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Iran

April 27, 2026

Tehran 9:55 am

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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted the third meeting of the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the margins of the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum, on April 17, 2026.

Analysis

Why Saudi Arabia, Egypt are wary of Turkey’s proposed 4-way defense pact with Pakistan

The proposed framework faces major hurdles and fault lines, ranging from NATO constraints to Israeli opposition and weak military integration.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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.

Latest News

Analysis

Israel fears Trump angling for Lebanon deal to offset Iran missteps

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

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

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.

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

Even without sanctions, Iranian aviation faces turbulent future

Iranian aviation is faced with multiple challenges, even in the aftermath of long-sought sanctions relief.

Iran to export gas to Iraq soon, says Iranian official

After the nuclear deal, Iran will need to deepen economic ties with Iraq, including the Kurdish Regional Government.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (R) listens to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov (back facing) during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, August 17, 2015. Lavrov and Zarif met on Monday to discuss the Iranian nuclear programme and peace efforts in Syria, Russia's foreign ministry said. Moscow sees the recent nuclear deal, which offers Iran relief from sanctions in exchange for curbing its nuclear programme, as opening the way to selling Tehran missile defence systems and winning lucrative new

Iran to Russia: Where are those missiles you promised us?

Following Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s trip to Moscow, Iranian media has been abuzz with talk about the long-awaited delivery of a long-rang S-300 missile defense system, which is still being held up by Russia.

Turkish, Iranian media trade barbs

Analysts say angry reports and comments in the pro-government media of both sides reflect official thinking, but expect the legacy of maintaining relatively good ties between the two countries to prevail.

(From L to R) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, German Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pose for a group picture at the United Nations b

Israel must wake up and 'recognize reality' of Iran deal

The crisis in Israeli-US ties following the Iranian nuclear agreement demands a fundamental shift in Israeli policy, including Israeli recognition of the deal and an immediate change in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s relationship with the White House.

In bid to foster Iranian nationalism, Tehran launches first-ever Kurdish language program

This fall, Kurdish language studies will officially be offered to university students in Iran, a move many see as the long overdue fulfillment of a constitutional right.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem July 12, 2015. REUTERS/Abir Sultan/Pool - RTX1K1VR

Israel increasingly isolated as Iran opens up to region

Following its nuclear deal with world powers, Iran seems to be opening up to the world, including to its regional nemesis, Saudi Arabia, while Israel stands alone in the world in its opposition to the agreement.

Iran works to get auto industry back on the road

As the sanctions on Iran are lifted, many hope the Iranian auto industry will be revivied and Western car makers will be pitted against Chinese rivals for shares in Iran's market.

Khuzestan tells story of Persia’s rise, fall

Iran's Khuzestan province, with its many ancient sites and artifacts, tells the story of Persia’s rise and fall.

'100 Works by 100 Artists' nurtures Tehran art scene

The Golestan Gallery in Tehran just celebrated its 23rd annual exhibition showcasing Iranian art of all styles and prices.

Which ancient leader is really buried in colossal Tower of Tughrul?

Controversy surrounds a 12th-century tomb tower carrying the name of the founder of the Seljuk dynasty, Tughrul Beg.

(FILES) Iranian women look at the "Si-o-Se Pol" bridge (33 arches bridge) on Zayandeh Rud river in Isfahan 13 July 2002. A young French tourist has been shot dead by a known criminal in the Iranian city of Isfahan, one of the country's main tourist draws, the Fars news agency reported 10 December 2007. AFP PHOTO/Behrouz MEHRI (Photo credit should read BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images)

Esfahan’s bridges to history threatened by development, neglect

The Iranian city of Esfahan is renowned for it centuries-old bridges, but these architectural marvels are under threat due to pollution, neglect and a governmental water diversion scheme.