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Iran

November 7, 2026

Tehran 11:33 am

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Alexey BABUSHKIN / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Iran turns to Putin as war, US election reshape strategic calculations

A Kremlin meeting with Iran's top security official coupled with reports of new arms deals amid looming war demonstrate Tehran's push to turn vulnerability into strategic leverage.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Tump

Can Trump turn midterm defeat into Iran breakthrough?

Although Iran may have contributed to Republican losses in midterms, the Trump administration still has a historic opportunity in the Middle East.

ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images

As Trump weighs Iran strikes, possible nuclear opening emerges

Sticking points include Iran's highly enriched uranium and lack of access for international inspectors.

Latest News

Russia to provide Iran with 90 missile launchers as military ties grow: Reports

Russian Mil Mi-8 military helicopters fly over a joint Russian and Turkish convoy, northeastern Hasakeh province, Syria, Feb. 4, 2021.

Turkey says soldier killed by gunfire from Iran at border: What to know

A sign marking the border of Turkey in Van, Turkey, on March 14, 2026.

Explainer

Democrats’ midterm sweep tests US-Israel ties as Eisenkot vows reset

An aerial view shows a campaign billboard depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud party and President Donald Trump in Tel Aviv, on Oct. 26, 2026, on the eve of Israel's legislative elections.

Analysis

Iran cheers Democrats’ midterm victory but fears Trump's next move

Iranians walk along a building installed with a giant poster depicting Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during a rally in front of the former US embassy to mark the anniversary of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, in Tehran on Nov. 4, 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

Iranian-Jewish minority Member of Parliament, Siamak Meresedgh, poses for a photograph in front of a banner for the 2012 parliamentary elections, after he registered as a candidate at the Interior Ministry building in Tehran December 25, 2011. Candidates began registering on Saturday for Iran's parliamentary elections in March, the first litmus test of the clerical establishment's popularity since the 2009 disputed presidential vote. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTR2VMNV

Rouhani Enlists Iran Jewish MP Against Hard-Liners

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani looks to put behind the charges of Holocaust denial by his predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Kurdish Parties Build Alliance To Curb Barzani’s Power in Syria

On the eve of elections in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, the Kurdish question in Turkey, Iraq, and Syria becomes even more entangled.

Shi'ite Muslim pilgrims take part in a ceremony to mark the religious ritual of Arbain in Kerbala, about 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Baghdad, January 2, 2013. REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen (IRAQ - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3C22O

Iraqi Religious Tourism Declines Because of Weak Iranian Economy

As the sanctions on Iran have reduced the number of Iranian tourists visiting Iraq, Baghdad should remedy the situation by diversifying its tourism sector.

Israeli Minister Lapid Hears 'New Music' in Iran

In a recent CNN interview, Israeli Minister Yair Lapid seems to distance himself somewhat from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Iran.

Will Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Reduce Economic Role?

President Hassan Rouhani is carefully asking Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps to cut back on its economic projects.

Does Rouhani's Style of Diplomacy Mean Change in Iranian Policy?

The United States should take signals from Iran seriously.

In Iran, Fordow Nuclear Plant Virtually Sacred Ground

Iran has no plans to close Fordow.

Iranian lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh poses with her husband, Reza Khandan, her son Nima (L) and her Daughter Mehraveh (R) at herat her home in Tehran on September 18, 2013, after being freed following three years in prison. Sotoudeh told AFP she was in "good" physical and psychological condition, and pledged to continue her human rights work. Her release came a week before Irans new moderate President Hassan Rowhani, who has promised more freedoms at home and constructive engagement with the world, travels to New

Iran Frees Political Prisoners Before Rouhani Comes to UN

Beyond a public-relations gesture in advance of President Hassan Rouhani’s US trip, the release of political prisoners could ease the divisions in Iran following the disputed 2009 presidential elections.

Rouhani Should Give Priority To Religious Freedom in Iran

Religious minority communities still face repression in Iran.

Palestinian militants of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) stand with their weapons at a demonstration during a military graduation ceremony in front of the media in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip March 13, 2013. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST MILITARY) - RTR3EX78

Iran Increases Aid to PFLP Thanks to Syria Stance

Iran has rewarded the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine's pro-Assad stance with an increase in financial and military assistance.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) arrives for the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem September 17, 2013. Netanyahu will meet U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington on September 30, an Israeli official said on Tuesday, for talks expected to focus on Iran's nuclear programme. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX13O85

Netanyahu to US: Iran for Palestine?

The Israeli right fears that Netanyahu might agree to an interim arrangement that will include a settlement evacuation in exchange for US guarantees on the Iranian file.

Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari (back) receives the newly appointed ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Iraq, Mohanned Sleman al-Zaid, at the headquarters of the Foreign Ministry in Baghdad March 26, 2012. REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen (IRAQ - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR2ZWZ0

Saudi Arabia Vies For Influence in Iraq

Riyadh has reached out to tribal sheikhs in southern Iraq in what some see as a continuation of the ongoing Saudi-Iranian competition for influence in the region.