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October 6, 2026

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Vessels transit the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of the port city of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran

Hormuz tanker attacks mount, putting oil flows at risk

Roughly a dozen reported attacks on tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz suggests Iran is once again dialing up the pressure as US economic sanctions plunge the rial to new lows.

Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad looks on during the 27th Gas Exporting Countries Forum ministerial meeting, Doha, Qatar, Oct. 23, 2025.

Iran’s economy deteriorates, oil minister resigns, workers protest: What to know

Iran’s oil minister has resigned amid mounting economic pressure from US sanctions and restrictions on the country’s exports.

US President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping hold a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office

Analysis

Why Trump-Xi summit did not move the China needle away from Iran

Beijing's incentive to alienate Iran has shrunk as the war has dragged on.

Yun Sun

In Washington, DC, reporting on China-Middle East ties

nyse

Analysis

Gulf oil exports are back, but how durable is recovery?

Middle East oil exports rebounded in September as Tehran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz erodes, but markets have hardly celebrated a crude revival that could prove short-lived.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Latest News

Analysis

After US exit, Iran gains space in Iraq and a harder balancing act

Members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization) paramilitary forces stand guard during an election rally for the "Asaib Ahl al-Haq" movement in the capital Baghdad, on October 7, 2021.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Trump’s integration policies build on Gulf, Turkey ties and Syria success

US President Donald Trump meets Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (L) on the sidelines of the NATO Summit at Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, on July 8, 2026.

Turkey seizes Iran’s Caspian Airlines jet over $3.4M debt

A Caspian Airlines McDonnell Douglas MD-83 lands at Sabiha Gokcen Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, on Aug. 17, 2014.

Analysis

As Iran’s grip on Hormuz weakens, what leverage does Tehran have left?

A woman crosses a street near a giant billboard erected on the facade of a building depicting a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps placing his foot on a US sea drone, reportedly seized by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, in Vanak Square in Tehran, on Sept. 24, 2026.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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

Military units of the IRGC Ground Force are seen on boats as they launched war games in the Gulf, December 22, 2018. Hamed Malekpour/Tasnim News Agency via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1B345C1BC0

IRGC downplays risk of military conflict as Iran-US tensions flare

The commanders of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claim to see no potential for war with the United States.

Would Palestinian factions go all the way to pay back Iran

While Iran is the main supporter of the Palestinian resistance factions, how would these factions react to a military confrontation between Iran and the United States?

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, May 17, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/Pool - RC1B7A332720

Iran seeks relief from US sanctions in Asia

In its foreign policy toward Asian and Eurasian states, Iran is extending its outreach beyond traditional allies China and Russia to draw support from a range of countries and reduce the impact of US sanctions.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi talks to the media after meeting IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano (not pictured) at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna February 24, 2015. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader (AUSTRIA) - LR2EB2O0U2LF6

Tehran renews warning that it may soon bid farewell to nuclear deal

Amid continued frustration with the European signatories to the nuclear deal, Iran is sending fresh signals about its potential departure from the pact, while indicating that diplomacy remains a viable option.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S national security adviser John Bolton, Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Security Council, and Israeli national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat, shake hands during opening statements of a trilateral meeting between the American, Israeli and Russian top security advisers in Jerusalem June 25, 2019. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun - RC19617B1520

Israeli, Russian, US interests converge on Iran in Syria

At a trilateral meeting in Jerusalem, the national security advisers of Israel, Russia and the United States confirmed their common interest in limiting the presence of Iranian forces in Syria when peace finally comes.

Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren speaks onstage at the Presidential Candidate Forum hosted by NALEO at Telemundo Center in Miami, Florida, U.S., June 21, 2019. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri - RC1A16F733C0

2020 Democrats bash Trump for Iran crisis

While one Democratic presidential candidate calls Trump's Iran policy reckless and another says the only reason there is a crisis is because of Trump, there are questions as to whether the issue will resonate with voters if no war takes place.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, right, shake hands at Abe's official residence in Tokyo Thursday, May 16, 2019. Eugene Hoshiko/Pool via REUTERS - RC114BAC3050

How Khamenei made Abe's Iran visit a mission impossible

Japan's prime minister was in Tehran to deliver a message of rapprochement from the US president. But Shinzo Abe received a tough albeit respectful response of noncompromise from the Iranian leadership.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks before signing an executive order imposing fresh sanctions on Iran as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Vice President Mike Pence look on in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., June 24, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria - RC1D3FDB52D0

Tehran says fresh US sanctions block path to diplomacy

The US administration's latest sanctions targeting several Iranian officials, including the country's supreme leader, have drawn the ire of the government in Tehran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with U.S national security adviser John Bolton and Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Security Council, as Israeli national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat stands nearby during opening statements of a trilateral meeting between American, Israeli and Russian top security advisers in Jerusalem June 25, 2019. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun - RC1D41591EE0

Moscow seeks Iran-Israel compromise at Jerusalem security chiefs meeting

During the trilateral meeting of national security advisers from Russia, Israel and the United States, Moscow stressed Israeli security concerns but also called for acknowledging Iranian interests.

With 'Chernobyl,' Iranians talk other people's nuclear problems, for a change

The miniseries “Chernobyl” is a big hit in Iran and has sparked a debate between conservative and Reformist media about the alleged politics and messaging behind the production.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House national security adviser John Bolton look on in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., June 20, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC1B875D0060

Trump pitches Iran strike reversal to GOP ‘hawks’ and ‘doves’

President Donald Trump said on Saturday his decision to wave off a retaliatory strike on Iran for the downing of an American drone was being celebrated both by allies and critics as a wise move to stave off overextending the US military.

U.S. President Donald Trump displays an executive order imposing fresh sanctions on Iran in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., June 24, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria - RC1310DB3000

Iran shrugs off new sanctions

Iranian officials said they will continue to reduce their nuclear commitments under the JCPOA.