interest in Afghanistan’s stability could promote compartmentalized cooperation between the two sides.

Leader of the Conquest Coalition and the Iran-backed Shiíite militia Badr Organisation Hadi al-Amiri prepares to casts his vote at a polling station during the parliamentary election in Baghdad, Iraq May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1EA048C760

Will US sanctions succeed in isolating Iraqi Shiite factions?

As the United States intensifies its activities against Iran in the region, it has also increased pressure on Iraqi factions backed by Iran. Yet the influence that these factions have in Iraq limits the effects of such pressures.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Barria - RC185DAD66E0

Is the Israeli-Russian honeymoon over?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turns to his close ally President Donald Trump, hoping that the US president can help Israel fix the crisis with Russia.