Iran-US tensions

This picture taken on April 9, 2026, shows the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Basta neighbourhood of Beirut the day before. Calls were mounting for the ceasefire between the US and Iran to be extended to Israel's war with Hezbollah, after a massive wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed more than 200 people. (Photo by FADEL itani / AFP via Getty Images)

Lebanon rejects Iran negotiating on its behalf, PM says only Beirut handles talks

Israel launched its largest attack against Lebanon in the war, firing over 160 munitions across the country. At least 203 people were killed and 1,072 injured, while 33 remain missing, authorities said.

Iranians hold national flags as they gather in Tehran's Revolution Square after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, on April 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Analysis

Ceasefire or strategic pause? How Iran is framing war narrative amid deep mistrust

Beneath the surface of official messaging, a more complex and uneasy reality is emerging — one defined by lingering mistrust, hard-line dissent and uncertainty over what comes next.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

An undated image of Shelly Kittleson.

Exclusive

'King of Iraq': Top judge Zaidan played key role in Shelly Kittleson's release

Officials say Faiq Zaidan leveraged his influence with Iran-backed militias to help secure the US journalist’s release, underscoring his outsized power in Iraq’s fractured political landscape.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire following an Israeli strike at the Corniche al-Mazraa neighbourhood of Beirut on April 8, 2026.

Iran hits Gulf, threatens truce as Israel escalates in Lebanon: What to know

Iranian attacks continued in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait hours after a ceasefire between Iran and the US was announced.

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Analysis

How fast can Gulf energy production rebound after US-Iran ceasefire?

picture of Qatar Energy's operating facilities on March 3, 2026, in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Analysis

Trump ceasefire leaves Netanyahu flustered as Iran gains politically

TOPSHOT - Iranians react after a ceasefire announcement at the Enqelab square, in Tehran, on April 8 2026. The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire Tuesday barely an hour before US President Donald Trump's deadline to obliterate the rival country was set to expire, with Tehran to temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) /

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

Trump agrees to halt war for 2 weeks if Iran reopens Hormuz

President Donald Trump pauses as he finishes speaking about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington.

Iran threatens energy shock, ups Gulf strikes ahead of Trump deadline: What to know

A family sits against the backdrop of a dockyard in Khor Fakkan in the Gulf emirate of Sharjah, off the coast of the Gulf of Oman, on Feb. 25, 2026.

Saeed Jalili, the radical presidential candidate of Iran, among supporters at Shahada airport on July 2, 2024.

Analysis

Meet the hard-liner who could replace Larijani as Iran’s wartime security chief

As Iran weighs a successor to its slain security chief, Ali Larijani, the choice may determine whether the Islamic Republic deepens confrontation or preserves its narrowing pathways to easing tensions.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Soldiers board a US Marines CH-53 Super Stallion during an airfield seizure exercise as part of the US-Philippines Balikatan joint military exercise at San Vicente Airport in Palawan on May 1, 2024.

How deployment of 4,000+ US Marines could change war in Iran

Two flotillas bearing thousands of US Marines will give Trump more options to open the Strait of Hormuz, but deploying them to the Gulf will necessitate expanding a war that's already widely unpopular at home.

Indian vessel 'Nanda Devi' carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) arrives at Vadinar Port in the Jamnagar district of Gujarat state on March 17, 2026 after Iran allowed it to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy corridor that remains disrupted by the Middle East war.

Iran’s Hormuz choke hold leaves West divided as energy markets reel

Between March 1 and March 19, there were only 114 crossings of the strait, according to analytics firm Kpler — 95% less than prewar traffic.

A picture taken on March 12, 2017, shows an Iranian tanker docking at the platform of the oil facility in the Khark Island, on the shore of the Gulf.

Why a Kharg Island blockade could be Iran’s greatest economic threat

The island is an energy hub that accounts for 90% of Iran's oil exports and is home to key Iranian military installations.

US President Donald Trump steps of Marine One as he returns to the White House on March 18, 2026, in Washington, DC.

Analysis

In Hormuz standoff, Trump struggles to rally allies

President Donald Trump again urged US allies to “step up," while insisting their help isn't needed unblocking the Strait of Hormuz.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

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

Uae

US fast-tracks $16.5B arms sales to UAE, Jordan, Kuwait amid Iran attacks

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued emergency waivers to bypass the normal congressional review period for the sales, the administration said, as Iran signaled its ability to open a new front with strikes on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent arrives to attend an event in the East Room of the White House, Washington, DC, March 5, 2026.

US weighs easing Iran oil sanctions amid Hormuz crisis: What to know

A possible move by the Treasury would reduce pressure on Iranian crude as Washington seeks to offset supply losses tied to Iran's virtual closure of the strait.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) and Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani (2L) arrive to address a joint press conference in Doha on March 19, 2026. (Photo by Karim JAAFAR / AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey, Qatar pledge to deepen defense ties, blame Israel for Iran war

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s trip to Doha is part of a Gulf tour that began Wednesday in Riyadh, as Iran continues to strike energy assets across the region.

A picture of Qatar Energy's operating facilities on March 3, 2026 in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar.

Analysis

How Iran's strike on Qatar gas field could impact LNG market for years

Damage from an Iranian strike on the world's largest LNG export hub could take significant supply offline for years as Qatar considers whether to declare force majeure on long-term contracts supplying Europe and Asia.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

In this aerial view, Storage tanks at Grain LNG importation terminal, operated by National Grid Plc sit near the River Medway in the Thames Estuary on March 12, 2026, in Isle of Grain, England.

After 35% surge, how far could Gulf disruptions push European gas?

Benchmark European natural gas futures were up as much as 35% to above 68 euros ($78.09) per MWh on Thursday.

Lorries roll along the highway between Riyadh and al-Ahsa, some 200 kilometers east of the Saudi capital, on March 15, 2026. The war sparked by US-Israel strikes on Iran on February 28 has sparked chaos on global markets, and sent the price of oil soaring after the Islamic republic imposed control by force over the crucial artery. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP via Getty Images) /

US tells citizens to leave Saudi Arabia as Iran strikes energy sites: What to know

The US Embassy in Riyadh urged its citizens to leave Saudi Arabia after a spike in Iranian attacks targeting energy facilities in the kingdom.

A view of the oil refinery on March 17, 2026 in Erbil, Iraq.

Exclusive

Iraqi oil flows to Turkey after US pledges role in Baghdad-Kurds customs dispute

A US-brokered breakthrough between Baghdad and Erbil has restarted Iraqi oil exports through Turkey after a weeklong standoff.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture