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May 10, 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

University students attend a protest against the U.S and Iran interventions, in Basra, Iraq January 8, 2020. REUTERS/Essam al-Sudani - RC2MBE98I0AD

Egypt advises Iraq to expel US, other forces in bid for stability

Egypt is recommending that Baghdad expel all foreign forces, including those of the United States, from Iraqi territory following the US drone strike that killed Iran’s top Quds Force commander, Qasem Soleimani, at the Baghdad airport.

Iraqi Christians pray during a mass on Christmas Day at St. George Chaldean Church in Baghdad, Iraq December 25, 2019. REUTERS/Khalid al Mousily - RC292E9455EU

Iraqi minorities concerned about possible US troop withdrawal

Iraqi minorities are afraid that rising tensions between Iran and the United States might end the US troop presence in the country.

Iraq’s sidelined Sunnis weigh options amid US-Iran conflict

Iraq’s Sunni politicians, who are facing great challenges in managing areas still recovering from the damage caused by the Islamic State, worry that Iran-US tensions will have an added negative effect.

Members of a Palestinian family sit around a fire to warm themselves at the site of their destroyed house, on a rainy day in the southern Gaza Strip January 10, 2020. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC24DE9KGKN8

Islamic Jihad undermines shaky Gaza cease-fire with rocket barrage

Israel, Egypt holding Hamas accountable for all attacks from Gaza; the wisdom of Sultan Qaboos.

U.S. soldiers inspect the site where an Iranian missile hit at Ain al-Asad air base in Anbar province, Iraq January 13, 2020. REUTERS/John Davison - RC23FE9R37HE

Pentagon receives late notice of US injuries in Iranian strike

Eleven US troops have received treatment for possible traumatic brain injuries stemming from an Iranian missile attack on a US base in Iraq.

Khamenei delivers Friday sermon after 8-year absence

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered the Friday sermon for the first time in eight years to address the important events in Iran over the last two weeks.

What's in store for Iraq's PMU after death of top commander?

The Popular Mobilization Units will face fragmentation and division after the assassination of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was the backbone of the Iran-backed organization.

President of the Kurdistan region in Iraq Nechirvan Barzani sits in a shaft of window light as he greets U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in the VIP terminal at Erbil International Airport in Erbil, Iraq November 23, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC23HD91WQR6

Interview

Iraqi Kurdistan president: 'We are not scared of Iran, but we respect Iran'

Assessing the aftermath of Qasem Soleimani's death, KRG President Nechirvan Barzani, in an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, calls for a reasoned, negotiated approach to Iraq's problems and for the Kurdish issue in the region.

Nechirvan Barzani

Nechirvan Barzani

President of the Kurdistan Regional Government

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo departs following a briefing on developments with Iran after attacks by Iran on U.S. forces in Iraq, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 8, 2020. REUTERS/Al Drago - RC2YBE938KJI

Intel: Why the Trump administration keeps dodging Iran briefings on Capitol Hill

Iran's Rouhani takes on powerful Guardian Council as elections approach

President Hassan Rouhani has criticized the conservative Guardian Council for disqualifying Reformist and moderate candidates from running the upcoming elections.

Will Iraq's Sunnis form semi-autonomous region if US troops leave?

Sunni politicians are said to be discussing the formation of a semi-autonomous Sunni region in Iraq following a parliamentary move supporting the expulsion of US troops from the country.

Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif speaks with the media on the sidelines of a security conference in New Delhi, India, January 15, 2020. REUTERS/Alasdair Pal - RC29GE9BKE8L

Iran issues warnings after Europe triggers nuclear deal dispute mechanism

A European decision to trigger a dispute mechanism in the Iran nuclear deal has been received with defiance, rage and threats in Tehran.