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Iran

November 7, 2026

Tehran 2:32 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

Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

US outlines Iran abuses including torture in annual report

Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged the international community to confront Iran's violent clampdown on protests.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani (L).

Iran, Iraq sign security deal boosting border cooperation

The deal follows the Islamic Republic escalating its attacks on Kurdish groups in Iraq amid the ongoing protests in Iran.

An Iranian man walks past banners at a street exhibition by Iran's army and paramilitary Revolutionary Guard force to celebrate "Defence Week", marking the 41th anniversary of the start of 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, at the Baharestan Square in Tehran, on September 25, 2021. (Photo by Atta KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)

EU, UK slap new sanctions on Iran's IRGC leadership

Shortly after the British Foreign Ministry announced more sanctions against Iranian officials, the European Union added its own new sanctions on Iranian individuals and entities.

A member of the US Airforce looks on near a Patriot missile battery at the Prince Sultan air base in Al-Kharj, in central Saudi Arabia on February 20, 2020.

US officials skeptical of China's deal but concerned about deterring Iran

China’s diplomatic reach into heart of Middle East was an unmistakable signal to Washington. Read more in the weekly security-focused newsletter from Al-Monitor’s Pentagon Correspondent Jared Szuba.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi leaves Downing Street after a meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on October 22, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Explainer: How Iraq planted the seeds for China's Saudi-Iran deal

Iran and Saudi Arabia finalized their negotiations in Beijing after five sessions of mediation in Baghdad since 2019.

OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP via Getty Images

Iran committed 'horrific acts of torture' against detained children says Amnesty

The London-based organization says Iranian intelligence and security forces used brutal torture methods against children as young as 12 who were arrested in the crackdown on the country’s protests.

Ali Shamkhani with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed

Top Iran official meets UAE's Mohammed bin Zayed after Saudi thaw

On his trip to Abu Dhabi, Iran's Ali Shamkhani spoke of "constructive" engagement as Tehran is exhausting all channels to push back on its growing isolation.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi arrives for the IAEA Board of Governors meeting on March 06, 2023 in Vienna, Austria.

IAEA’s Grossi expects Iran’s cooperation as technical team readies visit

Peugeot 207 and 206 cars are parked at a hangar after exiting production lines at the Iran Khodro auto plant, west of the Iranian capital Tehran, on August 14, 2022. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran's automotive 'mega project' will have limited impact

The Iranian government plans to sell 500,000 cars directly to consumers in order to limit the influence of intermediaries and reduce market prices. Here's why that won't work.

Bijan Khajehpour

Bijan Khajehpour

In Vienna, reporting on Iranian politics

Chinese foreign affairs Minister Wang Yi speaks during the 2023 Munich Security Conference (MSC) on February 18, 2023 in Munich, Germany.

Meet China's top diplomat Wang Yi, architect of Saudi-Iran deal

Wang’s tenure as foreign minister saw China make large inroads into the Middle East, including among US allies.

A picture obtained by AFP outside Iran, reportedly shows a garbage container on fire in the capital Tehran on October 8, 2022. - Iran has been torn by the biggest wave of social unrest in almost three years, which has seen protesters, including university students and even young schoolgirls chant "Woman, Life, Freedom". (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran protesters torch Soleimani monument as crackdown intensifies

Amid renewed protests six months into the unrest, the Iranian establishment's heavy-handed response appeared to have failed to bridge its widening gap with the disillusioned public.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen addresses a joint press conference after talks with his German counterpart at the Foreign Office in Berlin, Germany on February 28, 2023. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP) (Photo by ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)

After thaw with Iran, Saudi Arabia sends negative signals to Israel

From Israel’s point of view, the China-brokered Iran-Saudi Arabia agreement could dramatically hamper its efforts to normalize with Riyadh.