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June 12, 2026

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Members of the Iranian national soccer team including midfielder Alireza Jahanbakhsh (R) arrive at Tijuana International Airport on June 7, 2026, in Tijuana, Mexico.

Culture

World Cup opens amid visa disputes for Iran, Iraq and Somalia

Iran says a number of team staff were denied entry into the US, with Trump administration officials touting efforts to prevent affiliates of designated terrorist groups from entering.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Bessent says Iran's frozen assets will pay for Gulf damage, Hormuz tolls

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that any damage Iran inflicts on Gulf allies will be paid for with funds extracted from Iranian accounts.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Explainer

US strategic oil stockpile nears four-decade low as Iran war drags on

The US Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell to 349.2 million barrels amid the global energy shock caused by the war in Iran.

President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Air Force One prior to departure from John F. Kennedy International Airport, in New York, on June 9, 2026.

Trump weighs releasing billions to Iran after blasting past payments

As mediators scramble to broker a peace deal, a key hurdle remains the release of Iranian assets frozen under US sanctions.

Latest News

Trump vows continued ‘very hard’ strikes on Iran as negotiators leave Qatar

Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Trump launches new airstrikes on Iran as deal stalls

In this US Navy released handout, an F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14, prepares to take off from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 1, 2026 at Sea.

US, Iran trade strikes after downing of Apache helicopter: What to know

In this US Navy released handout, an F/A-18F Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 41, makes an arrested landing on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in support of Operation Epic Fury, Feb. 28, 2026

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 President Hassan Rouhani addresses attendees during the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York, September 28, 2015. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri - RTX1SX71

What's on Rouhani's New York agenda?

Under pressure over the underwhelming economic windfall in the wake of the nuclear deal, President Hassan Rouhani is expected to focus on ensuring that sanctions relief is better implemented during a trip to New York.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shake hands at the conclusion of their press conference following their meeting in Geneva, Switzerland where they discussed the crisis in Syria September 9, 2016.REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTSN25I

Why Iran welcomes US-Russian deal on Syria

Despite speculation that Russia's dealings with the United States might be at the expense of Iran, it appears that Tehran has plenty of reasons to welcome Moscow and Washington’s agreement on Syria.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a sermon during Friday prayers at Tehran University June 19, 2009. Khamenei on Friday demanded an end to street protests that have shaken the country since a disputed presidential election a week ago and said any bloodshed would be their leaders' fault. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN POLITICS ELECTIONS RELIGI

Khamenei says manipulating numbers on economy is 'major sin'

In a meeting with officials responsible for issuing statistical reports, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned against manipulation of statistics.

The U.S. families of Iranian dissidents, members of Iran's opposition movement Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) who reside in Camp Liberty in Iraq, look on as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry testifies on agreements over Iran's nuclear programs, before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, December 10, 2013. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) - RTX16CNF

What's next for Baghdad-Tehran ties as last MEK members leave Iraq?

In a new regional victory for Iran, the last group of the exiled opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq left neighboring Iraq.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani makes a speech during a signing ceremony after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev (not seen) in Baku, Azerbaijan, August 8, 2016. REUTERS/Alexander Nemenov/Pool - RTSLVFF

Can Rouhani reel in the IRGC's financial empire?

Still under fire by hardliners over the nuclear deal, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani is now confronting them over compliance with international banking regulations.

Iranian men holding a picture Bahraini Shiite cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim (R) and a caricature of the Saudi king, participate in an anti-Saudi demonstration in the capital Tehran on September 9, 2016.
With Iranians barred from the annual hajj pilgrimage, thousands protested in Tehran and officials criticised Saudi Arabia's refusal to discuss last year's deadly stampede during which more than 400 Iranians were among the nearly 2,300 pilgrims that were killed. The writing on the posters in Arabic read "Malicious

Iranian commander offers rare advice

The special military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader has called for Tehran to strengthen ties with the Gulf states and avoid increasing tensions with Saudi Arabia.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gestures to photographers after meeting with Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Nusa Dua, Bali November 9, 2012. Ahmadinejad said on Thursday the age of nuclear deterrence was long gone and any country still stockpiling nuclear weapons was "mentally retarded". He again denied Iran was trying to develop nuclear weapons, a day after the re-election victory of U.S. President Barack Obama, for whom Tehran's disputed nuclear programme will be one of the thorn

How Iran’s Ahmadinejad plans to propel political comeback

In addition to opposition from the public and the Reformists, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faces antagonism within his own Principlist camp.

Shi'ite fighters launch artillery toward Islamic State militants in al-Fatha, northeast of Baiji, October 18, 2015. Iraqi forces backed by Shi'ite militia fighters say they have retaken a mountain palace complex of former President Saddam Hussein from Islamic State fighters, as government forces push ahead on a major offensive against the insurgents. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTS4YZX

Rise of Iran-backed militias jeopardizes US aid to Iraq

US law prohibits military assistance unless Baghdad reins in PMU.

Shiite Muslim pilgrims, mostly from Iran, walk near the shrine of Imam Abbas on Arafah day, referring to a prayer performed by Shiites in Saudi Arabia's Arafat plain on the second day of hajj, on September 11, 2016 in the holy Iraqi city of Karbala, 80 kilometres south of the capital Baghdad.
Barred from Mecca amid an escalating spat between Tehran and Saudi Arabia, masses of Iranian Shiite faithful have converged on the holy Iraqi city of Karbala for an alternative pilgrimage. The row that has prevented I

Saudi Arabia launches Persian-language hajj TV program for Iranians

The Muslim festival to mark Eid al-Adha has done little to reduce tensions between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia.

A picture taken on September 17, 2014 shows a partial view of Lar dam's reservoir located some 70 kms northeast of the capital Tehran, at the foot of Damavand mountain, in the town of Damavand. The Iranian authorities have warned and urged the people of Tehran to drastically reduce their water consumption, as three of the five dams supplying the capital are almost empty. AFP PHOTO/ISNA/HAMIDREZA DASJJERDI (Photo credit should read HAMIDREZA DASTJERDI/AFP/Getty Images)

Water pressure plummets in Tehran

After years of warnings about an impending water crisis, Tehranis are experiencing dramatic drops in water pressure and now face the likely prospect of water rationing.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov look toward one another during a press conference following their meeting in Geneva, Switzerland where they discussed the crisis in Syria September 9, 2016.REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTSN26D

Iran wary groups might use Syria cease-fire to rearm

Iranian officials have welcomed the Syria cease-fire agreement but have warned that it may be used by armed opposition groups to rearm and resupply.

Flames rise from Saudi Arabia's embassy after it was stormed by Iranian protesters during a demonstration in Tehran, Iran, January 2, 2016. REUTERS/TIMA/Mehdi Ghasemi/ISNA/File Photo ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. NOT FOR USE BY REUTERS THIRD PARTY DISTRIBUTORS. THIS PICTURE IS

Are Saudis open to rapprochement with Iran?

Despite a war of words between Iran and Saudi Arabia and other tensions, some observers believe relations between Riyadh and Tehran could improve.