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October 31, 2026

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Tehran

Analysis

Who will blink first in latest US-Iran diplomacy efforts?

The prospects for a US-Iran deal may depend less on the scope for compromise than on whether either side can afford to make the first concession.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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

Latest News

CENTCOM chief briefs Trump on Iran strike options

US CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper speaks during a press briefing

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

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

Why was deal to evacuate Syrian towns brokered by Qatar and Iran?

A deal brokered by Qatar and Iran that ignores Turkey and Russia — the largest respective sponsors of the opposition and the regime in Syria — threatens to derail broader peace talks aimed at ending the tragic civil war.

Iranian women talk in a taxi in the city of Isfahan, 400 kms south of Tehran on March 18, 2008 few days before the Persian new year, or Noruz, which starts on March 21. AFP PHOTO/FRED DUFOUR (Photo credit should read FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images)

Why not all in Iran celebrate the Iranian New Year

While Nowruz is a relaxing 13-day holiday for most Iranians, the high number of road fatalities makes Nowruz also a time of sadness for many.

Iran's Minister of Intelligence Mahmoud Alavi, a candidate for upcoming vote on the Assembly of Experts, speaks during a campaign gathering of candidates mainly close to the reformist camp, in Tehran February 23, 2016. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RTX287BE

Rouhani government criticizes IRGC arrests of journalists

Members of President Hassan Rouhani's Cabinet have voiced criticism over the arrests of journalists and activists.

Tehran's mayor and presidential candidate, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf prays at the tomb of Shah Abdolazim before voting in the first round of the presidential election on June 14, 2013 at a polling station at Shah Abdolazim mausoleum in southern Tehran. Iranians are voting to choose a new president in an election the reformists hope their sole candidate will win in the face of divided conservative ranks, four years after the disputed re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. AFP PHOTO/BEHROUZ MEHRI (Photo cre

Tehran mayor steps aside as conservatives rally forces ahead of presidential vote

Tehran’s mayor, a two-time presidential candidate, has announced that he will not run in the May 19 vote. Meanwhile, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad holds his first press conference in almost four years.

Structural issues cloud Khamenei's economic vision for Iran

To realize Iran's economic potential, the supreme leader and the government need to take steps to allow genuine private sector expansion.

An Iranian woman kisses the grave of a person, who was killed during the Iran-Iraq war (1980-88), at a holy shrine in northern Tehran January 16, 2016. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RTX22MTY

Why Iran-Iraq War is still minefield for artists

Some 30 years on, depictions of the Iran-Iraq War are still a minefield for Iranian artists and authors.

Russian president Vladimir Putin puts flowers down outside Tekhnologicheskiy Institut metro station in St. Petersburg, Russia, April 3, 2017. REUTERS/Grigory Duko TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX33XBT

Iranian media reacts to Russia subway bombing

Iranian media outlets speculate that IS and other militant groups are taking revenge on Russia following their defeats in Iraq and Syria.

Was Rouhani’s visit to Russia actually successful?

Although Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's visit to Moscow resulted in his signing numerous cooperation agreements, the main purpose may have been less about substance and more about show.

Election officials count ballot papers after the closure of polling stations during elections for the parliament and Assembly of Experts, which has the power to appoint and dismiss the supreme leader, in Tehran, Iran February 26, 2016. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX28SG1

Iran's conservatives still undecided on presidential candidate

As the deadline for Iran's presidential candidates to register their nomination approaches, conservatives are unable to reach a consensus over a single nominee.

Hashem Yekkeh-Zareh, the CEO of industrial group Iran Khodro (2-R) and the head of French car manufacturing giant PSA group, Carlos Tavares (2-L), attend a press conference at the Iran Khodro Industrial Group showroom in the Iranian capital Tehran, on October 5, 2016. / AFP / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Despite nuclear deal, EU firms still cautious on Iran

Despite the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions on Iran, European firms remain cautious about seriously re-entering the Iranian market during the current wait-and-see period.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif makes a pledge during the second makes a pledge during the second 'Thematic Pledging Session' at the donors Conference for Syria in London, Britain February 4, 2016. REUTERS/Matt Dunham/pool - RTX25FTG

Iran in crosshairs as Syrian war winds down

As a resolution to the Syrian conflict grows closer, it is becoming clear that Iran is increasingly in the crosshairs of the Damascus regime's opponents and their backers.

A man walks on the rubble of houses at the site of a Saudi-led air strike in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, Yemen September 22, 2016. REUTERS/Abduljabbar Zeyad - RTSOWXB

Critics say operation to take port could spell more catastrophe for Yemen

As the Trump administration considers providing support for a UAE/Saudi operation to take a Yemeni port, some UN, former US officials warn it could tip Yemen into famine.