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Iran

April 26, 2026

Tehran 6:44 am

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TEHRAN, IRAN - APRIL 23: A police officer stands holding a flag in Valiasr Square beneath a mural of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on April 23, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced an extension of the current ceasefire between his country and Iran, despite Iran declining to attend the latest proposed round of peace talks in Islamabad. The focus of the war has shifted largely to the Strait of Hormuz, where both sides are trying to assert control over the critical m

Analysis

Araghchi’s Russia, regional tour tests path to breaking US-Iran deadlock

Iranian officials say dialogue remains open, but negotiations are clouded by intensifying hard-line domestic messaging and conflicting signals over Tehran’s red lines.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

A liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker is moored at a LNG berth in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, prefecture April 8, 2026.

IEA delivers grim gas supply forecast as oil notches 15% weekly rise

A wave of new LNG supplies will be delayed for at least two years due to war-related damage to Qatari energy infrastructure, according the International Energy Agency's latest market update.

A person walks past the closed Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center on Jan. 7, 2021, in New York City.

Why did the Met Opera lose its Saudi funding deal?

The deal, announced as a nonbinding memorandum of understanding last September, would have seen the PIF inject up to $200 million into the opera institution over the next eight years.

US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa (R) holds a signed "Make America Great Again" hat while (L-R) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Lebanon Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad listen to US President Donald Trump speak during a meeting with Lebanon Ambassador to the US and Israel Ambassador to the US, at the White House in Washington, DC on April 23, 2026. US President Donald Trump met Lebanese and Israeli envoys at a new round of peace talks Thursday, with Beirut seeking a one-month extension of a

Analysis

Israel fears Trump angling for Lebanon deal to offset Iran missteps

Some Israelis worry the US president might force them to accept an unsatisfactory agreement driven by his inability to secure a tangible achievement in Iran.

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

Latest News

Which airlines are cutting flights amid Hormuz fuel disruption?

Refueling trucks are seen at Southend Airport on April 17, 2026, in Southend, England.

Analysis

China gets around Iran blockade as Gulf courts Beijing

US forces patrol the Arabian Sea near M/V Touska on April 20, 2026, after firing upon the Iranian-flagged vessel. (Handout Photo by the U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

Joyce Karam

Who is Ahmad Vahidi, IRGC chief and hard-liner against nuclear compromise?

Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi speaks at a candidates' registration office in Tehran on May 30, 2024, during the first day of registration ahead of the country's presidential election.

How are Iran-linked tankers still moving through Hormuz blockade?

BAY ISMOYO / AFP via Getty Images

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

Will Lebanon finally get a new president?

After 32 tries failed to produce a winner in Lebanon's long quest for a president, observers hope the 33rd time's a charm.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to film or take pictures in Tehran.
Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi Kani (L) speaks with Guardian Council Chief Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati during a conference in Tehran in this August 14, 2008 file photo. Arch hardliner Mahdavi-Kani was elected and confirmed as head of Iran's Assembly of Experts on March 8, 2011. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR2JNJ9

Rouhani challenges Guardian Council...again

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has once again raised the issue of the Guardian Council's role in the elections.

Participants listen to Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh speech during the "Tehran Summit" in the Iranian capital on November 28, 2015. The aim of the summit is to strengthen Iran's international ties in regional and global domains and to attract economic cooperation in competitive global markets through using large share of Iran in petroleum and gas global reserves. AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE / AFP / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

How to get Iran's drifting economy back on track

Following Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s call for a "command headquarters" for the economy in the post-sanctions era, there is increasing debate in Iran about the need for clear guidance of the economy.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.

An Iranian man walks past a currency exchange shop in northern Tehran January 3, 2012. The Iranian rial fell to a record low against the dollar on Tuesday following U.S. President Barack Obama signing a bill on imposing fresh sanctions against the country's central bank. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN - Tags: BUSINESS POLITICS) - RTR2VU6Z

Why is the dollar surging in Iran?

In Iran, the dollar rate is rising, potentially harming Rouhani and his allies ahead of crucial elections. Can, and will, Rouhani and the Central Bank move in to counter this surge?

A Saudi man watches the most popular Saudi TV series during the holy fasting month of Ramadan "Tash Ma Tash" in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah on August 22, 2010. Turning the tables on conservative Islamic beliefs, "Tash ma Tash" has again sparked huge laughs and huge controversy this month by depicting a Muslim woman not just married to four husbands, but also wanting to divorce one of them in order to marry someone else. AFP PHOTO/AMER HILABI (Photo credit should read AMER HILABI/AFP/Getty Images)

Will Iranians watch Saudi-financed Persian TV?

Hoping to reach an Iranian audience, Saudi Arabia is moving to focus more on Persian-language media, but the kingdom has little advantage in an already saturated market.

Will Iran play peacemaker between Russia, Turkey?

Given Tehran's ties to both countries, Iranian officials discuss the potential for Iran to mediate between Russia and Turkey.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 04: Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) )C) participates in a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, November 4, 2015 in Washington, DC. The committee heard testimony from State Department√äofficials on√äU.S. policy after Russia's escalation in Syria. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Is US preparing to crack down on IRGC?

A key House panel is inching closer to slapping additional sanctions on the IRGC.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano addresses a news conference after a board of governors meeting at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, November 26, 2015. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX1VYFG

New report confirms Iran's nuclear weapons program

In a crucial new report by the IAEA, Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog agreed to disagree about key aspects of Iran’s nuclear program.

Iranians tweet supreme leader's message, but Twitter thinks it's spam?

Iran's supreme leader has once again penned an open letter to the young people of the West; however, many of those sharing his message via Twitter had their accounts mysteriously suspended.

Larijani hopes to expand his political power

Iranian parliament Speaker Ali Larijani is trying to transform the Followers of the Leader faction into a political organization.

Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoumeh Ebtekar delivers a speech during the opening session of the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) at Le Bourget, near Paris, France, November 30, 2015. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe - RTX1WKDZ

Will thawing Iran's frozen assets help slow down climate change?

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar, who heads the country’s Environmental Protection Organization, outlines her views on Iran's environmental challenges — and how to confront them.

Gossip grows as Rouhani skips meetings

As rumors spread in the Iranian media about President Hassan Rouhani boycotting Expediency Council meetings, some observers are comparing his avoidance strategy to that of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.