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Iran

November 7, 2026

Tehran 2:55 pm

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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

Seized highly corrosion-resistant valves are seen inside a warehouse in an unknown location in this handout picture provided by the Spanish police January 11, 2013. Spanish police arrested two men and seized the contents of a truck bound for Iran loaded with materials destined for use in the Islamic state's nuclear programme, the Interior Ministry said on Friday.The European Union has banned the sale of such material to Iran, which denies Western accusations it is seeking to develop a capability to make nuc

Iran's Window for Nuclear Diplomacy Closing

The Iranian elite is already absorbed in pre-presidential election politicking and is in no hurry to resume nuclear talks as long as the offer on the table does not include significant sanctions relief, writes Mohammad Ali Shabani.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (L), Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr (C) and Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi attend a news conference after a meeting regarding the Syrian crisis, in Cairo September 17, 2012. Saudi Arabia stayed away from a meeting on the Syria crisis convened by regional powers on Monday, setting back a forum grouping Iran - President Bashar al-Assad's main Middle East ally - and his leading opponents in the region. The "contact group" of Egypt, Iran, Turkey a

How Iran Lost Turkey’s Islamists

Mustafa Akyol explains the deterioration in Turkish-Iranian relations in the past three years, mostly as a result of differences over Syria.

Former U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R) takes the podium after U.S. President Barack Obama announced the nomination of Hagel to be his new Secretary of Defense, at the White House in Washington January 7, 2013. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY)

Setting the Record Straight On Hagel, Iran Sanctions

Chuck Hagel’s record on Iran sanctions shows a clear understanding of the threat from Iran.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.

A woman uses an iMac computer in a shop at a mobile and computer shopping complex in northern Tehran January 18, 2011. Although there were no queues outside Tehran's computer stores when Apple's iPad hit the market last year, the latest must-have gadget has quietly appeared in shops, despite tightened economic sanctions. On a recent cold winter's evening, th

Year-Old Virtual US Embassy in Iran Tallies Its Hits and Misses

A virtual US embassy provides Iranians with news and services, but is no substitute for the real thing, reports Barbara Slavin.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) leaves the Likud-Yisrael Beitenu headquarters in Tel Aviv January 23, 2013. Hawkish Prime Minister Netanyahu emerged the bruised winner of Israel's election on Tuesday, claiming victory despite unexpected losses to resurgent centre-left challengers. REUTERS/Nir Elias (ISRAEL - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

Elections Unlikely to Change Israel’s Iran Strategy

The results of the recent Israeli elections are unlikely to bring much change to Israel’s Iran strategy, writes Meir Javedanfar.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.

An exchange currency dealer sits at his shop as he waits for customer in Tehran's business district October 24, 2011. Iranian media reported last week that monetary authorities had reversed a six-month-old decision to cut interest on bank deposits, aiming to mop up excess cash in the economy and halt a dangerous rise of inflation. The news made sense to econom

Is Iranian Hyperinflation a Mirage?

Djavad Salehi-Isfahani suggests that the conventional wisdom of so-called Iranian hyperinflation caused by crippling Western sanctions deserves a closer look, as there is lack of connection between devaluation, printing of money and inflation in Iran. Guessing wrong on the impact of sanctions can be costly for US policy.

A Palestinian woman walks next to a banner that reads "Thanks and gratitude to Iran" in Gaza City November 27, 2012. Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar showed how fragile the ceasefire between Israel and Palestinians remained, with defiant remarks to reporters recently of how the Islamists would go on smuggling in weapons "by all possible means", including via Israel's arch-foe Iran. REUTERS/Ahmed Zakot (GAZA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT)

Iran Strengthens Ties To Palestinian Islamic Jihad

Iran has deepened its relationship with Islamic Jihad while maintaining good ties with Hamas, writes Abeer Ayyoub.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad waves after attending a wreath-laying ceremony at the mausoleum of late Vietnamese revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi November 10, 2012. Ahmadinejad is in Hanoi on a two-day visit to Vietnam from November 9 to 10. REUTERS/Kham (VIETNAM - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY)

Will Israel Miss Ahmadinejad?

Nadav Eyal discusses whether Israel will benefit from a new Iranian president, who is likely to be just as committed to Iran's nuclear program and perhaps an even more formidable adversary.

John Bumgarner, a cyber warfare expert who is chief technology officer of the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit, a non-profit group that studies the impact of cyber threats, works on his laptop computer during a portrait session in Charlotte, North Carolina December 1, 2011. A cyber warfare expert claims he has linked the Stuxnet computer virus that attacked Iran's nuclear program in 2010 to Conficker, a mysterious worm that surfaced in late 2008 and infected millions of PCs. Conficker was used to open back door

US Withholds Evidence for Iran Cyberattacks

Computer experts say they believe Iran is responsible for a barrage of attacks on the websites of US banks but that the Obama administration should reveal how it knows this and acknowledge responsibility for its own cyberattacks on Iran.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to film or take pictures in Tehran.

An Iranian protestor with his face covered with a green mask flashes the victory sign as he holds stones in his hands during clashes in central Tehran December 27, 2009. A senior Iranian police official denied a report on an opposition website that four pro-reform protesters were killed during clashes in Tehran on Sunday, the Students News Agency ISNA reported. REUTERS/S

Where Are Iran’s Reformists?

Sune Engel Rasmussen reports from Tehran that the reformists and green movement have been reduced to “near invisibility” in the run-up to the presidential elections scheduled for June.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili listens to a reporters' question during a news conference in New Delhi January 4, 2013. Iran has agreed to hold talks with six major powers about its atomic programme in January but the date and venue has yet to be decided, Jalili said on Friday. REUTERS/Mansi Thapliyal (INDIA - Tags: ENERGY POLITICS)

Iran Balks at Nuclear Talks Without Sanctions, Rights on Agenda

A dispute over the agenda could be a factor in delaying a new round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and a US-led coalition.

Senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (L) and Islamic Jihad leader Mohammed Al-Hindi celebrate what Palestinians say is a victory over Israel after an eight-day conflict, during a rally in Gaza City November 22, 2012. A ceasefire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers took hold on Thursday after eight days of conflict, although deep mistrust on both sides cast doubt on how long the Egyptian-sponsored deal can last. REUTERS/Ahmed Zakot (GAZA - Tags: MILITARY CONFLICT POLITICS)

Iran Top Backer Of Palestinian Islamic Jihad

The latest war with Israel revealed the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's improved military capabilities, mostly due to continued Iranian support, Abeer Ayyoub reports from Gaza.