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May 11, 2026

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Netanyahu fears being left out as Trump pursues Iran diplomacy

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was not surprised by President Donald Trump’s suspension of Project Freedom and move toward talks with Iran, but analysts say Washington may not be fully weighing Israel's concerns in negotiations with Tehran.

CN-STR / AFP via Getty Images

China’s overland trade routes offer Iran wartime economic lifeline: What to know

Cargo rail traffic between China and Iran has reportedly surged since the US blockade began in April as Tehran seeks overland trade alternatives to help buy time.

A woman walks past a banner featuring Iran's late supreme leaders, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (L) and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (C), next to newly elected Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in Tehran on April 19, 2026.

Analysis

Why Iran's wartime behavior risks lasting rupture with Gulf states

Iran's rhetoric and policies toward Gulf states have sharply escalated, raising questions about whether years of painstaking regional rapprochement can survive mounting distrust and maritime confrontations.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Traffic passes a billboard depicting Iranian ballistic missiles in service, with text in Arabic reading "the honest [person's] promise" and in Persian "Israel is weaker than a spider's web," Valiasr Square, Tehran, April 15, 2024. ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images.

Analysis

CIA report on Iran missiles undercuts Netanyahu as war euphoria dissipates

The findings cast doubt on Israel’s wartime gains and put pressure on Netanyahu’s campaign strategy ahead of elections.

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

Latest News

US strikes Iran tankers as UAE reports fresh missile, drone attacks

Getty

What to know about Iran's 'Persian Gulf Strait Authority' to control Hormuz traffic

In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency on May 4, 2026, the Iran-flagged tugboat Basim sails near a ship anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.

US sets expectations for Iraq’s next PM to confront Iranian militias

Popular Mobilization Forces

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

TEHRAN, IRAN - JULY 22: (----EDITORIAL USE ONLY MANDATORY CREDIT - "IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER PRESS OFFICE / HANDOUT" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS----) Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei (2nd R) meets Saleh al-Arouri (3rd R), deputy leader of Hamas, in Tehran, Iran on July 22, 2019. (Photo by IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER PRESS OFFICE / HANDOUT/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Iran, Hamas seek benefits of mutual military support

As the United States becomes more involved in the Middle East, its actions are driving Hamas and Tehran closer.

U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton speaks during an interview at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 29, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid - RC15F217A710

Intel: Bolton ouster leaves uncertain future for Iran policy

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a statement in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, Israel September 10, 2019. REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RC1ABFF59380

Jordan Valley annexation — Netanyahu’s desperate last card

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he would annex the Jordan Valley after the elections. He hopes this announcement will sideline unpleasant issues for him, such as the police investigation or a possible Trump-Rouhani meeting.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a news conference in Jerusalem September 9, 2019. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun - RC1387B39F60

Iran denies secret nuclear weapons site, says Netanyahu 'cries wolf'

Tehran has denied the Israeli prime minister's claims about a purported nuclear site in central Iran, saying the allegation is part of a campaign to ignite a war against the Islamic Republic.

Netanyahu petrified by possible Trump-Rouhani meeting

Ahead of the Sept. 17 elections, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is terrified that US President Donald Trump will crush his anti-Iran campaign by meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Ali Akbar Salehi, director of Iran's nuclear energy agency speaks during a news conference with the acting head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog (IAEA), Cornel Feruta, in Tehran, Iran September 8, 2019. PR of IAEO (Iran's Atomic Energy Organization)/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC157EEA3400

UN nuclear watchdog confirms Iran installing advanced centrifuges

The IAEA has confirmed Iran’s third step of reducing its limitations on nuclear research and development under the JCPOA.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iran's counterpart Javad Zarif shake hands after a news conference following their meeting in Moscow, Russia, September 2, 2019. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina? TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1972936350

Intel: Why Russia boosts Iran even as Tehran pares nuclear deal commitments

Despite their differences on Syria, Russia needs a stronger Iran as its partner.

Will PMU form an air force unit?

Iran-backed PMU factions are trying to form a PMU air force unit with Iranian support, but the top PMU leader says no.

The interplay between exchange rates and inflation in Iran

While the Iranian rial has strengthened against the dollar, inflation remains high, and the budget deficit is not helping the matter.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin speaks to the news media after giving a television interview at the White House in Washington, U.S. December 3, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis - RC1936F926B0

As Trump mulls Iran diplomacy, Mnuchin plays more visible role

As US President Donald Trump mulls Iran diplomacy, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is playing a more visible role.

Child marriage nullified after social media outrage in Iran

After video of an 11-year-old bride surfaced online, a popular backlash prompted the authorities to investigate and prosecute the groom, the officiant and the girl's father.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi (R) speaks as the head of the country's Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, listens during a nuclear deal review meeting in Tehran August 9, 2015. Dozens of companies tied to Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, a military force commanding a powerful industrial empire with huge political influence, will win sanctions relief under a nuclear deal agreed with world powers. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIR

Iran set for 'extraordinary' breach of nuclear deal commitments

Iran says it is gearing up to take a crucial step toward further reducing its compliance with the nuclear deal, as officials see no immediate tangible outcome from talks with the European signatories to the accord.