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

Iran cover image

Iran

April 6, 2026

Tehran 4:29 am

11°C

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

Hard-liners force Iran's parliament speaker to abort speech

Iran's parliament speaker Ali Larijani had to cancel a speech scheduled to mark the upcoming 40th anniversary of the country's Islamic Revolution after hard-liners mobilized a harsh unwelcome.

Islamic Jihad, the new lord of Gaza?

The Islamic Jihad has been making it clear to Hamas, Egypt and Israel that the rules of the game have changed in Gaza over the past few months.

Iranian and Afghan boys study in a classroom at the Be'sat school in Kerman, Iran, October 23, 2016. Picture taken on October 23, 2016. REUTERS/Gabriela Baczynska - S1AEUJFKZUAB

Iran's education minister teaches lesson to country's powerful publishers

Iranian education minister’s campaign against the country’s unchallenged educational book publishers seems to be getting him top marks among the public.

Nikolai Patrushev (R), Secretary of the Security Council of Russia (R) listens during the first meeting of national security secretaries of Afghanistan, China, Iran, India and Russia, in the Iranian capital Tehran on September 26, 2018. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Top Russian security officials tour Egypt, Gulf to discuss Syria, Libya

Over the space of a week, top officials in the Russian security apparatus toured Saudia Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt with some intriguing proposals on Syria and Libya.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini take part in meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Brussels, Belgium, May 15, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman/Pool - RC16D13AE4C0

Why Europe's payment channel may be too little to keep Iran in JCPOA

Iran is inching closer than ever to withdrawing from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as it finds European steps toward maintaining the deal too little, too late — a perception exacerbated by more European non-nuclear sanctions.

Detained Iranian environmentalist says she was tortured

After a year behind bars, eight Iranian environmentalists appeared in court with the presence of court-approved lawyers.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Barria - RC1926A26F60

Trump: Israel’s friend in words, not in deeds

US President Donald Trump's isolationist policies in Syria and Afghanistan, coupled with placating gestures toward the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, rather than a push for peace with the Palestinians, are endangering Israel’s security.

The Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) Leaders are seen ahead of their Summit meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 9, 2018. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC1819A5F470

GCC states boxed in by US sanctions on Syria

The United States creates dilemmas for GCC in Syria; Qatar steps up with $500 million Lebanon investment; Netanyahu seeks Arab photo-op in Poland.

Race for reconstruction heats up as Syrian war winds down

As the conflict in Syria winds down and reconstruction begins, Iran is racing alongside other friends and rivals for a role in the future Syrian economy.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to film or take pictures in Tehran.
An Iranian employee checks the food shelves at a shopping mall in northwestern Tehran February 3, 2012. With just a month to go before a parliamentary election, Iran has been hit hard in recent months by new U.S. and European economic sanctions over its nuclear programme, which Tehran says is peaceful but the West says is aimed at making a bomb. Picture taken February 3, 2

Intel: How the Europeans’ new Iran sanctions work-around helps Trump

The European Union launched its much-anticipated Iran trade mechanism today to an audible meh from the Donald Trump administration.

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC)'s Dalian Petrochemical Corp refinery is seen in Dalian, Liaoning province, China January 22, 2019. Picture taken January 22, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. CHINA OUT. - RC1E5339B6F0

China’s emerging role in Iran’s petroleum sector

Despite the stumbling blocks, China’s strategic goal of securing energy resources for its future demands and Iran’s need for foreign investment will continue to pave the way for a greater Chinese role in the Iranian energy sector.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attends a meeting with European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel and France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Brussels, Belgium January 11, 2018. REUTERS/John Thys/Pool - RC14575CD590

Iran calls new European special payment mechanism ‘first step’

Iran called a new European initiative to establish a payment mechanism to facilitate trade a “first step” and hopes it will expand.