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Iran

October 30, 2026

Tehran 10:19 pm

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Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the opening bell, New York City, Sept. 28, 2026.

Oil tops $114 as traders brace for Iran escalation after US midterms

On Friday, BP posted its highest profits in 18 years as a result of the Iran conflict, which has driven up oil and gas margins.

US President Donald Trump walks on stage

Analysis

Mediators scramble to avert US-Iran fighting after Trump's midterm restraint fades

Tehran has little incentive to make concessions that the Trump administration could tout as a win before next week’s election.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

US CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper speaks during a press briefing

CENTCOM chief briefs Trump on Iran strike options

It was not immediately clear following Trump’s meeting with top defense officials whether he had decided to restart the war.

John Moore/Getty Images

Iran arrests 16 in connection with alleged US-Israel-linked cells: What to know

Iran claimed that some of the 16 people it had arrested had entered Iran from abroad.

Latest News

Analysis

How wartime urgency pushed Iran to court Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan

A woman walks past a mural bearing the Iranian national flag

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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

GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Putin puts Trump ahead of Iran in bid to mediate war

Putin

Week in Review

Andrew Parasiliti

By Week in Review , Andrew Parasiliti

Analysis

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

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

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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 march during a parade to commemorate the anniversary of the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88), in Tehran September 22, 2011. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo - RTX2O26E

Citing US threat, Iran parliament looks to boost IRGC budget

Iran’s parliament seeks to increase the military budget for the IRGC in response to the new policies of the Trump administration.

Financial watchdog drama provides ammunition for Iran's hard-liners

While hailed by pro-Reform media outlets, the FATF’s decision to extend its temporary suspension of countermeasures on Iran has provided ammunition for hard-liners in Tehran.

Reporters wait outside the U.S. Supreme Court before it granted parts of the Trump administration's emergency request to put his travel ban into effect immediately while the legal battle continues, in Washington, U.S., June 26, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas - RTS18PDP

Revival of 'Muslim ban' stirs outrage in Iran

The US Supreme Court’s partial revival of President Donald Trump’s ban on citizens of six Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, triggers harsh condemnation by Tehran.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks over the phone with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan while he inspects the work on the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project aboard the Pioneering Spirit pipeline-laying ship in the Black Sea near Anapa, Russia, June 23, 2017. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RTS18CTC

Moscow carefully assessing international energy scene

Russia’s long-term energy plan relies heavily on gas sectors in the Middle East and Eurasia as it struggles with low prices and sanctions.

Saudi foreign policy pushes Iran, Turkey closer

Saudi Arabia’s blockade of Qatar appears to open space for Iranian efforts to engage in regional diplomacy and cooperation.

TEHRAN, IRAN - MAY 22: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gives a press conference on May 22, 2017 in Tehran, Iran.
Responding to criticism of the Islamic Republic from U.S. President Donald Trump, Rouhani said on Monday stability could not be achieved in the Middle East without Tehran's help. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

Rouhani faces unprecedented attack by Iranian hard-liners

Iranian hard-liners step up their attacks on recently re-elected moderate President Hassan Rouhani.

An Iranian woman walks past a Bank Pasargad in the capital Tehran on January 19, 2016.
Iran will receive $32 billion of unfrozen assets after sanctions were lifted in a deal with world powers over its nuclear programme, Iranian central bank chief Valiollah Seif said. / AFP / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Trump administration welcomes financial watchdog’s Iran sanctions reprieve

Treasury Department experts prevail as the United States endorses the Financial Action Task Force’s decision to indefinitely suspend countermeasures on Iran.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (L) welcomes his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani during the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Istanbul Summit in Istanbul, Turkey April 14, 2016. REUTERS/Berk Ozkan/Pool TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX29X07

Saudi-led Qatar blockade brings Iran, Turkey together

Rather than forcing Doha to bow to its demands, the Saudi-led blockade of Qatar has split the region in two, bringing together the kingdom’s rivals.

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani takes part in a rally marking al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day in Tehran on June 23, 2017.
Chants against the Saudi royal family and the Islamic State group mingled with the traditional cries of "Death to Israel" and "Death to America" at Jerusalem Day rallies across Iran today.
/ AFP PHOTO / Stringer (Photo credit should read STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images)

With Qatar isolated by GCC, Iran steps in

After Saudi Arabia asked Qatar to cut relations with Iran, Iranian and Qatari leaders said they plan to expand ties.

Forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad take positions in the Badia, in the southeast Syrian desert, in this handout picture provided by SANA on June 13, 2017, Syria. SANA/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. - RTS16TU2

Iran draws line in the sand in Syrian desert

Iran stakes claim in eastern Syria; Saudi move against Hamas; Qatar risks confrontation in the Gaza Strip.

Expensive deposits leave Iranian banks stuck with toxic assets

A review of interest rates for bank deposits in Iran shows widespread violations of the interest rate ceiling ordered by the Central Bank of Iran.

Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (R) receives Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, June 19, 2017. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RTS17RRQ

Iraq’s PM concludes tightrope regional tour

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's tour — which spanned Saudi Arabia, Iran and Kuwait — aimed to maintain regional balances amid discussions on post-IS preparations and regional aid to Iraq.