Iran-US tensions

An Iraqi money dealer counts Iranian rial banknotes bearing a portrait of the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, at an exchange office in Baghdad on Feb. 3, 2012.

Iranian rial hits new record low as blockade, war take toll: What to know

The rial had another collapse in late 2025, triggering massive protests and riots in the country that were ended by a forceful government crackdown.

In this handout photo provided by the U.S. Navy, Two F/A-18 Super Hornets launch from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 3, 2026 in the Mediterranean Sea.

Breaking | Last Updated: April 29, 2026, 12:29 pm

Pentagon: Iran war has cost US estimated $25B so far

A supplemental request won’t be delivered to Congress until the Pentagon fully assesses the war’s cost, a top budget official told House lawmakers.

The Ateela 2 oil tanker boat navigates the sea on April 28, 2026, on Qeshm Island, Iran, in the Strait of Hormuz.

Analysis

How long can Iran's economy withstand Trump's naval blockade?

Iranian authorities are denouncing US seizures of the country's oil tankers as piracy, but mounting disruptions to maritime trade are exposing economic fragility beneath Tehran's claims of control and resilience.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

MUMEN KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images

Why UAE's decision to leave OPEC is major shift for cartel

The UAE accounts for 12% of OPEC's output, but tensions had been simmering over intragroup rivalries and the country wanting to export more oil.

United Arab Emirates

Latest News

Analysis

Despite Trump pressure to limit Israel's Lebanon attacks, Aoun-Netanyahu meeting still unlikely

ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images

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

First LNG tanker transits Strait of Hormuz since Iran war began

Yuichi YAMAZAKI / AFP via Getty Images

Bahrain strips 69 people of citizenship for 'glorifying' Iran attacks

People walk along an alley at a bazaar in Bahrain's capital, Manama, on March 11, 2026.

Iraq's Shiite alliance nominates Ali al-Zaidi as PM candidate: What to know

Ali al-Zaidi

People hold posters showing the portrait of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Major General Qassem Soleimani and chant slogans during a protest outside the US Consulate on Jan. 5, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Iran commemorates anniversary of Soleimani’s death

Iranians marked the two-year anniversary of the death of former Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, vowing to "exact revenge."

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani speaks to the press in front of Palais Coburg, venue for the JCPOA meeting that aims to revive the Iran nuclear deal, in Vienna on Dec. 27, 2021.

Iran says Vienna talks on ‘good path’

Iranian media and officials have expressed optimism over the latest round of nuclear talks.

Al-Monitor Staff

By Al-Monitor Staff

A recent undated file photo of Israel's nuclear reactor at Dimona.

Iran vows to blow up Israel's Dimona first if war breaks out

After striking a mockup model of the Israeli nuclear facility with ballistic missiles in a recent war game, Iran said the site will be a prime target in any potential war with Israel.

Gulf Navy

US Navy seizes thousands of guns bound for Yemen’s Houthis

The US military said the boat, which was carrying the AK-47 cache, came from Iran.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby, at the Pentagon on Sept. 3, 2021, in Arlington, Virginia.

UK warplane shoots down 'hostile' drone near US base in Syria

The latest drone incursion comes as indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran are on thin ice.

Iranian Ambassador to the UK Mohsen Baharvand, pictured here in Tehran on Oct. 19, 2020.

Iran says UK in 'discussions' over paying decades-old debt

Iran's Ambassador to the US Mohsen Baharvand said a British delegation had discussed its imprisoned nationals during a recent visit to Tehran.

Gantz Austin

Intel: US, Israel float military option as Iran nuclear talks sputter

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met at the Pentagon to discuss Iran's nuclear program, and the possibility of a military response if negotiations continue to stall.

Commanding officers of the US-led international coalition against the Islamic State (R) and senior Iraqi commanders (L) meet at the Joint Operations Center in Baghdad's Green Zone, Dec. 9, 2021.

Iraq announces end to US-led combat role with no fanfare

The defeat-IS coalition will continue its advisory mission into next year, despite a declared end to a combat role.

Iran minister

The Takeaway: What to expect in next round of Iran nuclear talks

Iran’s dismal economy; Saudi defense reforms; Sudan-Ethiopia border dispute; Israeli settlements increase in Hebron; Mosul’s robot waiter; Luxor’s long-lost fertility goddess.

Iranian diplomat and political deputy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran Ali Bagheri Kani, in London, on Nov. 11, 2021.

Iran says window for talks not 'open forever' as Vienna dialogue resumes

Iran insists that it wants the original terms of the nuclear deal fully implemented.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani (R), and members of his delegation are seen leaving the Coburg Palais in Vienna on Dec. 3, 2021.

Iran's chief negotiator says burden is on West, not Iran, for next move in nuclear talks

Ali Bagheri Kani may wait for the other side to bring "something to the table" now.

In this handout provided by the EU Delegation in Vienna, Representatives of the European Union (L) and Iran (R) attend the Iran nuclear talks at the Grand Hotel on April 06, 2021 in Vienna, Austria.

Iran official says Tehran relied on prior agreements at Vienna talks

An Iranian official has said that their country’s draft of recommendations was based on the nuclear deal and did not discard the previous round of talks.