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Iran

April 20, 2026

Tehran 4:50 am

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Pakistan Air Force J-10 fighter jets over Islamabad, March 23, 2025.

Analysis

Pakistan’s quiet fighter jet deployment to Saudi Arabia signals Gulf anxiety

As US-Iran talks unfold, Islamabad balances mediation with a growing military role in the kingdom.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

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

Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, United Arab Emirates

Interview

UAE official says opening Hormuz integral to any Iran deal, describes infrastructure damage 'manageable'

Abdulla Balalaa, UAE assistant minister of foreign affairs for energy and sustainability, spoke to Al-Monitor about the situation in the Gulf along with the UAE's focus on promoting privatization in the water sector and the 2026 UN Water Conference.

STRAIT OF HORMUZ - NOVEMBER 19: In this handout photo provided by the US Navy, The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) transits the Strait of Hormuz as an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the Nightdippers of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5 lifts off from the flight deck November 19, 2019. The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the M

'The reach is global': Pentagon vows pursuit of ships tied to Iran trade

A top admiral said the US Navy will pursue any vessels "providing material support to Iran" anywhere in the world.

Getty Images

Analysis

How long can Iran's economy weather US naval blockade?

Analysts believe the blockade will choke exports for essential items coming into Iran, like food and medicines.

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

Latest News

Analysis

Why Netanyahu caved to Trump on Lebanon and what it means for Israel

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a joint press conference with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Jerusalem on February 26, 2026. (Photo by GIL COHEN-MAGEN / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

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

Iran says Strait of Hormuz 'completely open' to ships

MUSCAT, OMAN - MARCH 25: Locals take photos of two bulk carriers anchored at Muscat Anchorage on March 25, 2026 in Muscat, Oman. Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which conveys about 20% of the world's oil and gas, has mostly come to a halt after the joint U.S.-Israeli war with Iran that began on February 28. Iran, in a defiant reply to a ceasefire proposal from the United States, has claimed that sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz "is its natural and legal right." Under international law, t

Eurozone's inflation jumps 2.6%, jet fuel shortages loom amid Iran war

A fuel truck CarbOil services an Easyjet aircraft at Milan's Malpensa Airport on April 13, 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

Iranian President Seyed Mohammad Khatami speaks during a news
conference at the 10th Organisation of Islamic Conference summit in
Putrajaya near Kuala Lumpur October 17, 2003. Muslim leaders winding up
the summit on Friday were set to criticise a U.S. Congress vote to
impose trade sactions on Syria, a move host Malaysia says set "a very
dangerous precedent". REUTERS/Bazuki Muhammad

BM/FA - RTR54VE

Spiritual leader of Iranian Reformists backs Rouhani

In his bid for a second term, moderate Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has won the endorsement of an influential Reformist: former President Mohammad Khatami.

Iran's first Vice-President, Eshaq Jahangiri speaks during an annual ceremony in Tehran on March 14, 2017, in which charitable donors pay off the debts of mehrieh prisoners as a show of Islamic charity.
The "Mehrieh" ("affection") system, in which future husbands agree to pay a certain number of gold coins to the bride in the event of divorce, has left thousands of men in Iran languishing in jail and many more destitute. / AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images

Why Iran's conservatives are suddenly rooting for Rouhani's VP

First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri’s strong performance in the first Iranian presidential debate has led conservatives to speculate about the prospect of him challenging President Hassan Rouhani. What is the real aim of this unlikely depiction?

Participants of Syria peace talks attend a meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan January 23, 2017. REUTERS/Mukhtar Kholdorbekov - RTSWX03

US to send senior envoy to Syria talks after Trump-Putin call

Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Stuart Jones is set to attend Syria cease-fire talks in Astana on May 3-4 after Trump-Putin confer on Syria.

Iran's parliament speaker Ali Larijani speaks during a news conference in Baghdad December 24, 2014. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani (IRAQ - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR4J5W0

Which candidate does Iran’s influential speaker favor?

In Iran, moderate conservatives have officially thrown their weight behind incumbent President Hassan Rouhani, who is seeking a second term in the May 19 presidential elections.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani inspects the honour guard during a welcoming ceremony upon his arrival at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia March 27, 2017. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov - RTX32XMI

Why Rouhani will likely win second term

While incumbent Hassan Rouhani is likely to face a tighter race than anticipated, he will likely be re-elected on May 19 — just as the Iranian political establishment prefers.

People walk outside Lebanon's Central Bank in Beirut November 6, 2014. REUTERS/Jamal Saidi/File Photo - RTSEJDF

Congress blames State Department after draft sanctions bill leaked to pro-Hezbollah media

The Lebanese government is preparing to send a delegation to Washington to oppose the proposed new sanctions on the designated terrorist organization.

Who killed exiled Iranian TV executive in Istanbul?

The owner of GEM TV, which airs dubbed Western programs into Iran, was gunned down in the streets of Istanbul.

Who wanted Iran’s presidential debates to be prerecorded?

Iran has held the first of three rounds of televised presidential debates ahead of the May 19 vote — but not without controversy about whether they should be aired live.

Iranian presidential candidates (L to R) Mostafa Mirsalim, Hassan Rouhani, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Eshaq Jahangiri and Ebrahim Raisi attend a live debate on state TV in Tehran on April 28, 2017.
Iran will air live debates on state television ahead of May's presidential election, the interior ministry, reversing a decision to show recorded versions that had triggered an outcry. / AFP PHOTO / JAMEJAMONLINE / MEHDI DEHGHAN

Who was the winner of Iran’s first presidential debate?

While the first round of Iran’s first presidential debates this year was supposed to be about social issues, it quickly turned into a battle on the economy and politics.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, Iraq, July 19, 2013. REUTERS/Karim Kadim/Pool (IRAQ - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX11RSP

The story behind the end of Ahmadinejad’s bid for third term

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been barred from seeking a third term on May 19. But was this because the Guardian Council disqualified him — or because it didn’t approve of his qualifications to run in this year’s race?

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad speaks during an interview with Croatian newspaper Vecernji List in Damascus, Syria, in this handout picture provided by SANA on April 6, 2017. SANA/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE. - RTX34BQA

Are the US, Russia staking out territorial clout in Syria?

Moscow and Washington both deny they are dividing Syria into "zones of influence," but they might be laying the groundwork by creating military facilities at various sites.

Iranian cleric and head of the Imam Reza charitable foundation, Ebrahim Raisi, gestures while registering his candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections at the ministry of interior in the capital Tehran on April 14, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Conservative presidential candidate paints bleak picture of Iran

Ebrahim Raisi expressed support for economic policies that led to high inflation in Iran.