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July 14, 2026

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US President Donald Trump gestures as he steps off Air Force One to board the new Qatari-gifted Boeing plane, en route to the United States following his participation in the NATO Summit at Royal Air Force Mildenhall on July 8, 2026, in Mildenhall, England.

Trump says US to strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site

Satellite imagery has detected recent construction at the underground facility.

The Liberian-flagged container vessel MSC Reef is seen docked along a pier at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in Sharjah Emirate, along the Gulf of Oman, on June 28, 2026.

Explainer

Trump’s Hormuz playbook echoes Iran’s attempts to monetize waterway

On Monday, Trump declared that the United States would become the "guardian" of the strategic waterway, reimpose a blockade on Iranian shipping and seek reimbursement equivalent to 20% of all cargo transiting the strait.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Oil climbs after US strikes Iran, Trump vows to control Strait of Hormuz

US Central Command said in a statement early on Monday that it struck dozens of Iranian targets overnight as Iran targeted American bases across the Gulf.

U.S. President Donald Trump returns to Joint Base Andrews on July 09, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump, switched from the old Air Force One to the new Air Force One while stopping in the U.K. at RAF Mildenhall Air Force Base was returning from his visit to Ankara, Turkey where he attended the NATO summit. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Trump says US to resume naval blockade of Iran's ports

President Donald Trump countered Iran's attempts to collect tolls on shipping via the Strait of Hormuz by announcing the US would do so at a rate of 20% for all cargo transiting the waterway.

Latest News

Analysis

Why Iran is making infrastructure next front in Mideast conflict

A view of the B1 bridge is pictured, a day after it was destroyed by a strike in Karaj, around 20miles (35kms) southwest of Tehran, April 3, 2026.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

How Iran war could impact oil markets in 2027

Igor IVANKO / AFP via Getty Images

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

Why Russia’s grip on Syrian military is weaker than it seems

Russia’s attempts to centralize the command of numerous pro-Assad militias operating in Syria have been a mixed bag, to say the least.

Iran says it's released 1,000 foreign prisoners since outbreak began

Amid criticism from rights organizations, Tehran said it has temporarily released more than 1,000 foreigners due to the pandemic.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, wearing face masks as protection against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), meet in Damascus, Syria, in this handout released by SANA on April 20, 2020. SANA/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE - RC2C8G9VK2MV

Iranian FM meets with Syria’s Assad amid coronavirus pandemic

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif meets with his counterpart Walid Moallem and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as Turkey accuses Syria of breaking the cease-fire in Idlib province.

A carpet seller wears a protective face mask as he talks to a customer, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), after shopping malls and bazaars reopened in Tehran, Iran, April 20, 2020. WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Ali Khara via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC2E8G9PKEW3

Iran says pandemic will not force talks with the US

In today's Iran media review, Iranian officials have rejected a statement by US President Donald Trump to enter negotiations with the United States.

Back to the future on US-Iraq strategic dialogue

The announcement of US-Iraq talks in June is considered by many Iraqis and observers as overdue, and comes as there appears to be backing for continuing the partnership, under adjusted terms.

Intel: Pompeo and Gulf ministers coordinate on Iran, COVID-19

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a flurry of phone calls on Thursday with his counterparts in Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates to discuss Iran and the COVID-19 pandemic.

United Arab Emirates

An Iranian flag flutters in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna, Austria September 9, 2019. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger - RC13159EFD90

Trump administration doubles down on Iran nuclear treaty allegations

The Donald Trump administration is using a new arms control report to build upon its case that Iran could potentially be in violation of a key nuclear nonproliferation treaty.

Iraqi PM designate readies cabinet to present to parliament

As Intelligence Chief Mustafa Al-Kadhimi prepares his cabinet, he appears to have broad support, and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units aren't blocking his way.

Intel: Trump administration vows to expedite review of COVID-19 equipment for Iran

The US Treasury Department vowed today to prioritize and expedite the review of humanitarian license requests to send medical equipment to Iran to treat COVID-19 patients.

Iran's IRGC doubles down on claims of coronavirus detection machine

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it has invented a device to detect coronavirus yet has not provided evidence to back up the claim.

The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, with sailors manning the rails, leaves port on deployment to the western Pacific Ocean and Persian Gulf from San Diego, California, U.S., October 6, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake - RC14B47C0D50

Intel: 11 Iranian ships harass US vessels in Persian Gulf

The US 5th Fleet in the Persian Gulf said today that 11 Iranian vessels “repeatedly conducted dangerous and harassing approaches against multiple US naval ships operating in international waters.”

A teacher is seen while teaching online school classes to students at their homes, as schools are still closed, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Tehran, Iran, April 15, 2020. WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Ali Khara via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC255G9PZ1I2

Pandemic reveals Iran's online-learning challenges

Iran is working out the kinks in its distance-learning process, which it launched on the fly when the coronavirus struck.