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Iran

July 18, 2026

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People wave flags of Kurdistan during a march in Erbil, Iraq, on April 21, 2026, expressing support for the unity of Iranian Kurdish parties and condemning Iranian missile strikes and military actions against Kurdish groups in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Analysis

Why Iran's Kurdish front is becoming a growing wartime concern

A Friday Iranian strike on a Kurdish dissident base underscores Tehran's concern that its oldest internal security challenge has now become a wartime vulnerability.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Supporters of the Iran-backed Houthi movement brandish their weapons as they rally in solidarity with Iran and Lebanon in Sanaa on April 10, 2026.

Yemen's Houthis raise Red Sea stakes for Trump

With President Donald Trump ratcheting up his threats, will Iran play its Houthi card?

The sun sets behind overhead power lines in Kuwait City, June 19, 2024.

Iran strike damages Kuwait power, desalination plant: What to know

Kuwait, the world’s most water-stressed country, urged residents to reduce electricity and water use following the attack.

Latest News

Ahmadinejad denies alleged Mossad plot to install him as Iran leader: What to know

BEIRUT, LEBANON - OCTOBER 13: Lebanese people wave flags and hold portraits of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (not pictured) as he arrives in southern suberb of Beirut on October 13, 2010 in Lebanon. The controversial visit is seen as a boost for key ally Hezbollah. According to reports Mr Ahmadinejad may visit the border with Israel - the site of recent deadly clashes between Israeli and Lebanese forces. (Photo by Salah Malkawi/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

Police closes the Oresund bridge near Copenhagen, Denmark, September 28, 2018. Ritzau Scanpix/Nils Meilvang via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. DENMARK OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN DENMARK. - RC1C8D678150

Iran denies assassination plot, warns Denmark against 'hasty reactions'

An alleged assassination attempt has opened a diplomatic rift between Denmark and Iran, with the European country recalling its ambassador and turning to the EU for support.

Iranians shop at a drugstore at the Nikan hospital in Tehran on September 11, 2018. - Judges at the International Court of Justice in The Hague unanimously ruled Washington should remove barriers to "the free exportation to Iran of medicines and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities" as well as airplane parts. Iran produces 96 percent of the drugs it uses, according to the Syndicate of Iranian Pharmaceutical Industries, but imports more than half the raw materials to make them. (Photo by STRING

US fails to shield humanitarian trade with Iran as sanctions loom

European governments are urging the Trump administration to identify a legal means for their companies to continue to provide food and medicine to Iranians after the Nov. 5 re-imposition of secondary sanctions begins.

A close up shot shows Iran's various Rial banknotes, bearing a portrait of Iran's late founder of Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, next to United States one-Dollar bills bearing a portrait of first US President, George Washington in Tehran on April 10, 2018. - Iran took the drastic step of fixing the rate of its currency against the dollar in a bid to arrest a slide that has seen it fall by a third in six months. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Gett

Smuggling surges as US sanctions hit Iranian rial

The Rouhani administration may not be responsible for the US sanctions hitting the Iranian economy, but it is responsible for the damage caused by smuggling and other harmful activities resulting from misguided foreign exchange policies.

Why this film has Iranian hard-liners breaking out in cold sweat

More than 100 cinema halls across Iran, which belong to hard-line Hozeh Honari, have boycotted "Cold Sweat,” an award-winning film that tells the story of an Iranian futsal player who is banned from taking part in an international competition by her husband.

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Woman's daring face-off with police van reignites Iran hijab debate

Footage of a police van almost running over a woman has gone viral as Iranians speak out in in support of hijab protesters and against the controversial morality police.

Rouhani finally engages with Reformists, but some see too little, too late

While Rouhani’s long overdue meeting with Reformists is a step toward cooperation, they're right to be wary of his friendly gesture.

Head of Iran's Assembly of Experts, Mohammad Yazdi, attends a session of Iran's Assembly of Experts, on September 1, 2015 in Tehran. Iran's Assembly of Experts, its top clerical body in charge of appointing, supervising and dismissing the supreme leader, kicks off a two-day meeting. AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Iranian grand ayatollah faces threats for meeting with Reformists

Iran’s seminary and social media have been stunned by a letter threatening a grand ayatollah over his personal meetings.

Tourists visit the Azadi Tower in the capital Tehran on April 19, 2018. - On April 15, the central bank banned foreign exchange bureaus "until further notice" from buying or selling foreign currency, leaving banks alone to carry out such transactions. But in practice, they refuse to do so, according to numerous testimonies. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Iran turns to tourism to earn hard currency, create jobs

From developing infrastructure to expanding marine tourism and easing visa issuances, Iran is increasingly focusing on its underdeveloped tourism sector as US sanctions are reimposed.

gas flare on an oil production platform in the Soroush oil fields is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Gulf July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/File Photo - S1BEUEUZEDAB

Will US sanctions sway Iran to enter oil deal with Russia?

Iranians in general do not trust Russia, but their government may be looking into various oil deals with Moscow to work around US sanctions.

Iran's parliament speaker Ali Larijani speaks during a news conference in Baghdad December 24, 2014. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani (IRAQ - Tags: POLITICS) - GM1EACO1I3601

Reformists begin signaling support for Larijani as president

Iran’s parliament speaker, while long a figure in the conservative camp, appears to be gaining Reformist backing for a potential presidential bid in 2021.

A general view of the Damavand summit northeast of Tehran, Iran, May 19, 2006. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl/File Photo - S1AETKANTMAA

Intel: How allowing Iran to stay in SWIFT financial network would impact US oil sanctions

Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at Diaoyutai state guesthouse in Beijing, China May 13, 2018. REUTERS/Thomas Peter - RC1EE6C163D0

Why Chinese public diplomacy is failing in Iran

While political and economic engagement between Iran and China continues to increase, China’s image remains poor as it is hostage to factional disputes within Iran.