Iran - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Iran cover image

Iran

November 3, 2026

Tehran 2:55 pm

19°C

Iranian motorists drive past a poster of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in central Tehran on Nov. 1, 2026. I

Iran gives 2-day window for Hormuz deal as US mulls strikes: What to know

An Iranian spokesperson said on Monday that a revised proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could take effect within two days if Washington meets its demands.

US Vice President JD Vance speaks to the media at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on Oct. 27, 2026.

Will Iran take up Vance lifeline to avoid another US attack?

Vance’s letter comes amid a flurry of diplomatic activity ahead of the Nov. 3 deadline; Jordan and Syria move to deepen security ties following a terrorist attack.

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.

Latest News

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

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

Analysis

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

US President Donald Trump walks on stage

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

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

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

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

Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, makes remarks during hearings on "Corruption, Global Magnitsky and Modern Slavery - A Review of Human Rights Around the World", on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 16, 2015. Representatives from the State Department and human rights organizations testified on countries like Iraq, Malaysia and Cuba. REUTERS/Mike Theiler - RTX1KL3A

State Department nominees face grilling over Iran deal

Congressional angst over the JCPOA could spell trouble for diplomatic nominations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (R) and his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moualem walk before they start a meeting in Tehran August 5, 2015. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem arrived in Tehran on Tuesday for talks with officials from allies Iran and Russia that are expected to focus on efforts to end the civil war in his country. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT,

Iran enters Syria talks without preconditions

Iranian officials have entered the negotiations to find a political solution to the Syrian civil war though they will not accept conditions for President Bashar al-Assad's removal.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to film or take pictures in Tehran.
Food items are placed in trolleys as customers stand in line to pay for their goods at a shopping mall in northwestern Tehran February 3, 2012. With just a month to go before a parliamentary election, Iran has been hit hard in recent months by new U.S. and European economic sanctions over its nuclear programme, which Tehran says is peaceful but the West says is aimed at mak

You won't believe what some Iranians have found in their bottled water

Iran is being plagued by an increasing number of scandals involving violations of food safety standards.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry holds a press conference as senior advisor John Kirby (L) looks on following a day of meetings in Vienna, October 23, 2015. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri - RTS5VLA

On eve of Syria peace talks, Saudi Arabia questions Russian, Iranian intentions

The United States welcomed the decision by Iran’s foreign minister to attend international talks on trying to end the Syrian war, while Saudi Arabia remained cautious.

Why are Iran’s environmental workers protesting?

Employees of Iran's Environmental Protection Organization are protesting corruption, negligent budget management and low wages.

Israel goes back to business as usual in post-Iran deal era

The visit of Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon this week to Washington and the upcoming visit there of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will both focus on Israeli demands for US military support.

A money changer displays U.S. and Iranian banknotes at the Grand Bazaar in central Tehran October 7, 2015. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA 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. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. NOT FOR USE BY REUTERS THIRD PARTY DISTRIBUTORS. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS

Rouhani shifts gears on economy

With the Iranian economy losing steam, the Rouhani administration is changing tack and adopting a new stimulus package as the nation waits impatiently for sanctions removal.

An Iranian man holds his passport as he waits to vote for the Iranian presidential election outside Tehran's university. An Iranian man holds his passport, with pictures of the late founder of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as he waits to vote for the Iranian presidential election outside Tehran's university June 17, 2005. A top Iranian official said on Friday the election of a new president would have little impact on Iran's nuclear pol

Some Iranians still dream of citizenship

Up to a million people born to Iranian mothers and non-Iranian fathers continue to be deprived of Iranian citizenship.

Iranian officials justify soldier deaths in Syria

The deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps addresses the number of Iranian soldiers' deaths recently in Syria.

Women stand next a graffiti painted by pro-Houthi activists on the gate of the Saudi embassy in Yemen's capital Sanaa October 21, 2015. The writing reads, "We will kneel only to Allah". REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah - RTS5FPV

How to end the war in Yemen

All involved in the war in Yemen, which has created a horrific humanitarian disaster, have paid a high price. A political solution is needed immediately.

U.S. President Barack Obama, with Secretary of State John Kerry (2nd R) at his side, meets with a group of veterans and Gold Star Mothers to discuss the Iran nuclear deal at the White House in Washington September 10, 2015. Gold Star Mothers is an organization of mothers whose children have died while serving the U.S. in war or times of conflict. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTSIDU

NSC opens office to oversee Iran deal implementation

NSC Senior Director for non-proliferation Paul Irwin is set to head a new NSC directorate on implementation of the Iran nuclear deal.

Jordan's King Abdullah (R) meets U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at the Royal palace in Amman, Jordan, October 24, 2015. REUTERS/Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Pool - RTX1T01X

Why Kerry is prioritizing Syria over Israeli-Palestinian peace

Calming Israeli-Palestinian tensions is seen as limited mission as US Secretary of State John Kerry embarks on a new round of international diplomacy on Syria.