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Iran

November 7, 2026

Tehran 12:04 pm

13°C

Alexey BABUSHKIN / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Iran turns to Putin as war, US election reshape strategic calculations

A Kremlin meeting with Iran's top security official coupled with reports of new arms deals amid looming war demonstrate Tehran's push to turn vulnerability into strategic leverage.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Tump

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.

Latest News

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

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

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

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 Ebrahim Raisi, second right, at a ceremony to unveil the Mohajer-10 drone, Aug. 22, 2023.

Iran unveils new armed drone, defying pressure over shipments to Russia

With a range of over 1,200 miles, Mohajer 10 is the latest from a family of drones that Russia is believed to have imported from Iran to use in its war on Ukraine.

The Suez Rajan is pictured in this undated photo.

US finally unloads Iranian oil from seized tanker

The Iranian oil aboard the Suez Rajan sat unloaded off the coast of the United States for months amid threats from Iran, causing concern in Congress.

Xi Jinping at BRICS

BRICS summit: which Middle East states could join powerful bloc?

China and Russia are seeking to expand the group and their global influence, and several MENA countries are in line to apply.

Iran's "Fattah" missile.

Iran claims to have produced key engine for supersonic missile tech

The announcement was the latest in a chain of advancements Iran has claimed in its missile technology in defiance of Western criticism and amid regional tensions.

President Joe Biden speaks at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Aug. 10, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Analysis

Is Biden’s reset on Iran paying off?

Republicans say no; four benchmark dates to watch.

Week in Review

Andrew Parasiliti

By Week in Review , Andrew Parasiliti

A woman walks in front of a mural painting depicting the Iranian flag, in the capital Tehran on August 6, 2018.

Republican senators claim 'dangerous precedent' set by Iran prisoner deal

Some Republicans call the deal a "ransom payment," but US officials say Iran could only access its frozen funds for humanitarian purchases under tight supervision.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Saudi crown prince meets Iran's foreign minister in Jeddah

The sit-down between Mohammed bin Salman and Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is the highest-level meeting between Saudi and Iranian officials since their countries resumed ties in March.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian gives a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart in Tehran on July 31, 2023.

Iran FM in Saudi Arabia for first visit since resumption of relations

Top Iranian and Saudi military officials also met in Russia in a further sign of detente between the two regional rivals.

A tugboat passes a ship docked on a stretch of the Houston Ship Channel, part of the Port of Houston, on March 6, 2019 in Houston, Texas.

US lawmakers question if Iranian 'intimidation effort' delaying seized oil transfer

American shipping companies have reportedly been reluctant to offload Iranian oil from a tanker anchored off the coast of Texas.

JOHNNY BUGEJA/AFP via Getty Images

Iran’s oil exports to China hit 10-year high

Iran is growing politically and economically closer to China in light of US sanctions.

Iranian security forces deploy following an armed attack at the Shah Cheragh mausoleum in the city of Shiraz on Oct. 26, 2022.

Iran claims Israel behind shrine attack, pledges revenge

The shooting renewed debates on Iran's intelligence failures in thwarting deadly attacks in contrast to the official assertion that the country is an "island of stability" in a volatile Middle East.

'No guarantees’ as US prisoners in Iran await return home

A group of Americans held in Iran are closer than ever to returning home after more than two years of on-off negotiations, but it's not a done deal.