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Politics & Security

Handout Photo by the US Navy via Getty Images

Explainer

What’s the status of Strait of Hormuz after US-Iran talks?

Oil tankers continued to transit the strait in both directions, but many turned off their transponders over the weekend after Iran's military declared Hormuz closed once again.

Cars drive past billboards showing Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (L) and his late father Ali Khamenei (R), with the slogan "Thank you, loyal Iran," erected along the highway leading to Rafik Hariri International Airport, Beirut, Lebanon, June 22, 2026.

US, Iran to form 'deconflicting cell' on Lebanon, sidelining Lebanese state

The agreement came during talks between Iran and the United States following a preliminary deal reached last week to end the war across the Middle East, including in Lebanon.

A picture taken on March 12, 2017, shows an Iranian tanker docking at the platform of the oil facility in the Kharg Island, on the shore of the Gulf.

US grants Iran oil sanctions waiver as part of deal

The waiver authorizes the production, delivery and sale of Iranian oil for two months.

Latest News

Vance says Iran to restore nuclear inspector access

US Vice President JD Vance spoke to reporters following the talks with Iranian negotiators at the Burgenstock complex

Syria’s Sharaa says he had ‘multiple discussions’ with Trump on Lebanon, favors dialogue

US President Donald Trump meets Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in the Oval Office, Washington, DC, Nov. 10, 2025.

Analysis

Why Gulf defense firms are betting on Europe in wake of Iran war

Illustration picture taken during the Eurosatory Defense and Security fair in Paris, France ,on June 15, 2026.

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Analysis

After US-Iran deal, can Pakistan sustain regional mediator role?

Aamir QURESHI / AFP via Getty Images

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Amberin Zaman

Chief Correspondent

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Elizabeth Hagedorn

Diplomatic Correspondent

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Ezgi Akin

Associate Editor (Turkey)

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Ben Caspit

Israel Columnist

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Jared Szuba

Defense and Security Correspondent

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, (R) shakes hands with Viktor Orban, Hungary's prime minister, during a news conference on April 3, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary.

With Hungary’s ICC U-turn, Israel loses a key European ally

Hungary’s parliament voted to remain in the International Criminal Court, reversing a planned withdrawal and marking a shift in Budapest’s approach to Israel and the EU.

Iraqis walk past portraits of Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, including one on a banner calling for a boycott of the upcoming parliamentary elections in Sadr City, east of Baghdad on October 29, 2025. Parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held in Iraq on 11 November 2025, which will determine the 329 members of Iraq's Council of Representatives, who are responsible for electing the country's president and approving the appointment of the prime minister. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP) (Photo by

Iraq’s Sadr moves to place his militia under state control: What to know

Muqtada al-Sadr is the first militia leader to heed new Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi’s call to place weapons in the hands of the state as US pressure continues.

Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP via Getty Images

Who was Mohammed Odeh, Hamas military commander killed by Israel in Gaza?

Odeh was killed in a Tuesday strike in the Palestinian enclave just days after he assumed his leadership position.

Vessels are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, off the port city of Khasab on Oman's northern Musandam Peninsula on May 17, 2026.

White House calls Iranian report on Hormuz, MOU 'complete fabrication'

Iranian state TV says the US would agree to pull military forces away from Iran's borders in exchange for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, but the White House called it a "complete fabrication."

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Analysis

'Very bad news’: Israel alarmed as Trump pushes ahead toward Iran deal

Israel fears that Iran could emerge from the war strengthened by access to its frozen financial assets and regional acceptance of its dominance over the Strait of Hormuz and potentially resume its nuclear program.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

A partial view shows a drainage vacuum hole on the lake of Qaraoun in Lebanon's southern Beqaa Valley on April 5, 2019.

Israel strikes near Lebanon’s Qaraoun dam as war intensifies: What to know

The strikes near the large water reservoir follow pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to up attacks on Hezbollah in response to rocket fire and a rising death toll in Lebanon.

Motorists drive their vehicles and pedestrians cross the street past a political billboard featuring President Donald Trump and the Strait of Hormuz along Valiasr Square in Tehran on May 26, 2026.

US-Iran deal could take ‘a few days’ as roadblocks emerge, nuclear talks deferred

Mediators are scrambling to secure a deal that would end the war, while leaving unresolved the thorniest issues that predated it.

A view shows a Lebanese flag positioned among shattered concrete and twisted rebar, remnants of a destroyed building, in Sidon, Lebanon, on May 3, 2026.

US gave Israel 'tacit agreement' to target senior Hezbollah figures

While there is no explicit agreement, sources say Washington has offered quiet approval despite a ceasefire reached April 16.

A man checks old banknotes in the Grand Bazaar in Tehran on March 3, 2025.

Analysis

Cash as leverage: How Iran's push for frozen billions is reshaping diplomacy

The frozen assets debate is a test of whether the postwar diplomatic track can move toward a durable framework — or whether financial mistrust will evolve into yet another breaking point.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian listens during a joint press conference alongside Armenia's prime minister in Yerevan on Aug. 19, 2025.

Iran’s Pezeshkian calls Iraqi leaders as Khamenei praises militias: What to know

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian invited Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and President Nizar Amedi to Tehran as Iraq grapples with the fallout from the regional conflict.

A woman walks past an anti-US and anti-Israel mural depicting missiles hitting an aircraft carrier in Tehran on May 26, 2026.

US-Iran tit-for-tat strikes over Hormuz expose risks of prolonged standoff

If the Trump administration does not reach an agreement with Iran soon, the specter of long-term, low-grade conflict over the strait may set in.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military