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U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to deliver an address to the nation about the Iran war at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. April 1, 2026. Alex Brandon/Pool via REUTERS

Trump threatens to hit Iran 'extremely hard' over next two to three weeks

Members of Houthi security forces stand guard while supporters of Yemen's Houthi movement attend an event commemorating the ninth anniversary of the Saudi-led intervention in their country, in the capital, Sanaa, on March 26, 2026.

Exclusive

Senior Houthi official says Bab el Mandab closure an option if any Gulf states join war

Houthi Deputy Information Minister Mohammed Mansour also said the strait could be closed “should the aggression against Iran and Lebanon escalate.”

Elizabeth Hagedorn

Par Elizabeth Hagedorn

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

US journalist Shelly Kittleson poses for a picture in Baghdad on March 31, 2026.

Shelly Kittleson's kidnapping by suspected Iran-backed militia exposes Iraq government weakness

The abduction of US journalist Shelly Kittleson highlights the outsized influence of Iran-aligned armed groups operating beyond Baghdad’s control.

AFP via Getty Images

UAE accuses Iran of 'extortion' in Strait of Hormuz: What to know

The accusation comes as Iran continues to launch drone and missile attacks in the Gulf.

United Arab Emirates

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Turkey in talks with Iran to clear 11 ships stuck in Hormuz: What to know

Turkey's transport minister says that 11 vessels await passage from Hormuz pending talks with Iran.

Latest News

Syria reopens key crossing after 11 years, aiding Iraq's oil exports amid war

A member of the Popular Mobilization Forces patrols along a concrete wall at the Iraqi-Syrian border in Al-Qaim, west of Iraq, on Jan. 23, 2026.

Israel energy minister says gas flowing to Egypt, Jordan despite shutdown reports

A view of the platform of the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea is pictured from the Israeli northern coastal beach of Nasholim, on Aug. 29, 2022.

In UK visit, Syria’s Sharaa doubles down on Western ties amid Iran war, refugee pressures

Sharaa, King Charles

Analysis

Iran executes alleged MEK members in bid to signal wartime control

A member of the Iranian security forces stands guard next to a banner honoring Iran's slain supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran on March 31, 2026.

A correspondent in Tehran

Par A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Army, Amir Hatami speaks during a meeting with military academy students, in Tehran, Iran, in this handout image obtained on January 7, 2026. Iranian Army/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS

Iran army chief tells commanders to prepare for any attack, state media reports

Reuters

Pro-government rallies have taken place in Tehran

War in the Middle East: latest developments

Agence France-Presse

FILE PHOTO: Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif carry the coffin of a soldier who was killed during clashes between security forces and protesters who were demanding the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad, at Chaklala Garrison in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, November 26, 2024. Press Information Department (PID)/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

Analysis-From international outcast to mediator in Iran war, Pakistan's remarkable makeover

Reuters

Alma Ghanem, 8, and a family member play with a cat at a shack near Tulkarm in the Israeli‑occupied West Bank, February 16, 2026. Members of the Ghanem family were displaced last year from the Tulkarm refugee camp. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

Expelled from camp, Palestinian refugees now face Iranian rockets

Reuters

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Adam Lucente and Rosaleen Carroll

The Al-Monitor Brief

Syria’s Sharaa visits Germany and the UK as refugee returns, Iran war loom

Rosaleen Carroll joins Adam Lucente

1 April, 4:57 PM ET

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What are Trump’s ground operations options in Iran as warships amass?

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Iranian children make up 15% of civilians killed since US, Israel launched war, rights monitor says

Skylar Thompson joins Amberin Zaman

26 March, 2:49 PM ET

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Analysis

Stay a step ahead of your colleagues.

Analysis

La France peine à trouver ses marques et à jouer un rôle dans la crise Liban-Israël

WOODSTOCK, ENGLAND - JULY 18: French President Emmanuel Macron arrives for the European Political Community Summit at Blenheim Palace on July 18, 2024 in Woodstock, England. At the 4th European Political Community Summit, Europe’s leaders will focus on energy, infrastructures, connectivity, cybersecurity, countering disinformation and migration. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Rina Bassist

Par Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Analysis

Au sein du bataillon Netzah Yehuda, l'unité de l'armée israélienne se prépare aux sanctions américaines

Israeli soldiers of the Netzah Yehuda Battalion hold morning prayers as they take part in their annual unit training in the Israeli annexed Golan Heights, near the Syrian border, May 19, 2014.

Rina Bassist

Par Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Analysis

Qu’est-ce qui retient les représailles israéliennes contre l’Iran et quelles sont ses options ?

Members of the Israeli military show an Iranian ballistic missile which fell in Israel on the weekend, during a media tour at the Julis military base near the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Malachi on April 16, 2024. Iran carried out an unprecedented direct attack on Israel overnight April 13-14, using more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, in retaliation for a deadly April 1 air strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. Nearly all were intercepted, according to the Israeli army.

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

Analysis

L'arrestation du PDG de Telegram met en lumière les lois sur la citoyenneté fondée sur l'investissement aux Émirats arabes unis

Jennifer Gnana

Par Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

MUNICH, GERMANY - JANUARY 24: Pavel Durov of Vkontakte speaks during the Digital Life Design conference (DLD) at HVB Forum on January 24, 2012 in Munich, Germany. ence and culture which connects business, creative and social leaders, opinion-formers and investors for crossover conversation and inspiration. (Photo by Nadine Rupp/Getty Images)

Joyce Karam, Randa Slim, Hamidreza Azizi, Hasan Alhasan

Iran War at One Month: Outlook and Implications

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sits across from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Ukraine's Zelenskyy capitalizes on Iran war to ink security deal with Saudi Arabia

Joe Snell appears on a street wearing a black jacket; in the frame next to it, a woman with blonde hair, glasses, and a black blazer appears on a laptop screen from a Zoom meeting.

French ISIS Member Convicted of Genocide Against Yazidis

Ezgi Akin at Turkey's Kapikoy border crossing

AL-MONITOR's Ezgi Akin at Turkey-Iran Border Crossing