Iran - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Iran cover image

Iran

November 9, 2026

Tehran 9:10 am

13°C

People vote on Election Day during the midterm elections

Analysis

From sanctions relief to deterrence: How Iran reads US elections

Iran's negotiators now view US elections through the lens of political pressure and the costs of conflict, while even Javad Zarif frames diplomacy as part of deterrence.

Jamshid Jamshidi

By Jamshid Jamshidi

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.

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

Russia's UN veto sign of warming ties with Iran says Khamenei adviser

Russia’s veto of a UN Security Council resolution condemning Iran in Yemen’s civil war is a sign of the growing ties between Tehran and Moscow, according to a top adviser to the supreme leader.

Sunsets 'tricky bit' in transatlantic talks on Trump Iran demands

Diplomats say sunset clauses that eventually will ease limits on Iran’s enrichment capacity are proving the most difficult issue in US-European negotiations to meet Donald Trump’s Iran ultimatums.

State Department OKs nuclear monitoring system for Iran

The State Department has approved US exports that will help a UN agency set up nuclear monitoring stations inside Iran to strengthen the nuclear deal.

Iran’s Islamic Azad University rocked by layoffs of pro-reform professors

In Iran, conservative elements appear to be targeting pro-Reformist professors at Islamic Azad University.

Abandoned boats in Sikh Sar village at Hamoon wetland near the Zabol town, in southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan bordering Afghanistan on February 2, 2015. AFP PHOTO/BEHROUZ MEHRI (Photo credit should read BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images)

Iranians call for soft power now to head off future water crises

At a conference on water, Iranian officials called for moving to resolve potential water disputes with neighbors peacefully, in light of expected drought and other water problems.

IRAN, TEHRAN - MAY 16: Iranian presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi (R) holds hands with former presidential candidate and mayor of Tehran, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (C), as he greets his supporters during a campaign rally at Imam Khomeini Mosque in the capital Tehran on May 16, 2017 in Tehran, Iran. Iran's presidential election on May 19 is effectively a choice between moderate incumbent Hassan Rouhani and hardline jurist Raisi, with major implications for everything from civil rights to relations with Wa

Iranian conservative duo rumored to be gearing up for parliament run

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s conservative rivals appear to be gearing up to enter parliament.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan chats with Jordan's King Abdullah as they pose for a group photo during an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey, December 13, 2017. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RC1F351E9400

Jordan and Turkey get cozy

Jordan and Turkey are boosting political, trade and economic ties amid regional challenges and shared interests in the outcome of nearby conflicts.

MUNICH, BAVARIA - FEBRUARY 18: In this handout photo Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds up what he claims is a piece of an Iranian drone that was shot down after it flew over Israeli territory at the 2018 Munich Security Conference on February 18, 2018 in Munich, Germany. The annual conference, which brings together political and defense leaders from across the globe, is taking place under heightened tensions between the USA, together with its western allies, and Russia. (Photo by Lennart Pre

Will Israel act against Iran?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toughened his speech against Iran, but the reality on the ground raises questions as to whether or not the Cabinet will follow up in deeds.

Iran's currency crisis shakes Rouhani’s middle-class base

Following the nationwide protests led by the Iranian working class in late December, the return of fluctuations on the foreign exchange market is putting pressure on the minds of middle-class Iranians.

Rivalry among Iran intelligence bodies spills out into open

Presidential adviser Ali Younessi has said that only the Intelligence Ministry is capable of determining who is a spy and criticized other organizations for making their own assessments.

Masrour Barzani, head of the Iraqi Kurdish region's national Security Council, casts his vote during Kurds independence referendum in Erbil, Iraq September 25, 2017. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari - RC16957934A0

KRG intelligence chief: Baghdad must give us our rights

Masrour Barzani, the son of former Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani, talks about the Kurds' thinking behind the Sept. 25 independence referendum and about what may happen next.

Iranian interference in Iraqi election stirs anger among Iraqis

With the upcoming Iraqi elections in May, Iranians have stepped up their actions to manage their alliances in Iraq to ensure the continuity of their influence.