Iran - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Iran cover image

Iran

August 12, 2026

Tehran 4:48 pm

36°C

The commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Esmail Qaani, speaks during a commemoration ceremony marking the anniversary of the 2020 killing of Guards general Qasem Soleimani (on screen) in the capital Tehran on Jan. 3, 2024.

Analysis

What Qaani's Baghdad visit reveals about Iran's post-war dilemma

The Quds Force commander's Baghdad visit is occurring as Iran faced difficult choices in Iraq where the government is moving to bring powerful armed groups under state control after the recent war.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Qaani

IRGC chief Qaani reportedly in Iraq ahead of militia deadline

Esmail Qaani, who heads the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, has been heavily involved in Iran’s relations with Iraqi militias.

image of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei

Iran’s Khamenei appoints six military commanders: What to know

The appointments, which replace figures killed in the war, follow Khamenei naming a new leader of the Islamic Republic’s top security body.

Latest News

Explainer

Who is Iran’s Mohsen Rezaei, hard-line IRGC veteran appointed to top security post?

Mohsen Rezai

Analysis

How Hormuz crisis is boosting IRGC and Iran’s security establishment

This aerial photograph shows boats anchored off Oman's northern Musandam Peninsula near the Strait of Hormuz on June 27, 2026.

Jamshid Jamshidi

By Jamshid Jamshidi

Analysis

How Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan pact puts Iran's regional strategy to test

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif in Mecca after signing the defense pact, Aug. 7, 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

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (L) meets with Iraq's Vice President Khudair al-Khuzaie (R) during his visit in Baghdad July 18, 2013. REUTERS/Hadi Mizban/Pool (IRAQ - Tags: POLITICS) - GM1E97I1UN701

Ahmadinejad moves to target influential Iranian political family

Iran’s former president appears to target the judiciary chief and the parliament speaker in a bid to regain political relevance.

What was on the agenda for British foreign secretary's Iran visit?

Boris Johnson becomes the first British foreign secretary to visit Iran since 2015.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) welcomes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during a meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia November 20, 2017. Picture taken November 20, 2017. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1E24874580

Moscow’s leverage in Syria is strong, but limited

Many believe Russia aims to be the ringmaster of the Syrian show, but currently Moscow is walking a tightrope tethered between opposing forces.

Iranian journalists follow the results of the Presidential election at the Interior Ministry's press room in the capital Tehran on May 20, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Iranian media workers warn of ‘death of independent journalism’

As the Rouhani administration moves to change media laws, it faces a wave of accusations that it seeks to end independent journalism.

Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) march during a military parade in Daquq, nearby Kirkuk, Iraq August 5, 2017. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed - RC1FB5F9F700

As calls for disbanding Iraq's PMU rise, its influence expands

The voices of Iraq's Western allies are rising against the Popular Mobilization Units, demanding the dissolution of these forces, while the PMU is expanding its influence in the Iraqi state, making Prime Minister Haider al-Abbadi face tough choices.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan meet in Sochi, Russia November 22, 2017. Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC14EE3228D0

The next battle in Syria

With the war on the Islamic State winding down, other tensions in Syria are dialing up as Israel and Turkey worry over forces amassing on their borders.

Islamic Jihad comes under fire for allegedly undermining reconciliation

While Fatah's Central Committee member Azzam al-Ahmad lashed out at the Islamic Jihad and Iran, the movement denied the accusation of hindering the reconciliation.

The UAE's 'alternative GCC'

With no solution to the Qatar-GCC crisis in sight, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have formed their own alliance to support their regional foreign policy.

Why is Iranian rial suddenly weakening?

Inflation and other factors have caused the Iranian rial to weaken to the point where it now takes more than 40,000 rials to buy a dollar on the free market in Iran.

Iran hard-liners welcome Trump decision on Jerusalem

Some Iranian media outlets believe that Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital will make forming resistance groups easier.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani together with his counterparts, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan, attend a joint news conference following their meeting in Sochi, Russia November 22, 2017. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1D16F4FF70

Russia’s multilayered Syrian diplomacy worries Iran

Mistrust and differing objectives continue to mar Iran-Russia relations, even as the two countries move forward on Syria.

The Dome of the Rock is seen in the background as Palestinians wait for Friday prayers to begin on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City October 23, 2015. Palestinian factions called for mass rallies against Israel in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in a "day of rage" on Friday, as world and regional powers pressed on with talks to try to end more than three weeks of bloodshed. Israeli authorities also lifted restrictions on Friday tha

Iran reacts to Trump's 'very dangerous' Jerusalem decision

In reaction to Trump’s move to declare recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Iranian leaders warned that they won’t tolerate aggression against holy sites.