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May 13, 2026

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US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands as they arrive for talks at the Gimhae Air Base in Busan, South Korea, on Oct. 30, 2025.

Analysis

Ahead of Trump-Xi summit, Iran looks to China as guarantor — but with reservations

Tehran is closely watching the Trump-Xi meeting to determine whether China will continue acting primarily as a protector or if it will gradually emerge as the power capable of pressuring Iran into a narrower strategic corner.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

TTA KENARE/AFP/GettyImages

Kuwait unveils Iran IRGC infiltration plot, arrests 4: What to know

According to Kuwaiti authorities, four suspects arrested earlier this month after attempting to enter the country illegally via the sea confessed to belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and planning attacks against Kuwait.

A picture taken on March 12, 2017, shows an Panamanian tanker docking at the platform of the oil facility in the Khark Island, on the shore of the Gulf.

US hits China-linked Iran oil trade with sanctions ahead of Trump trip

The sanctions come after the United States rejected Iran's latest proposal to end the war.

Latest News

Trump calls Iran response 'piece of garbage,' set to meet military advisers

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MAY 2: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to journalists before boarding Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport on May 2, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump is spending the weekend at his Mar-A-Lago resort. (Photo by Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)

Netanyahu fears being left out as Trump pursues Iran diplomacy

Ronen Zvulun / AFP via Getty Images

China’s overland trade routes offer Iran wartime economic lifeline: What to know

CN-STR / AFP via 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

Iranian pilgrims wait at the Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran as they depart for the annual haj pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, in Tehran, Iran, July 31, 2017. Nazanin Tabatabaee Yazdi / TIMA via REUTERS. ATTENTION EDITORS – THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1CBB5CCCA0

Iran's government under fire for subsidizing pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia

The Iranian government’s decision to subsidize the hajj pilgrimage has fueled anger among many Iranians who are struggling to make ends meet.

Iranian presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi gestures as he casts his vote during the presidential election in Tehran, Iran, May 19, 2017. TIMA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1C429F8270

Some Iranian Reformists welcome new hard-line judiciary chief

Although many Reformists are not likely to be enthusiastic that Ebrahim Raisi has been named as Iran's judiciary chief, some Reformists are welcoming him.

Yemenis divided over Mideast peace deal, Iran

The controversy that ensued after a photo emerged of Yemen's foreign minister sitting next to the Israeli premier in Warsaw indicates that Arab states may be further divided by stances on Iran and a Palestinian-Israeli peace deal.

Iranian forum looks to address so-called 'sexual crisis'

An Iranian media group is sponsoring a series of talks on the taboo subject of sex to deal with the so-called sexual crisis in the country.

Zarif’s stock rises with support from Soleimani

While Iran’s foreign minister carries the day against hard-liners, Israel hopes to exploit possible cracks in Tehran’s Syria policy.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (R) and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attend a meeting with Muslim leaders and scholars in Hyderabad, India, February 15, 2018. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui - RC13BC72B9E0

Soleimani's support boosts Zarif, isolates Iran's hard-liners

Iran’s foreign minister has returned to his post with renewed authority after expressions of support from an array of the ruling elite, but his hard-line detractors are still poised to make gains in the country’s next elections.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attends India-Iran business forum in New Delhi, India, January 8, 2019. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis - RC11CD45DD00

US shrugs off Zarif resignation reversal

Before Iran’s foreign minister had returned to the job, the Donald Trump administration dismissed Mohammad Javad Zarif’s resignation as essentially irrelevant, as the prospect of getting to the negotiating table looks increasingly remote.

Iraqi envoy calls on US to reopen Basra consulate

At an exclusive Al-Monitor event, Iraq’s ambassador to the United States urged the Donald Trump administration to reopen its consulate in Basra, which the State Department closed last year amid rocket attacks from Iran-backed militias.

Representations of the Ripple, Bitcoin, Etherum and Litecoin virtual currencies are seen on a PC motherboard in this illustration picture, February 13, 2018. Picture is taken February 13, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration - RC1993E31370

Iran’s top banks launch blockchain platform to boost ailing banking system

Banking giants in Iran have established a digital tokenization platform to liquidize bad assets. If it can overcome the many challenges on the way, it could generate vital cash — and public trust.

Rouhani media launches rare attack on hard-line critic in parliament

In a rare move, the news agency that operates under Hassan Rouhani has responded with an attack on a staunch critic in parliament for spreading “lies.”

Workers sort pistachios by hand during a final inspection before packing at a processing factory in Rafsanjan, 1,000 kilometers southeast of Tehran September 23, 2008. Iran may this year see its position as the world's largest producer of pistachio nuts overtaken by the United States, as the Islamic Republic suffers one of its worst harvests ever. Picture taken September 23, 2008. To match feature IRAN-PISTACHIOS/ REUTERS/Caren Firouz (IRAN) - GM1E4A90KNL01

Will sanctions suffocate trickle of Iran-US trade?

With the reimposition of US sanctions, the trickle of trade between Iran and the United States could vanish altogether.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi chat during their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China February 19, 2019. How Hwee Young/Pool via REUTERS - RC181062C080

Iran's Zarif returns to work after Rouhani rejects resignation

Mohammad Javad Zarif has resumed work as Iran's top diplomat after President Hassan Rouhani rejected his abrupt resignation, though the debate continues over what forced the foreign minister to bid farewell in the first place.