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Iran

August 16, 2026

Tehran 6:12 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

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi attends a nuclear deal review meeting in Tehran August 9, 2015. Dozens of companies tied to Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards, a military force commanding a powerful industrial empire with huge political influence, will win sanctions relief under a nuclear deal agreed with world powers. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DAT

Is one of Iran's top diplomats a member of Quds Force?

A commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that the country's deputy foreign minister and chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi is a member of the IRGC's elite Quds Force.

Why Iran still doesn’t trust Russia on Syria

Despite its close collaboration with Russia in Syria, Iranian political and military officials are growing increasingly suspicious about Moscow's intentions and long-term strategy.

Rouhani targets Iran's conservative media

Iran's justice minister has accused the country premier conservative paper of publishing lies against the administration.

A Boeing 737 MAX plane is seen during a media tour of the Boeing plant in Renton, Washington December 7, 2015. Orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods surged in April on strong demand for transportation equipment and a range of other products . REUTERS/Matt Mills McKnight/File Photo - RTX2EBUC

Boeing deal would reverse 1993 decision to sell to Saudis, not Iran

A $17 billion deal by Boeing to sell Iran more than 100 civilian airplanes has major ramifications for US-Iran relations, say American and Iranian analysts.

Why sanctions relief has not been enough to kick-start Iran's industry

Iran's industrial sector continues to sag despite the implementation of the nuclear deal, but there are some ways the government could shore up domestic production and stimulate the economy.

Will Iran’s most popular general enter politics?

With the presidential election one year away, the Iranian press is already speculating about Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani entering the race.

Revolutionary computer game faces crackdown in Iran

Iranian authorities are attempting to block a new computer game offering players a first-person perspective of the 1979 revolution, claiming it is anti-Iran.

Iran denounces Orlando terror attack, ignores gay venue

While its Foreign Ministry condemned the deadly attack in Orlando, Iran's media seemed split on whether to mention that it took place at a gay nightclub.

Iranians denounce BBC report claiming secret contact between Khomeini, US

Many Iranian officials have expressed outrage over a BBC report claiming Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini made secret contact with the United States leading up to the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Why many Iranians are feeling the Bern

Many Iranians and Iranian-Americans are still pulling for US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, whose "real" image has "managed to change the general narrative about the United States."

Gas flares from an oil production platform at the Soroush oil fields in the Persian Gulf, south of the capital Tehran, July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/File Photo - RTSG4X4

Will new 5-year plan solve Iran's economic problems?

Iran's incoming parliament is set to debate the government's ambitious five-year development plan, but will the plan be enough to address the country's economic needs?

Russian, Syrian defense ministers arrive in Tehran for 'strategic meeting'

The defense ministers of Russia, Syria and Iran met in Tehran to discuss the latest regional developments and methods to "fight terrorism."