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Iran

April 26, 2026

Tehran 8:07 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 natural gas cartel be successful in setting LNG, CNG prices?

Key heads of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum member states gather in Iran to push for new global energy market.

Supporters of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad shout slogans against presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, after Friday prayers in Tehran May 29, 2009. Iranians vote on June 12 in an election that pits hardline President Ahmadinejad against two moderate challengers and one fellow conservative. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi (IRAN POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTXOX0Y

The tumbling turban: Who is behind attacks on Reformists in Iran?

Protesters have disrupted a number of speeches and gatherings by Reformist groups in Iran, indicating some of the candidates could have a tough time in the upcoming elections.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) and his French counterpart Francois Hollande speak after a news conference at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, November 26, 2015. France and Russia agreed on Thursday to exchange intelligence on Islamic State and other militant groups in Syria to help improve the effectiveness of their aerial bombing campaigns in the country, French President Francois Hollande said. REUTERS/Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool - RTX1W0QV

Erdogan more isolated than ever on Syria

The Turkish president is on the defensive after Turkey’s shooting down of a Russian warplane; the Syrian war enters a more dangerous phase.

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks at a news conference at the Green Valley Ranch resort in Henderson, Nevada November 16, 2015. Carson announced that he sent to a letter to Congress urging the termination of all public funding for the resettling of Syrian refugees into the U.S. REUTERS/David Becker - RTS7EUA

Congress threatens to shut down government over Syrian refugees

A look at the Middle East issues Congress will be addressing the week of Nov. 30.

Will Canada change its policy toward Iran?

Canada's new Liberal prime minister has expressed an interest in changing policy toward Iran — but will rapprochement happen any time soon?

Who is Iran's Nategh-Nuri?

The possible leadership of Ali Akbar Nategh-Nuri in Iran's upcoming parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections may very well change the nature of the game in Iranian politics.

Khamenei uses Tehran gas summit to slam US

In meetings with world leaders, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned about US goals in the Middle East and Latin America.

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and French President Francois Hollande hold a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington November 24, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Barria - RTX1VN6X

Will downing of Russia warplane thwart France’s efforts for broader anti-IS coalition?

Turkey’s downing of a Russian warplane threatens to complicate French efforts to bolster closer Western coordination with Moscow in combating IS.

Iran has high hopes for slick new oil contract model

Iran's soon-to-be unveiled oil contract is designed to attract foreign investment amid the toughest investment climate in years, but what distinguishes it from the current model contract?

Will Putin, Khamenei negotiate Assad's ouster?

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised Russian President Vladimir Putin as they reaffirmed their agreement that the United States is wrong to try to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Do Iranian hard-liners really want to stop foreign investment?

Despite criticism and warnings of "infiltration" in the aftermath of the nuclear deal, are Iranian hard-liners really opposed to foreign investment?

Iran hedges its bets in Syria

After joining the Vienna II talks on Syria, Iran continues to hedge its bets, including beefing up the Syrian National Defense Forces, to ensure its ability to protect its interests in the country and the region.