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

Iran cover image

Iran

April 20, 2026

Tehran 9:51 pm

18°C

A man walks past a screen displaying stock indices at the Dubai Financial Market stock exchange in Dubai, March 4, 2026.

Oil rises, Gulf stocks slide after Iran ship seizure throws truce into doubt

In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, US President Trump said the US Navy fired at and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman.

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.

Latest News

Analysis

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

Getty Images

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

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

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

Rouhani says Iran opposed to incursions into Syria, Iraq

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met to cool tensions after a recent war of words.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attends a news conference after a meeting with his counterparts Walid al-Muallem from Syria and Sergei Lavrov from Russia in Moscow, Russia, October 28, 2016. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - RTX2QU7H

Did Iran’s foreign minister write to Tillerson?

An Iranian hard-line member of parliament has claimed that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is engaged in correspondence with the US secretary of state.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir delivers his speech during the 53rd Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, February 19, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle - RTSZCG2

Saudis make surprise trip to Iraq: Why now?

Saudi Arabia is making overtures to Iraq as Iran's influence expands in the region.

89th Academy Awards - Oscars Backstage - Hollywood, California, U.S. - 26/02/17 - Anousheh Ansari and Firouz Naderi pose with the Oscar they accepted on behalf of Asghar Farhadi, who won the Best Foreign Language Film for "The Salesman". REUTERS/Lucas Jackson - RTS10HRL

How Iran's hard-line media reacted to Oscar win

While Asghar Farhadi’s Oscar for “The Salesman” was warmly welcomed by moderates and Reformists, the hard-line media tried to discredit the achievement, opining the award was politically motivated.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L) awards Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif with the Medal of Honour for his role in the implementation of a nuclear deal with world powers, on February 8, 2016, in Tehran. / AFP / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

5 Rouhani allies in the crosshairs of Iran's hard-liners

In the months leading up to Iran’s May 19 presidential election, conservative opponents will likely focus on incumbent President Hassan Rouhani's inner circle.

An inspector checks the quality of caviar before packaging in a sterile preparation room in Zibakenar 360km (223 miles) northwest of Tehran October 4, 2006. In April 2006 a U.N. body set up to safeguard endangered species said it was extending a ban on the export of caviar from the Caspian Sea for all countries except Iran. Iranians are trying to combat the demise of the sturgeon with ambitious networks of hatcheries, designed to replenish stocks by releasing millions of young fish each year. Environmentali

Iran's priciest export at risk

Overfishing and pollution are not only threatening production of Iran’s prized caviar, but also the health of millions of Iranians living along the shores of the Caspian Sea.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks at a news conference near the United Nations General Assembly in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., September 22, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson - RTSP0TS

Will Iran’s Guardian Council disqualify Rouhani from running?

With Iran's presidential election three months away, tongues are openly wagging about the Guardian Council's potentially disqualifying President Hassan Rouhani from running for re-election, and the Priniciplists suspect a ploy to portray him as a victim.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani attends a meeting during the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) summit at the Foreign Ministry in Bangkok, Thailand, October 10, 2016. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha - RTSRK1N

Iranian MPs move to hand control over bond market to Central Bank

Iran’s moderate-leaning parliament appears to be pushing for control over the lucrative bond market to be given to the central bank.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks at a news conference near the United Nations General Assembly in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., September 22, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson - RTSP0SP

Iran's Rouhani warns military not to intervene in elections

Just three months before Iran’s presidential election and with conservative figures announcing their candidacy, President Hassan Rouhani warned military institutions against interfering in the vote.

U.S. President Donald Trump walks out from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., en route to CPAC, February 24, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas - RTS1060Z

Despite tough talk, US unlikely to take on Iranian forces in Iraq

The new US administration has adopted strict stances toward Iran, but any military clash between the United States and the factions Iran supports in Iraq would only increase Iranian influence.

Yahya Sinwar (C), the new leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, arrives for the opening of a new mosque in Rafah town in the southern Gaza Strip on February 24, 2017. / AFP / SAID KHATIB (Photo credit should read SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images)

Iran pulls Palestine from the margins

The Iranian leadership turns out in force for Palestinian conference; Turkey’s victory in al-Bab may be a prelude to a showdown with the Syrian Kurds.

Why Iran wants Palestine back on regional agenda

Iran hosts a conference in support of the Palestinian intifada as it seeks to put the Palestinian cause back at the top of its regional agenda.