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Iran

August 15, 2026

Tehran 12:21 pm

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A Baluch Iranian man rides a bicycle

Analysis

Why Iran is intensifying wartime crackdown in restive Baluchistan

A string of security operations in Iran's southeast has underscored Tehran's enduring fears that wartime instability could aggravate longstanding ethnic, sectarian and economic grievances.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Motorists drive vehicles past a billboard depicting Iran's late supreme leader Ali Khamenei along a street in central Tehran on August 8, 2026. Hopes for an imminent US-Iran deal to end the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz added to optimism that oil and gas, along with other key products, would again start flowing freely after more than five months of war. But oil prices turned higher ahead of the weekend in the absence of any confirmation of an accord, amid reports that Iran was planning to block US and Is

Explainer

What would BRICS Bank membership mean for Iran's reeling economy?

Iran’s Central Bank governor said the country will soon join the New Development Bank as he traveled to India this week for a meeting of the group’s finance leaders.

A photograph obtained from the Iranian Students’ News Agency shows an oil slick along the southern coast of Qeshm Island, Iran, August 13, 2026.

Oil spills off Oman, Iran's Qeshm Island reap environmental havoc amid war

One oil leak off the coast of Oman is estimated to cover more than 772 square miles, devastating local habitats.

Latest News

Iran’s Hormuz authority denies Trump claims of control over strait: What to know

Children swimming in the Strait of Hormuz

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

port attack

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 youth join wave of ecotourism

Iranian youths, particularly those from affluent backgrounds, join the growing trend of ecotourism, roaming the country’s vast desert, mountains and forests.

Will Iran’s next Oscar-winning film be in Spanish?

Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi’s latest project will be a Spanish-language film featuring power couple Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem.

Why does Rouhani suddenly want to 'rename' Iran’s currency?

The Hassan Rouhani administration’s push for currency reform is being met with criticism as economists say the Iranian economy is not yet ready to handle the potential dangers of a redenomination.

Obama administration, allies try to buy time for Iran nuclear deal

In its final weeks, the Obama administration and its European allies are trying to convince the emerging Trump team that the deal is working.

Iranian media lauds Putin's restraint after assassination

Following the assassination of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, Iranian newspapers praised President Vladimir Putin for his “wise” decisions after the killing.

Why Aleppo will serve to embolden Iran

While having paid a steep price for standing by its regional allies, Iran increasingly appears to be achieving its objectives in Syria.

Can Rouhani’s Citizens’ Rights Charter be enforced?

After three years, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has unveiled one of his most important campaign promises — but his Citizens' Rights Charter has not escaped criticism.

Animosity toward Iran reaches fever pitch in Turkey after Aleppo

Agitation against predominantly Shiite Iran by Sunni Islamists has resulted in calls for attacks on Turkey’s Alevis for vengeance.

PMU seeks to secure Iraq-Syria border

The Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Units have requested to take control of the Iraqi-Syrian border, which raises concerns about Iran's interference in Syria.

Thousands flee Aleppo as regime regains control

Three years after the opposition took control of Aleppo’s eastern neighborhoods, the Syrian regime’s army, with the help of foreign militias, entered the city and began evacuating civilians to the city’s countryside.

The remilitarization of Iran's Basij

The Iranian supreme leader’s recent string of new appointments in the upper echelons of the country’s military suggests an impending remilitarization of the Basij.

Can shared disdain for US improve Russia-Iran ties?

Although Iran and Russia are both fountains of anti-Western rhetoric and sentiments, it is for different reasons and will not necessarily bring the two countries closer together.