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August 25, 2026

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Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent addresses the audience during opening remarks at the Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism at the State Department on July 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. Bessent spoke alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller as they discussed the rise of far-left political terrorism as a transnational threat. (Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images)

In 'warning shot,' US threatens sanctions on Iran’s trading partners

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said countries were given "defined timelines" to halt business with Iran or face US sanctions.

Leon Neal/Getty Images

Oil falls 1.8% as traders await 'toughest' sanctions on Iran

Traders are awaiting details about new US measures sure to further disrupt Iranian oil flows.

Khor Fakkan Container Terminal

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.

Latest News

Analysis

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

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.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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)

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

Newspapers are displayed at a newsstand on January 24, 2012 in the Karakoy neighborhood of Istanbul. Turkish newspapers criticized the January 23 vote by the French Senate making denial of the Armenian genocide a crime. The French Senate on January 23 approved, by 127 votes to 86, the measure which makes it an offence punishable by jail in France to deny that the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turk forces amounted to genocide. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on January 24 slammed as discr

Iran's Foreign Envoy Slams Turkish Media

Outgoing Iranian Ambassador to Ankara Bahman Hosseinpour accuses the Turkish media of ulterior motives in spoiling the relations between two countries, writes Tulin Daloglu.

A Shi'ite cleric stands at the shrine of Hazrat-e Massoumeh, granddaughter of Prophet Mohammad, while attending a ritual mourning for Imam Hussein as he marks Arbain in Qom, about 120 km (75 miles) south of Tehran, February 16, 2009. Imam Hussein, who was Prophet Mohammad's grandson, died in a seventh century battle. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN) - RTXBP2W

Controversial Iraqi Cleric Arrested in Iran

The arrest in Iran of prominent Shiite cleric Ahmad Qabanji, known for his progressive interpretation of Islam, has sparked fury among his supporters, writes Ali Abel Sadah.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.
An Iranian student holds a placard as she attends a demonstration, before a ceremony to form a human chain around the Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF), to show her support for Iran's nuclear program in Isfahan, 450 km (280 miles) south of Tehran, November 15, 2011. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS EDUCATION ENERGY) - RTR2U1NL

New IAEA Report Shows Iranian Nuclear Advances

Iran has made several nuclear advances ahead of talks next week in Kazakhstan, according to the latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, reports Barbara Slavin.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi (L) attend a news conference in Ankara January 19, 2012. Iran's foreign minister warned Arab neighbours on Thursday not to put themselves in a "dangerous position" by aligning themselves too closely with the United States in the escalating dispute over Tehran's nuclear activity. Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, used for a third of the world's seaborne oil trade, if pending Western moves to ban Iranian cr

Turkey-Iran Ties Strained By Iraq, Syria

Tehran and Ankara are struggling to keep up appearances as differences over Iraq and Syria begin to take a toll on their bilateral relationship, writes Semih Idiz.

North Korean soldiers attend a rally celebrating the country's third nuclear test at the Kim Il-Sung square in Pyongyang February 14, 2013 in this picture taken and released by the North's official KCNA news agency. North Korea conducted nuclear test on Tuesday. Korean characters read,"(We) celebrate ardently success of the third underground nuclear test!". REUTERS/KCNA (NORTH KOREA - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY

Israel Fears North Korea to Become Nuclear Supplier of Middle East

The nuclear test conducted by North Korea delivers a message to Iran and to other potential customers in the region, writes Alon Ben David: Why work hard to develop a bomb if you can simply buy one off the shelf?

A man looks at the new Apple Iphone 3G in a computer centre in northern Tehran November 1, 2008. The unlocked Apple Iphone 3G retails from $900 to $1200. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN) - RTXA5AF

Fatwa Issued Against 3G Internet Operator in Iran

Iranian grand ayatollahs and conservative parliamentarians are moving to shut down a new 3G mobile Internet operator because of its video capability, reports David Jones from Iran.

Israeli Officials Consider 'Point of No Return' With Iran

Nadav Eyal looks at the decisions facing both the United States and Israel should the forthcoming round of nuclear negotiations with Iran fail.

A picture of Hessam Khoshnevis is placed at the condolences hall at the Iranian Embassy at Beirut February 14, 2013. Khoshnevis, an Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander, has been killed inside Syria by rebels battling Iran's close ally President Bashar al-Assad, Iranian officials and a rebel leader said on Thursday. Syrian rebels have repeatedly accused Tehran of sending fighters to help Assad crush the 22-month-old uprising, a charge Iran has denied. REUTERS/Sharif Karim (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UN

Assassination Will Not Weaken Iran’s Support for Assad

Meir Javedanfar speculates that the assassination of a senior member of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (IRGC) will not sink Iran’s support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

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

An election official sits in front of an image of Iranian warriors at a mosque, used as a polling station, during the parliamentary election in central Tehran March 2, 2012. Iranians voted on Friday in a parliamentary election which is expected to reinforce the power of the clerical establishment of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over hardline politic

Iranians Support Nuclear Program, Blame West for Sanctions, Says Poll

A recent Gallup poll in Iran reveals that Iranians support the government’s nuclear ambitions and blame the West for sanctions, writes Mohammad Ali Shabani.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad talks during a news conference at the end of his visit to Cairo, February 7, 2013. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3DGQ9

Ahmadinejad Declares 'Viva Spring' in Iran

Outgoing Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seeks a populist mantle to retain leverage in Iran and possibly determine his successor, writes Mehdi Jedinia.

Iran's presidential election candidates Mehdi Karoubi (R) and Mirhossein Mousavi embrace after a TV debate in Tehran June 7, 2009. Iranians vote on June 12 in an election that pits hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad against two moderate challengers and one fellow conservative. REUTERS/IRIB (IRAN POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTR24F76

Karroubi's Son: Iranian Regime Afraid of Green Movement Return

Speaking days before the second anniversary of his father’s detention, Mohammad Karroubi urges the Obama administration and the international community to focus more on Iran’s poor record on human rights but expresses optimism about upcoming nuclear talks which, he hopes, will lead to easing of economic sanctions.

U.S. President Barack Obama (L) and Senator John Kerry (D-MA) shake hands after the president announced Kerry's nomination as Secretary of State to succeed Hillary Clinton, at the White House in Washington December 21, 2012. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR3BTVQ

Week in Review: US Resets Diplomacy in Middle East

Al-Monitor’s coverage and analysis of a newly assertive US diplomacy toward the peace process, Iran and Syria.