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August 24, 2026

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Analysis

UAE-Iran trade relationship becomes key test of Trump’s wartime strategy

The Gulf state suspended trade with Iran after new attacks in August. Experts point to risks for both sides as the Trump administration seeks to squeeze Tehran economically.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Hamed Malekpour / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Iran gambles it can outlast Trump’s 'Economic D-Day'

The Trump administration is considering tighter economic pressure as diplomacy with Tehran appears stalled.

People shop at a store in the Grand Reza Bazaar near the shrine of Imam Reza following the funeral of slain Iranian leader Ali Khamenei and his family members in Mashhad on July 10, 2026.

Analysis

Can Trump's economic war ultimately force Iran to compromise?

President Trump's new economic offensive comes as Iran is grappling with war damage, tighter oil restrictions and a shrinking ability to absorb another major shock.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Latest News

Caught in the middle, Oman shrugs off Trump's latest Iran threat

Win McNamee/Getty Images

Houthis claim new strikes on Saudi Arabia after IRGC warning: What to know

MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images)

China slams Trump over economic war on Iran: What to know

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian holds a press conference on Aug. 19, 2026.

Trump’s Iran ‘economic D-Day’ threat sends oil prices above $94

Iranians drive past an anti-US billboard at Enghelab Square in central Tehran, Aug. 3, 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

TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY MOHAMMAD DAVARI - A picture taken of the screen of a laptop shows a webpage that appears when an Iranian user tries to visit websites which are blocked by the government, on May 13, 2013 in the Iranian capital Tehran. The top line reads in Farsi "Year of political and economical epoch," referring to supreme leader, Ali Khamenei who has named the new Iranian year and the bottom line reads in Farsi "Congratulation for the birthday of Fatima, Prophet Muhammed's daughter, Happy Mother'

Iran Induces Internet 'Coma' Ahead of Elections

As Iran's June 14 presidential elections near, Internet users are turning to virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass censors, accepting the risks that come with them.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (R) meets Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi in Damascus September 19, 2012, in this handout photograph released by Syria's national news agency SANA.REUTERS/SANA (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS ) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - RTR385DC

Iran Key to Success of Geneva II Talks on Syria

The United States should invite Iran to the Geneva II talks on Syria and consider it a start for a more expansive regional dialogue.

Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters walk on the way to their new base in northern Iraq May 14, 2013. The first group of Kurdish militants to withdraw from Turkey under a peace process entered northern Iraq on Tuesday, and were greeted by comrades from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), in a symbolic step towards ending a three-decades-old insurgency. The 13 men and women, carrying guns and with rucksacks on their backs, arrived in the area of Heror, near Metina mountain on the Turkish-Iraqi border, a Reu

Turkish Ties With Iraq, Iran Worsen Over PKK Peace Plan

Iraq is protesting the relocation of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters from Turkey to Iraq.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.
A man fills in his ballot during Iran's parliamentary election at a mosque in southern Tehran March 2, 2012. Iranians voted on Friday in a parliamentary election likely to reinforce Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's power over rival hardliners led by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTR2YQMD

Why Iran’s City Council Elections Matter

City council elections in Iran are important amid the nation's upcoming presidential elections.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to film or take pictures in Tehran.
An Iranian man looks on as he sits on a bus in Tehran December 22, 2010. With Iranians feeling choked by foreign sanctions, broken promises and money worries, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faces as much pressure on the economic front as from politics. Ahmadinejad has cut fuel and food subsidies to save $100 billion on the state budget and to make Iran less vulnerable to an

Iran's Government Subsidies Are Incentives for Poor Voters

Cash handouts as part of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s subsidy reform programs have a constituency among Iran’s lower classes.

A youth holds a picture of Iran's late leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini during a ceremony to mark Khomeini's death anniversary at his tomb at Tehran's Behesht-Zahra cemetery June 3, 2011. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS ANNIVERSARY RELIGION) - RTR2N9KQ

Who Are Iran's Voters?

While we have an idea of who will be among the candidates for Iran's presidency, what do we know about Iran's voters?

Iraqi Shi'ite al Hawza cleric Sheikh Jassim Al-Saidi prays in a Baghdad
mosque June 3, 2003 after being released from detention by U.S. forces.
Al-Saidi said that he had been accused of instigating violence towards
American forces occupying Iraq. REUTERS/Faleh Kheiber REUTERS

CLH/ - RTROS2A

Competition Heats Up Between Qom, Najaf

The long-standing competition for influence between Shiites' two holiest cities is growing.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attend a news conference at the Bocharov Ruchei state residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, May 14, 2013. Putin said on Tuesday it was important to avoid actions that might aggravate Syria's civil war, a veiled warning against foreign military intervention or arming anti-government forces. REUTERS/Maxim Shipenkov/Pool (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTXZLY7

Will Israel Take Out The Russian Missiles in Syria?

Israel considers its options if Russia goes ahead with its plan to sell S-300 missiles to Syria.

Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi (L) talks with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh during their meeting in Amman May 7, 2013. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed (JORDAN - Tags: POLITICS) - RTXZDG7

Why Did Iran's Foreign Minister Visit Jordan?

Did Jordan's King Abdullah II charge Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi with sending a "friendly message" to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad?

An Israeli Air Force F-15I jet is seen in the background as Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon (3rd R) speaks to reporters while standing next to Israel's armed forces chief Major-General Benny Gantz (R) and commander of Israel's Air Force Major-General Amir Eshel (4th R) during a presentation at Hatzerim air base in southern Israel April 30, 2013. Israel on Tuesday launched its first targeted attack on a militant in Gaza since a war in November, killing a Palestinian jihadist in an air strike that put f

Israel’s Mistake in Attacking Syria

Israel’s air strikes on Syria have set back its interests in the region.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) speaks to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (C) as Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov listens during their meeting in Moscow, May 7, 2013. Kerry told Putin on Tuesday the United States and Russia share common interests in Syria, including promoting regional stability and preventing the spread of extremism. REUTERS/Mikhail Klimentyev/RIA Novosti/Pool (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS)

ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, E

US Should Heed Russia, Include Iran in Syria Talks

Russia is asking the US to include Iran in the upcoming "Geneva II" conference on Syria, a move that could also benefit the stalemated nuclear talks.

Rise of Radical Jihadists Setback for Syria

US military intervention would not have prevented, and will not prevent, radical jihadism in Syria.