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

Iran cover image

Iran

June 18, 2026

Tehran 2:26 am

25°C

A shop owner counts Iranian banknotes at a store in the capital Tehran on Jan. 7, 2026.

How Iran stands to win major financial relief in Trump-backed deal

Iran will receive some upfront sanctions relief despite the Trump administration's pledge of “no dust, no dollars.”

A general view shows the Awad oil field in the eastern Qamishli countryside in northeastern Syria, on Feb. 9, 2026.

Explainer

Oil’s slide wavers as Trump warns US-Iran deal ‘not final’

Brent crude prices briefly jumped back above $80 per barrel on Wednesday as traders digested conflicting signals about efforts to end the war and reopen Hormuz.

Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf speaks with Tehran's Chamber of Commerce, June 17, 2026.

After US-Iran deal, Ghalibaf says Tehran seeks deeper ties with China

“China must believe and will believe that we are not just a customer or a trading partner, but a partner in every sense,” Ghalibaf said.

Trump

Breaking | Last Updated: June 17, 2026, 4:35 pm

Read the full 14-point US-Iran deal

The US will issue waivers for Iranian oil sales upon the deal's signing, and Iran will have access to its frozen funds upon implementation.

Latest News

Trump says deal 'not final,' warns Iran to 'behave' or face renewed strikes

US President Donald Trump arrives to attend a musical interlude before a gala dinner as part of the G7 summit, in Evian, eastern France, on June 16, 2026.

Analysis

Why Iran's hard-liners are turning on each other over US deal

An Iranian woman waves a national flag at Valiasr Square in Tehran on June 15, 2026.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Scrutiny builds over Iran deal kept from lawmakers

Snipers set up their positions above of the US Capitol on Feb. 24, 2026 in Washington, DC.

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

Will nuclear deal help improve PA-Iran relations?

The Palestinian Authority is exploring the benefits of bettering its relations with Iran following the nuclear deal as Iran’s influence on the international scene becomes more powerful.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond (L) and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif arrive for presser, after a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran August 23, 2015. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMAATTENTION 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 THI

Hammond's comments on Israel strike nerve in Iran

The British foreign secretary visited Tehran for the reopening of the United Kingdom's embassy after four years, but his comments about Israel and Iran drew sharp criticism from Iranian officials.

RTX10QWN (1).jpg

Was it a win or a loss? Checking Rouhani's midterm economic scorecard

Halfway into his term Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has done well in terms of fulfilling his economic promises — but much remains to be done.

RTX1BLUW (1).jpg

Syrian official slams UN envoy's report

According to information a Syrian official shared with Al-Monitor, it doesn’t seem the report on Syria that UN Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura submitted to the Security Council recently will have long-lasting effects on the ground.

World tunes out Netanyahu's broken record on Iran

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's repeated opposition to an agreement with Iran has turned the world deaf to him, and if Iran does violate the deal's conditions, no one will listen to Israel's warnings.

RTX1H3A3 (1).jpg

New Russian arms deals could shake up Mideast market

As Russia considers expanding in the Iranian and Saudi arms markets, the rest of the world is asking what such moves would mean for Moscow’s foreign policy and security role in the region.

Police officers watch as a convoy carrying members of the British media leaves the British Embassy in Tehran, Iran August 23, 2015. Britain reopened its embassy in Tehran on Sunday, nearly four years after protesters ransacked the ambassador's residence and burned the Union Jack. In a signal of the most striking thaw in Western ties with Iran for over a decade, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond watched the British flag being raised in the garden of the opulent 19th century building while the national anthem

Mixed reactions in Tehran to opening of UK embassy

Iranian police confront members of the Basij as Britain reopens its embassy in Tehran.

Seyed Mohammad Sadegh Kharazi, a former Iranian diplomat, advisor to Iran's former president Mohammad Khatami and head of the new reformist party, Nedaye Iranian, attends congress attended by some 200 supporters of the newly formed party in Tehran on February 26, 2015. Nedaye Iranian (The Call of Iranians) was established in December by reformist politicians who support the legacy of Khatami. AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Head of new Reformist group in Iran resigns from party

Sadegh Kharazi, who started the Reformist group Neda, resigned from the group.

A member of the Saudi security forces stands guard as other demonstrate their skills during a military exercise in Arar, near Saudi Arabia's northern border with Iraq March 18, 2015. REUTERS/Faisal AlNasser (SAUDI ARABIA - Tags: MILITARY POLITICS) - RTR4TWNJ

Hoping to counter Iran, former Israeli defense official calls on Riyadh to add 'security annex' to Arab Peace Initiative

With Iran getting stronger and more self-confident, Saudi Arabia should add a "security annex" to its original Arab Peace Initiative to establish a defense cooperation framework between Israel and select Arab states.

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal attends a news conference, during his official visit to Russia, in Moscow February 8, 2010. REUTERS/Denis Sinyakov (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR29Z2Y

Is Russia Hamas' bridge to global diplomacy?

Hamas is seeking to improve its international relations by reinforcing some ties and mending others following a period of relative isolation.

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak gestures during the 49th Conference on Security Policy in Munich February 3, 2013. Senior politicians along with the leader of the Syrian opposition are in Munich providing a rare opportunity for talks to revive efforts to end the civil war in Syria. REUTERS/Michael Dalder(GERMANY - Tags: MILITARY POLITICS) - RTR3DAJM

Audio tapes reveal how Ehud Barak attempted to rewrite history with Iran

Associates of former Prime Minister Ehud Barak leaked tapes indicating that Barak supported an attack on Iran in 2012, but other sources suggest that he then changed his mind and was the person who actually blocked an eventual strike.

A baby from Syria lies on lifejackets moments after Syrian refugees arriving on a dinghy on the island of Lesbos, Greece, August 23, 2015. Greece, mired in its worst economic crisis in generations, has been found largely unprepared for a mass influx of refugees, mainly Syrians. Arrivals have exceeded 160,000 this year, three times as high as in 2014. The crisis has exposed massive shortages in Greece's available facilities, but also striking discord within the European Union on how to handle the humanitaria

Security Council: Syria 'largest humanitarian crisis in the world'

UN, Russia and Iran coordinate new diplomatic effort on Syria; what did Zarif tell Nasrallah?; Egyptian government rejects mediation with Muslim Brotherhood; did US-trained force coordinate with Jabhat al-Nusra?