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Iran

April 5, 2026

Tehran 8:03 pm

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A police speed boat patrols the port as oil tankers and high speed crafts sit anchored at Muscat Anchorage near the Strait of Hormuz on March 30, 2026 in Muscat, Oman.

Analysis

Hostage to Hormuz, can Gulf rewire future energy flows to bypass Iran’s chokepoint?

As the US-Israel-Iran war disrupts around 20% of global oil supply, experts point to opportunities and challenges facing a renewed push to develop alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, addresses parliament over the war in the Middle East at the congress in Madrid on March 25, 2026.

Analysis

Why Spain took Europe's lead in opposing US-Israel war in Iran

Like with the Gaza war, Madrid has taken a vocal role in opposing the monthlong Iran conflict.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

A view of the B1 bridge is pictured, a day after it was destroyed by a strike in Karaj, around 20miles (35kms) southwest of Tehran, April 3, 2026. US President Donald Trump said on April 2 the tallest bridge in Iran had been destroyed, hours after threatening to bomb the country "back to the Stone Ages." (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images) /

Analysis

Why Trump's infrastructure-focused strikes risk hardening Iran's war posture

Targeting infrastructure has opened a new phase in the US-Israel-Iran war, hardening Tehran's stance and pushing the conflict toward attrition with fewer off-ramps.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Smoke rises from an area of Kuwait's international airport after a reported drone strike on April 1, 2026. Kuwait's civil aviation authority said that the Gulf state's international airport had come under an Iranian drone attack that led to "a large fire" at a fuel depot. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) / Kuwait OUT / KUWAIT OUT

Iran strikes Gulf again, hitting Kuwait refinery as UAE shuts gas hub

Kuwait’s desalination plant and key refinery have been damaged, and the UAE has suspended Habshan operations after debris from intercepted missiles caused a fire.

Latest News

US rescues 1 crew member after fighter jet downed over Iran

A US Air Force (USAF) F-15E Eagle fighter jet, is pictured as it prepares to land at RAF (Royal Air Force) Lakenheath, east of England, on June 15, 2020. - The UK Coastguard launched a search and rescue operation Monday to find the pilot of a US fighter jet that crashed during a training mission in the North Sea. The US Air Force said the F-15C Eagle went down after taking off from the RAF Lakenheath base near the town of Mildenhall in eastern England. The base is home to the 48th Fighter Wing, which has op

Argentina expels Iranian diplomat after listing IRGC as 'terrorist' organization

Argentina's president, Javier Milei, delivers a speech during a ceremony to commemorate the 44th anniversary of the war between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands on April 2, 2026.

US strike on Iran suspension bridge hints at looming shift in war strategy

B1 bridge

Europe diesel at four-year high above $200 as Iran war disrupts supply

This photograph shows a sign displaying the daily price panel for SP98, SP95 and diesel at a gas station in Paris on April 2, 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

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attends India-Iran business forum in New Delhi, India, January 8, 2019. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis - RC11CD45DD00

US shrugs off Zarif resignation reversal

Before Iran’s foreign minister had returned to the job, the Donald Trump administration dismissed Mohammad Javad Zarif’s resignation as essentially irrelevant, as the prospect of getting to the negotiating table looks increasingly remote.

Iraqi envoy calls on US to reopen Basra consulate

At an exclusive Al-Monitor event, Iraq’s ambassador to the United States urged the Donald Trump administration to reopen its consulate in Basra, which the State Department closed last year amid rocket attacks from Iran-backed militias.

Representations of the Ripple, Bitcoin, Etherum and Litecoin virtual currencies are seen on a PC motherboard in this illustration picture, February 13, 2018. Picture is taken February 13, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration - RC1993E31370

Iran’s top banks launch blockchain platform to boost ailing banking system

Banking giants in Iran have established a digital tokenization platform to liquidize bad assets. If it can overcome the many challenges on the way, it could generate vital cash — and public trust.

Rouhani media launches rare attack on hard-line critic in parliament

In a rare move, the news agency that operates under Hassan Rouhani has responded with an attack on a staunch critic in parliament for spreading “lies.”

Workers sort pistachios by hand during a final inspection before packing at a processing factory in Rafsanjan, 1,000 kilometers southeast of Tehran September 23, 2008. Iran may this year see its position as the world's largest producer of pistachio nuts overtaken by the United States, as the Islamic Republic suffers one of its worst harvests ever. Picture taken September 23, 2008. To match feature IRAN-PISTACHIOS/ REUTERS/Caren Firouz (IRAN) - GM1E4A90KNL01

Will sanctions suffocate trickle of Iran-US trade?

With the reimposition of US sanctions, the trickle of trade between Iran and the United States could vanish altogether.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi chat during their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China February 19, 2019. How Hwee Young/Pool via REUTERS - RC181062C080

Iran's Zarif returns to work after Rouhani rejects resignation

Mohammad Javad Zarif has resumed work as Iran's top diplomat after President Hassan Rouhani rejected his abrupt resignation, though the debate continues over what forced the foreign minister to bid farewell in the first place.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement to the media in Tel Aviv, Israel February 21, 2019 REUTERS/ Ammar Awad - RC15D221F200

Israel hopes Zarif resignation reveals cracks in Iran's Syria policy

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to express his glee when Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif offered his resignation, but what does it mean for Tehran's strategy in Syria?

Egyptian-Iranian relations: Where are they now?

It's often hard to tell whether Cairo and Tehran will embrace or break up.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif speaks during the annual Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany February 17, 2019. REUTERS/Andreas Gebert - RC11A5801410

'Iran has one foreign minister': How Zarif is turning claimed weakness into strength

The debacle surrounding the apparent resignation of Iran’s foreign minister is centered on a desire to refocus the diplomatic power of the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif speaks during a news conference in Istanbul, Turkey October 30, 2018. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC11D7974300

Iran in grip of massive backlash over Zarif’s sudden resignation

The surprise resignation announcement by Iran's foreign minister has sparked debate on what pushed him over the edge.

Despite high price of Syrian reconstruction, business, influence opportunities abound

Though Syria's blueprint for reconstruction is ambitious, costly and in some ways at odds with Western priorities, there is some cause for optimism in Damascus' marketing of reconstruction opportunities to friendly states.

Iraqis divided over continued presence of American forces

As Islamic State militias have become active again in different areas of Iraq, the debate over ejecting US forces is on the rise among Iraqi politicians.