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November 7, 2026

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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.

Russian Mil Mi-8 military helicopters fly over a joint Russian and Turkish convoy, northeastern Hasakeh province, Syria, Feb. 4, 2021.

Russia to provide Iran with 90 missile launchers as military ties grow: Reports

Multiple recent reports reveal increased Russian support for Iran, including weapons and intelligence sharing.

Latest News

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

From Tehran to Tel Aviv, Democrats’ midterm triumph sparks Middle East reactions

The sun sets on the US Capitol on Election Day evening on Nov. 3, 2026 in Washington.

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

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Steve Witkoff, special envoy to the Middle East at the White House on Feb. 11, 2025.

Trump's Gaza diplomacy takes back seat to Iran, Ukraine in first 100 days

Gaza is on the back burner as nuclear negotiations with Iran and talks to end the Ukraine war command the attention of President Trump and his Middle East envoy.

This handout photo made available by the Iranian Army Office on March 12, 2025 shows navy vessels taking part in a joint Iranian-Russian-Chinese military drill in the Gulf of Oman.

Iran unveils new navy ship amid regional tensions, nuclear talks

Iran has been expanding its naval fleet in recent years amid tensions with the United States and Israel, though the Islamic Republic is currently engaged in negotiations with Washington.

Heavy smoke rises at the scene of an explosion that took place a day earlier at the Shahid Rajaee port dock on April 27, 2025.

Outrage grows at Iran port explosion as IRGC rejects blame: What to know

The Revolutionary Guard distanced itself from the blast after facing accusations that the cargo contained military-grade materials linked to Iran's missile program, as criticism mounted over conflicting official accounts and the government's post-disaster response.

ALIREZA/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

US sanctions China-Iran network aiding Tehran missile program

The Trump administration is stepping up sanctions on Iran as it conducts talks over its rapidly expanding nuclear program.

RAHIM/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

New explosion hits Iranian factory after deadly port fire: What to know

Iranian officials ruled out sabotage as being behind the recent fire at the Shahid Rajaee port but have not commented on the cause of Tuesday’s blast in Isfahan.

Iranians pass by the recently repainted, famous anti-American mural that depics the US flag with bombs and skulls in Tehran, Iran on April 10, 2025, two days before the first round of indirect nuclear negotiations with President Trump's administration hosted and mediated by Oman. (Photo by Mohammadali Najib / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by MOHAMMADALI NAJIB/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

'Out of loop': Israel increasingly fears being blindsided by a Trump-Iran deal

The Israeli prime minister had wanted to keep the military option on the table, but for now must grit his teeth and let US-Iranian negotiations run their course.

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

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey rank in top 20 global military spenders: What to know

Regional military spending saw a significant increase in 2024, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, amid conflicts in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon, though it found that Europe drove the overall hike in global expenditures.

Majid Saeedi/Getty Images

Iran, Azerbaijan ink 7 MOUs as Pezeshkian visits Baku: What to know

As part of a broader diplomatic thaw, Iran and Azerbaijan have agreed to enhance cooperation in political, economic and security sectors during President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to Baku.

A firefighting helicopter flies through thick clouds of smoke after a deadly explosion at Shahid Rajaee port in Bandar Abbas, Iran, on April 27, 2025. The blast, believed to have originated from hazardous chemicals, killed at least 40 people and injured over 1,200, according to local sources. (Photo by Rahim / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by RAHIM/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

As fires rage at Iran's largest port, IAEA team visits Tehran for nuclear talks

The Iranian Foreign Ministry stressed on Monday that the country's right to enrich uranium domestically and the removal of sanctions are nonnegotiable.

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi (R), and Oman's foreign minister, Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi, give a joint press conference in Tehran on Dec. 30, 2024.

Analysis

Iran-US talks set to resume in Oman amid differences over enrichment: What to know

As Iran and the United States are set to kick off a third round of their nuclear negotiations, Tehran is grappling with mounting confusion about Washington's stance while reaffirming that its right to enrich uranium is not up for debate.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

NIKITA BORISSOV/AFP via Getty Images

Russia agrees to supply Iran with 55 bcm of gas, fund nuclear plant: What to know

Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad is in Moscow this week, meeting with Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev on Friday.

LEESBURG, VIRGINIA - APRIL 24: U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at Leesburg Executive Airport on April 24, 2025 in Leesburg, Virginia. Trump is attending the MAGA Inc. fundraiser dinner at Trump National Golf Club. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Trump willing to meet Iran's Khamenei but 'will be leading' war pack if no deal

In an interview with Time Magazine, President Donald Trump says he believes a deal with Iran can be reached via negotiations while expressing readiness for war in the event that it doesn't.