Iran-US tensions

President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport on Aug. 2, 2026 in Morristown, New Jersey.

Trump’s strategy on Iran may pay off as deal appears imminent

Through far-sighted diplomacy and a durable new regional architecture, Trump has cornered Iran between alignment and atrophy — and a deal may now be imminent.

Two brothers watch oil tankers, general cargo ships, bulk carriers, and fishing boats anchored in the waters off Muscat near the Strait of Hormuz on June 18, 2026 in Muscat, Oman.

Analysis

Why Iran is fighting to keep Hormuz at center of US negotiations

As Washington seeks a broader deal with Iran, Tehran says the Strait of Hormuz is the only issue on the table, reflecting a wider struggle over maritime security and regional power.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (2nd L), Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (2nd R) and Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi (R) walk inside a building in Muscat, Oman, on June 22, 2026.

Explainer

The emerging Iran-Oman Hormuz deal: What's at stake?

A framework that gives Tehran a formal role in determining how ships move through the waterway could strengthen its hand in future negotiations with the US.

TOPSHOT - This aerial photograph shows boats anchored off Oman's northern Musandam Peninsula near the Strait of Hormuz on June 27, 2026. Iran launched attacks on US sites in the Gulf in response to American strikes on the country, state media said on June 27, after Washington accused Tehran of attacking one of its cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The trading of fire raised questions about efforts to keep the crucial waterway open while Washington and Tehran negotiate a final settlement to a war that beg

Analysis

Another US-Iran truce, same Hormuz standoff: What comes next

Since February, two major diplomatic efforts have produced temporary pauses in fighting, but neither has translated into a lasting agreement.

By Rosaleen Carroll

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

Latest News

Analysis

Lacking leverage over Trump, Israel stays quiet on US-Iran talks

US President Donald Trump (C) is welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport on Oct. 13, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

US military options narrow as Trump calls off Iran strikes: What to know

US President Donald Trump and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth listen to questions from the press during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David in Maryland, on July 31, 2026.

Explainer

Iran-Oman Hormuz route talks near 'completion': What to know

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (L), Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (2nd L) and Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi (R) attend a meeting in Muscat, Oman, on June 22, 2026.

Iran hangs 2 over alleged Mossad ties as executions mount: What to know

This photograph shows a banner featuring photos of Iranian protesters allegedly killed by the regime during a demonstration at the Ergife Palace Hotel to condemn the silence of Western governments in the face of the growing wave of Iranian political executions, in Rome, on July 16, 2026.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (R) speaks during a press conference with his Syrian counterpart in the Iranian capital Tehran, on Dec. 6, 2021.

Foreign minister says Iran sees no 'serious initiative' from US

Ahead of the resumption of talks in Vienna, the US has waived some sanctions.

Iran's Mohammadreza Abdolhamid Geraei (R) fights against Russia's Nazir Rachidovitch Abdullaev in the 67 kg class final match of the Greco-Roman competition during the 2021 World Wrestling Championships in Oslo, Norway, on Oct. 10, 2021.

Iran wrestling team calls off US match after visas denied

Among those denied a visa was Iran’s Wrestling Federation chief, whose “death to America” remarks had stirred controversy.

Iraq economy

Iran’s economic policies lacking vision

Efforts to conceive and execute a coherent economic policy were never going to be easy, but six months into the Raisi administration, the task is growing harder because of internal disagreements over both philosophy and bureaucratic turf.

Yemenis displaced by conflict receive provisions to meet basic needs at a camp in Khokha district on Jan. 31, 2022.

The Takeaway: Yemen’s future may be affected by Iran talks

Iran and Israel; Iran and China; Iran and Turkey; Hamas alternative to "Fauda"; and more … all in less than 1,400 words.

ALEX HALADA/AFP via Getty Images

Iran says conditions present for 'win-win' agreement with US

Though direct talks with the United States remain a non-starter, Tehran's top nuclear negotiator has shared some hope with Iranian lawmakers.

Iran's former top nuclear negotiator and former presidential candidate Saeed Jalili talks to the media after registering his candidacy for the June presidential elections, at the Interior Ministry in the capital Tehran, on May 15, 2021.

Iranian supreme leader’s aide suggests pursuing 90% enrichment

In a letter to Iran’s supreme leader, the hard-line former chief negotiator reportedly proposed ramping up enrichment to 90%.

US President Joe Biden meets with Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, in the White House on Jan. 31, 2022, in Washington, DC.

Iran on the agenda as Qatar emir meets Biden

There is potential Doha could play a role in brokering a US-Iran prisoner exchanging following press reports of Iran-Qatar talks on the topic.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wears a face mask due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on June 18, 2021.

Khamenei says max pressure led to US 'humiliation'

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that despite hardships brought about by Washington's maximum pressure strategy, Iran’s economy is enduring.

Ali Shamkhani (R) meets with Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Tehran on Dec. 6, 2021.

Top Iran security official retracts comments on talks with US

The powerful politician had faced piling pressure from hard-liners over suggesting that Iran could at some point directly engage with the United States if a “good deal” was within reach.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets with IAEA director general Rafael Grossi at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Tehran, Nov. 23, 2021.

Iranian press calls direct talks with US a 'trap'

The merits of talking with the United States are being debated in Iranian media after recent comments by the foreign minister.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani leaves the Palais Coburg in Vienna on Dec. 27, 2021.

Iran signals readiness for direct talks with US

Amid reported piecemeal progress toward a potential deal, the Iranian government says it has been offered direct talks with the United States in the course of the ongoing multilateral nuclear negotiations in Vienna.

AFP via Getty Images

Iran lauds 'good progress' on return to nuclear deal

Iran says that the nuclear talks are headed in the right direction, particularly on guarantees against another US exit.