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Iran

July 24, 2026

Tehran 7:48 am

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Iraq deepens Iran ties days after US investment push

The Iraqi premier visited Tehran shortly after his trip to Washington for talks focusing on economic cooperation and plans to develop a cross-border railway network.

US President Donald Trump (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands as they arrive to speak to journalists during a joint press conference at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on Dec. 29, 2025.

Israel fears US deal would allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium

Israel fears the US-Saudi civilian nuclear deal could pave the way for uranium enrichment not only by the Saudis but also by other countries in the region.

Latest News

Trump threatens Iran bridges, power plants over Hormuz attacks

US President Donald Trump listens to a reporter's question as he holds a bilateral meeting with President of Lebanon Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office of the White House on July 21, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Iran war to cost US $37.5B by end of September, Hegseth tells Senate

Hegset

Interview

PJAK leader mocks Iran’s claim Turkey spiked US Kurdish-backed regime-change plan

A Kurdish fighter from the Iranian Kurdish armed faction Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) stands with his rifle at a site near the Iraqi border with Iran in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, on March 8, 2026.

Siamand Moeini

Siamand Moeini

PJAK Executive Council Member

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

Joseph EID / AFP via Getty Images

As Hezbollah vows to defend Iran, Lebanon braces for potential spillover

Lebanon once again finds itself preparing for Hezbollah’s involvement in a looming US-Iranian military confrontation.

Members of the Israeli security forces check the apparent remains of an Iranian ballistic missile lying on the ground in the Golan Heights, Northern Israel, on Thursday, June 19, 2025. (Photo by Michael Giladi / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by MICHAEL GILADI/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel steps up Iran war preparations, keeps plans within small inner circle

The Israeli military has not yet changed its current guidance for the civilian population.

Outbound passengers arrive with their luggage at the Emirates check-in counter at the Iranian capital Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport, on July 17, 2020.

Airlines cancel flights amid fears of US military action in Iran: What to know

Arrivals at Tehran's airport this week mainly indicated Iranian and Middle Eastern airlines were flying to the Persian country amid heightened tensions with Washington.

US President Donald Trump speaks during a visit to the Fort Bragg US Army base on Feb. 13, 2026 in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Hopes for nuclear deal fade as US, Iran cling to red lines

President Trump is unlikely to approve a limited nuclear agreement that would invite comparisons to the 2015 deal he once scorned.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, US President Donald Trump's nominee to be ambassador to Israel, testifies during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, March 25, 2025.

Interview

Huckabee confirms US-Israel alignment on Iran, says Hamas will disarm 'sooner or later'

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Al-Monitor in an interview that the 2025 strike on Iranian nuclear sites was only a preview of what the US military is capable of.

A picture taken on November 10, 2019, shows an Iranian flag in Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, during an official ceremony to kick-start works on a second reactor at the facility.

Russia doubles down on Iran nuclear cooperation as US talks inch forward

Moscow’s energy minister said Russia is currently building equipment for new units at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (3rd L) and Switzerland's Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (2nd R) attend a bilateral meeting between Switzerland and Iran during a second round of US-Iranian talks with Washington pushing Tehran to make a deal to limit its nuclear program, in Geneva on Feb. 17, 2026.

Analysis

Military posturing alongside fragile diplomacy: What’s next for US-Iran talks?

Sharp warnings, entrenched red lines and rising military signaling reveal a shaky path in US-Iran nuclear talks.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Robin MILLARD / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Israel concerned Iran trying to buy time but sees US strikes as still possible

“We don’t yet know what happened there and hope that the Iranians didn’t string the American team along in order to buy time. The gaps between the sides are enormous and cannot be bridged," a senior Israeli official told Al-Monitor.

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

A missile launches from IRIS Sabalan, an Alvand-class frigate of the Iranian Navy, during the Velayat 91 drill in the Gulf of Oman on January 1, 2013. The Velayat 91 drill is a sixday Iranian naval exercise held in late December 2012 and early January 2013 across the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman, and the northern Indian Ocean to test naval readiness and secure strategic waterways. (Photo by Mohammadali Najib / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

Russia, China, Iran to hold joint naval drills in Strait of Hormuz: What to know

The drills come as the three countries strengthen their ties amid growing US economic and military pressure on Iran.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi delivers a speech during a session of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament, on the sideline of a second round of US-Iranian talks with Washington pushing Tehran to make a deal to limit its nuclear program, in Geneva, on Feb. 17, 2026.

Iran FM says agreement on 'guiding principles' reached in talks with US

The latest round of negotiations came after President Donald Trump warned of potential consequences for Iran should no agreement be reached.

Small boats loaded with merchandise sail past the St Kitt's and Nevis-flagged container ship Marsa Victory in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Khasab in the northern Musandam Peninsula, Oman, June 25, 2025.

Iran’s IRGC begins naval drills in Strait of Hormuz on eve of US-Iran talks

The drills come as a second US carrier is heading to the region amid US President Trump’s threats to use military force if Tehran does not agree to restrictions on its nuclear program during indirect negotiations mediated by Oman.