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Iran

August 13, 2026

Tehran 2:27 am

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port attack

Hormuz traffic sinks to one-week low as ships attacked, talks stagnate

The United States and Yemen's Houthi rebels carried out separate attacks on commercial ships on Tuesday in the Gulf of Oman and the Red Sea.

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.

Latest News

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

image of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei

Explainer

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

Mohsen Rezai

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

Did Khamenei block Rouhani’s science minister?

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has finally introduced two names for the Science Ministry and Energy Ministry positions, although the battles appear to be far from over.

How Trump has propped up Rouhani

Rather than undermining Iran's government, Donald Trump's hostile rhetoric may be strengthening President Hassan Rouhani and uniting Iranians around his administration.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attend a signing ceremony following their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia March 28, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - LR1ED3S15XREP

Are Russia, Iran outflanking the US in Iraq?

Russia deftly manages potentially choppy ties with Iran, while the United States claims Iran "subverting Iraq."

BANDAR ABBAS, IRAN - APRIL 30, 2017: A general view of Shahid Rajaee port on April 30, 2017 in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Bandar Abbas formerly known as Cambarão and Porto Comorão to Portuguese traders, as Gombroon to English traders and as Gamrun or Gumrun to Dutch merchants is a port city and capital of Hormozgn Province on the southern coast of Iran, on the Persian Gulf. The city occupies a strategic position on the narrow Strait of Hormuz, and it is the location of the main base of the Iranian Navy. (Photo by

Surging imports wipe out Iran’s trade surplus

Rapidly increasing imports wipe out the Rouhani administration’s positive trade balance, shining a light on the need to further promote exports.

Kurds in Iraq: Back to square one?

The sudden shift in the balance of power between Iraq and its Kurdistan Region has been stunning, even by Middle East standards.

To counter Iranian sway, US promotes Iraqi-Saudi ties

Top Trump administration officials say they see countering Iranian influence in Iraq as important to strengthening Baghdad and preventing destabilizing fissures that helped make way for the Islamic State.

A car drives through a damaged street on the outskirts of Deir Ezzor on September 24, 2017, as Syrian government forces continue to press forward with Russian air cover in the offensive against Islamic State group jihadists across the province. / AFP PHOTO / STRINGER (Photo credit should read STRINGER/AFP/Getty Images)

Following Islamic State ouster, tribes key to stability in eastern Syria

After the ouster of the Islamic State from the oil-rich Deir ez-Zor province in eastern Syria, several issues are expected to complicate efforts to stabilize the region.

Is Iran’s former Reformist president under house arrest?

Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami was prevented from leaving his home to attend a meeting with other political figures.

‘Arabian Gulf’ ruckus rallies Iranians around the flag

While President Trump’s reference to the ‘Arabian Gulf’ rallies Iranians around the flag, Tehran is closely paying attention to how Europe is moving on other points of contention — including its ballistic missile program.

A money changer counts Turkish lira bills at an currency exchange office in central Istanbul, Turkey, August 21, 2015. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo - S1BETTHGKMAB

Deal with Iran boosts Turkey’s hopes of trading in national currency

Turkey has long sought to increase the use of its national currency in trade with Russia, China and Iran, but due to significant trade imbalances with the others, only Iran appears to offer a viable prospect.

TEHRAN, IRAN - FEBRUARY 26: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei casts the first ballot in key elections for Parliament and the Assembly of Experts in Tehran, Iran, on February 26, 2016. Mr. Khamenei called on Iranians to vote en masse to "ruin the hopes of the enemies." The vote is essentially a referendum on the agenda of centrist President Hassan Rouhani, whose allies are trying to ease the grip of hardliners over many levers of government. (Photo by Scott Peterson/Getty Images)

Khamenei: Iran won’t be first to abandon nuclear deal

Despite US President Donald Trump’s threat to kill the nuclear deal, Iran’s supreme leader said that Tehran won’t abandon the deal before the other side does so.

Trump’s new Iran policy seeks perennial conflict

The Trump administration’s new Iran strategy not only shuts the door to diplomacy with Iran but also alienates ordinary Iranians.