Iran Deal

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks to the press during a visit to the shrine of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut's southern suburbs on Jan. 8, 2026.

Analysis

As Iran's power struggle deepens, US talks stall, who’s calling the shots in Tehran?

Ultraconservative figures and security officials have intensified their criticism of the negotiating team, accusing it of jeopardizing Iran’s gains.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

President Donald Trump walks toward reporters before answering questions before boarding Air Force One on April 10, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

Trump extends ceasefire with Iran ‘until discussions concluded’

Trump also said he directed the US Navy to continue its blockade of Iranian ports.

ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Israel sees chance of US-Iran deal as almost 'non-existent,' readies for war

As US President Trump makes contradictory statements regarding his intentions toward Iran and the ongoing negotiations, Israel is preparing for the possibility of resuming military operations.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

US Vice President JD Vance (C) walks with Pakistan's Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshall Asim Munir (L), and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar after arriving for talks with Iranian officials on April 11, 2026, in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Trump says Iran deal could happen 'quickly' as Pakistan readies talks: What to know

A source familiar with the plans told Al-Monitor that the US delegation will travel to Islamabad soon.

Latest News

Could UAE tap US currency swap line as Iran war strains Gulf economies?

Haruna Furuhashi /Getty Images

United Arab Emirates

Oil rises, Gulf stocks slide after Iran ship seizure throws truce into doubt

A man walks past a screen displaying stock indices at the Dubai Financial Market stock exchange in Dubai, March 4, 2026.

Analysis

What is Iran really willing to concede on its nuclear program?

Iranians drive next to a billboard displaying pictures of nuclear scientists, centrifuges and a sentence reading in Farsi "Science is the power," at Enqelab Square in Tehran, on Aug. 29, 2025.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Iran says Strait of Hormuz 'completely open' to ships

MUSCAT, OMAN - MARCH 25: Locals take photos of two bulk carriers anchored at Muscat Anchorage on March 25, 2026 in Muscat, Oman. Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which conveys about 20% of the world's oil and gas, has mostly come to a halt after the joint U.S.-Israeli war with Iran that began on February 28. Iran, in a defiant reply to a ceasefire proposal from the United States, has claimed that sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz "is its natural and legal right." Under international law, t

BEIJING, CHINA - NOVEMBER 9: Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a welcoming ceremony November 9, 2017 in Beijing, China. Trump is on a 10-day trip to Asia. (Photo by Thomas Peter-Pool/Getty Images)

Analysis

Why Iran's oil exports to China are surging despite Trump's 'maximum pressure'

Data from shipping analytics firm Kpler suggests Iran is offloading more crude from its floating storage off the coast of Malaysia and Singapore.

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 18:: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks after signing an executive order on expanding access to IVF at his Mar-a-Lago resort on February 18, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. Later today, Fox News will air a joint interview between President Trump and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Israeli officials urge Trump to fill vacuum left by Iran

Sensing opportunity, Israeli strategists are asking the United States to redouble its engagement in the Middle East to capitalize on Hezbollah's collapse in Syria and Lebanon – and to end Iran's nuclear program once and for all.

A US serviceman patrols the runway after an American B-52 bomber lands at Fairford Royal Air Force base March 4, 2003.

US launches second B-52 bomber flight over Middle East in 2 days

Strategic bomber sorties come as the Donald Trump administration says it prefers to halt Iran’s uranium enrichment through diplomatic negotiations rather than military action.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Traffic flows on a main road past electricity transmission towers in Tehran on December 16, 2024. Iran has suspended operations at several power plants over fuel shortages that have been intensified by rising demand during a spell of freezing weather. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)

Iranian officials trade blame as energy crisis, outages worsen: What to know

Unplanned power outages across Tehran in February have brought Iran’s energy crisis back into the spotlight, particularly as the country grapples with the strain of the maximum pressure sanctions campaign placed upon it by the United States.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (L) and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R) host the Qatari emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in Tehran, Feb. 19, 2025.

Why is Iran urging Qatar to release $6B in frozen oil payments?

The payments, by South Korea for Iranian oil, were initially frozen in Seoul bank accounts in 2019, after the Trump administration increased sanctions on Iran, before transfer to Qatar.

drones

Iran unveils new drones in military drill: What to know

Amid heightened tensions with the United States and Israel, Iran is flexing its military might.

In SPACE - MAY 19: This image captured by a satellite on May 19, 2001 shows the Bushehr Reactor in Iran. The nuclear facility is located approximately 17 kilometers south of the city of Bushehr. The reactor complex occupies a 2.5 Square Kilometer site area, which includes assembly halls, a concrete channel for cooling water that runs from the reactors to the Gulf, and a the harbor, which supports loading and unloading of foreign materials needed for construction and reactor operation. There are two reactor

Exclusive

Trump, Netanyahu have 'full understanding' on Iran as Israel mulls strikes on nuclear sites

A senior Israeli diplomatic source confirmed to Al-Monitor, on condition of anonymity, that Israel and the United States have reached a “full understanding” on the Iranian issue. This includes agreed steps if Iran rejects a stricter nuclear deal than the 2015 accord abandoned by Trump in 2018.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

A picture shows copies of Iranian daily newspapers

Iran's Pezeshkian rejects Trump's call for talks, denounces 'plots' against Tehran

US President Donald Trump has reinstated his "maximum pressure" strategy against Iran while simultaneously calling for negotiations over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

This handout picture provided by the office of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shows him praying inside the tomb of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran on Jan. 30, 2025.

Analysis

What's next as Khamenei rejects Trump's offer for US-Iran diplomacy?

The Iranian supreme leader's adamant refusal laid bare divisions within Iran's political structure and has shaken pro-engagement camps that pinned hopes of economic reform on recent overtures from the US president.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

SAEID ARABZADEH/Middle East Images /AFP via Getty Images

Trump administration unveils sanctions on Iran oil exports to China

The opening shot of Trump's rebooted "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran comes after the president suggested this week that its leaders should "immediately" work with the US on a new nuclear agreement.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press as he signs an executive order to create a US sovereign wealth fund in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 3, 2025.

Analysis

Will Trump’s maximum pressure on Iran restart talks or force escalation?

President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum to impose “maximum pressure” on Iran, a campaign that — during his first term — levied intense sanctions on the country in hopes of bringing it back to the negotiating table for nuclear talks.

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) speaks during to the IAEA's Board of Governors meeting at the agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria on September 11, 2023. The UN nuclear watchdog said on September 11, it regretted that "no progress" had been made by Iran on outstanding issues, including reinstalling cameras to monitor Tehran's nuclear programme and explaining uranium traces. (Photo by Alex HALADA / AFP) (Photo by ALEX HALADA/AFP via Getty Images)

Exclusive

Grossi: Trump open to new Iran nuclear deal, IAEA discussions underway

In an interview, International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said his organization was continuing discussions with Iranian officials and hopes to engage with the Trump administration about working out a transparency agreement with Iran.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech