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Iran

October 31, 2026

Tehran 10:56 am

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Vessels transit the Hormuz Strait

Limpet mine attack in Hormuz suggests Iran may be shifting tactics

UKMTO report of the first successful limpet mine attack on a commercial vessel in the Middle East since 2019 appeared to undermine the Pentagon's claims to have fully cleared and opened the Strait of Hormuz.

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.

Latest News

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

John Moore/Getty Images

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

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

Iran’s Guardian Council announces presidential candidate list

The Guardian Council has given the green light to six candidates to run in Iran’s May 19 presidential election, with former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad being disqualified.

Syria chemical attack unsettles Iran's chemical weapons survivors

The use of chemical weapons in Syria has led members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a fighting force that remembers the horror and uncertainty of the Iran-Iraq War, to be both angry and cautious about blame.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani delivers a speech during a parade on the occasion of the country's Army Day, on April 18, 2017, in Tehran. / AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Why some Reformists may not support Rouhani's re-election

While Iran's Reformists announced they are supporting President Hassan Rouhani in the election, some activists are asking for transparency in the decision-making process.

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis departs from Cairo International Airport in Cairo, Egypt April 20, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTS135HK

Mattis' Mideast trip holds promise, reality check for Israel

The US defense secretary's visit to Israel is expected to strengthen an already solid relationship while making sure both parties are on the same page.

Kurdish parties raise the Kurdish flag at the Kirkuk Governorate Council in Kirkuk, Iraq, April 6, 2017. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed - RTX34DGA

Can Iran stop Iraqi Kurdistan independence?

Iraqi Kurdish political forces have recently increased their calls for a referendum on Kurdish independence, but Iran may try to prevent this from happening.

US Secretary of Defense James Mattis(L) stands with Israel's Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman with an Honor Guard, listening to their respective national anthems upon arrival to the Pentagon on March 7, 2017 in Washington, DC. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL J. RICHARDS (Photo credit should read PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images)

Where is Israel's place in US-Russia struggle?

Israel has a golden opportunity to cement a global anti-jihad alliance with the United States and pragmatic Sunni states as Russia continues to side with Iran.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrives in the Treaty Room to speak on Iran at the State Department in Washington, DC on April 19, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Nuclear deal critics silent as Trump says Iran complying

Lawmakers who once insisted Iran was cheating aren’t taking the administration to task for saying otherwise.

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses a Tea Party rally against the Iran nuclear deal at the U.S. Capitol in Washington September 9, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTSDML

Is Trump learning to live with Iran nuclear deal?

In certifying that Iran is complying with the nuclear deal, the Trump administration appears to be discovering the merits of the accord.

Iranian cleric and head of the Imam Reza charitable foundation, Ebrahim Raisi, delivers a speech after registering his candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections in the capital Tehran on April 14, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Raisi slams Iran state TV for coverage 'biased' toward Rouhani

Conservative presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi has attacked the Iranian state broadcaster for excessively covering President Hassan Rouhani’s speeches.

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis is seen at the Pentagon in Arlington, VA, U.S. April 13, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Thayer - RTX35G3Z

Why Israel will warmly welcome Mattis

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and Secretary of Defense James Mattis are expected to discuss the threat of Iran's presence in Syria at a time when Israel is pleased with the United States' involvement in the region.

Valiollah Seif, Governor of Central Bank of Iran, waits to start a meeting with Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond (unseen) in Tehran, Iran August 23, 2015. REUTERS/Darren Staples - RTX1PBAT

Why Iran won’t ditch the dollar soon

Although Iran has long touted plans to wholly abandon the US dollar, economic realities appear to be forcing Tehran to delay such a move.

Iranian cleric and head of the Imam Reza charitable foundation, Ebrahim Raisi, gestures after registering his candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections at the ministry of interior in the capital Tehran on April 14, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

As Iran's election nears, cracks appear in conservative camp

Despite the Principlist JAMNA coalition holding a preliminary vote to find a consensus candidate, Iranian conservatives remain divided a month before the country’s presidential elections.