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August 5, 2026

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (2nd L), Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (2nd R) and Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi (R) walk inside a building in Muscat, Oman, on June 22, 2026.

Explainer

The emerging Iran-Oman Hormuz deal: What's at stake?

A framework that gives Tehran a formal role in determining how ships move through the waterway could strengthen its hand in future negotiations with the US.

TOPSHOT - This aerial photograph shows boats anchored off Oman's northern Musandam Peninsula near the Strait of Hormuz on June 27, 2026. Iran launched attacks on US sites in the Gulf in response to American strikes on the country, state media said on June 27, after Washington accused Tehran of attacking one of its cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The trading of fire raised questions about efforts to keep the crucial waterway open while Washington and Tehran negotiate a final settlement to a war that beg

Analysis

Another US-Iran truce, same Hormuz standoff: What comes next

Since February, two major diplomatic efforts have produced temporary pauses in fighting, but neither has translated into a lasting agreement.

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Latest News

Analysis

Lacking leverage over Trump, Israel stays quiet on US-Iran talks

US President Donald Trump (C) is welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport on Oct. 13, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

US military options narrow as Trump calls off Iran strikes: What to know

US President Donald Trump and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth listen to questions from the press during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David in Maryland, on July 31, 2026.

Explainer

Iran-Oman Hormuz route talks near 'completion': What to know

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (L), Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (2nd L) and Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi (R) attend a meeting in Muscat, Oman, on June 22, 2026.

Iran hangs 2 over alleged Mossad ties as executions mount: What to know

This photograph shows a banner featuring photos of Iranian protesters allegedly killed by the regime during a demonstration at the Ergife Palace Hotel to condemn the silence of Western governments in the face of the growing wave of Iranian political executions, in Rome, on July 16, 2026.

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

Iranian official criticizes Instagram for 'immorality'

The remarks by the head of the Islamic Development Organization follow last month's arrest of a popular Instagram star.

Iran rocked by three honor killings in one month

A push for urgent legal reforms and greater public awareness is gaining momentum in Iran after the country reported three gruesome honor killings in less than a month.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif shakes hands with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after a news conference following their meeting in Moscow, Russia, December 30, 2019. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina - RC2N5E98ZR59

Iran’s Zarif seeks Russian support as US pressure builds

The Iranian foreign minister went to Moscow for help against US efforts to extend an arms embargo against Iran.

Iran’s wildfires leave trail of destruction, lingering questions

Wildfires that raged for two weeks turned significant swaths of Iran’s western forests into ash as state bureaucracy dramatically slowed down an efficient response.

Iran's economy in desperate need of solutions

Amid a drop in global oil prices, even relief from US sanctions may not be enough to save Iran's collapsing economy.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks at a news conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S., September 26, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid - HP1EF9Q1CPOMH

Iran's Rouhani warns other countries against following US arms sanctions

Iran has warned other countries of the United Nations Security Council to not go along with US plans to continue the arms embargo.

Saudi defence ministry spokesman Colonel Turki Al-Malik displays remains of the missiles which Saudi government says were used to attack an Aramco oil facility, during a news conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia September 18, 2019. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed - RC152BBF8970

Intel: Missiles that struck Saudi Arabia last year 'of Iranian origin,' UN says

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the drones and cruise missiles that struck Saudi Arabia’s oil refineries and an international airport last year came from Iran.

A general view of the Iranian parliament, during the opening ceremony of Iran's 11th parliament, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Tehran, Iran, May 27, 2020. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC2XWG9R3UB3

Parliament speaker opens new conservative era in Iranian politics

Parliament Speaker Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf starts his new job at a time when Iran faces great challenges, with the conservatives set to dominate Iranian politics in the near future.

Iranians wear protective face masks, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as they drive with the metro, in Tehran, Iran, May 20, 2020. WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Ali Khara via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC2FSG9AESAO

With no end to pandemic in sight, Iran looks to fully reopen

Iran’s president said the country is looking to reopen under certain health guidelines.

A screen grab from video footage from Iran's state-run English language Press TV showing aerial view of warships released by revolutionary guards, broadcasted on July 19, 2019. Press TV/Reuters TV via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. IRAN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN IRAN. Broadcasters: NO USE IRAN. NO USE BBC PERSIAN. NO USE MANOTO. NO USE VOA PERSIAN Digital: NO USE IRAN. NO USE BBC PERSIAN. NO USE MANOTO. NO USE VOA PERSIAN (RESTRICTION IMPOSED LOCALLY B

Iran’s debt-ridden international broadcasters face closure

Iran’s state-funded international TV channels, including Press TV, could soon be taken off the air due to accumulated debt amid the country’s cash reserve crisis.

An Iraqi soldier wears a protective face mask and gloves, following the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as he stands guard during the hand over of Qayyarah Airfield West from US-led coalition forces to Iraqi Security Forces, in the south of Mosul, Iraq March 26, 2020. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - RC2SRF9WTZ1K

Rocket hits Baghdad as US-Iraq dialogue set to launch

In order to reorganize the relationship between the two countries in various aspects, Iraq and the United States are negotiating over a new strategic agreement.

Brian Hook, the U.S. Special Representative for Iran and Senior Policy Advisor to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, arrives to the UN Plaza as politicians and ambassadors gather to brief the Security Council on a Middle East peace plan in New York, U.S., February 6, 2020. REUTERS/Yana Paskova - RC2AVE9K2H1P

Intel: Trump’s Iran policy coordinator previews additional prisoner talks

President Donald Trump’s Iran policy coordinator hinted today at ongoing negotiations with Tehran to secure the release of additional American prisoners following the release of Navy veteran Michael White last week.