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Iran

May 8, 2026

Tehran 6:44 am

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In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency on May 4, 2026, the Iran-flagged tugboat Basim sails near a ship anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.

What to know about Iran's 'Persian Gulf Strait Authority' to control Hormuz traffic

The establishment of an entity seeking to control maritime transportation in the Strait of Hormuz is the latest sign that Iran wants to formalize authority in the strategic waterway.

Popular Mobilization Forces

US sets expectations for Iraq’s next PM to confront Iranian militias

The Trump administration is cautiously sizing up Iraq’s new prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi, as a potential partner in pushing back on Iranian influence.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi of Iran meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi of China in Beijing on May 6, 2026. Credit: Telegram

Analysis

China shores up Iran support as Trump seeks exit

China understands how badly Trump wants an exit from the conflict. But timing is critical: if no agreement is reached before Trump arrives in China on Thursday, Beijing would be better positioned to set the agenda.

Joyce Karam

An Iranian woman holds up an image of Iran's new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

Iran president says he held official meeting with Mojtaba Khamenei: What to know

The president’s announcement marks the first public confirmation of a meeting between a senior official and Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since the start of the war.

Latest News

Iran, China discuss Hormuz reopening amid potential US-Iran talks

In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, second right, talks to his Iranian Counterpart Abbas Araghchi, left, during the bilateral meeting in Beijing, Wednesday, May 6, 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

A Palestinian woman walks next to a banner that reads "Thanks and gratitude to Iran" in Gaza City November 27, 2012. Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar showed how fragile the ceasefire between Israel and Palestinians remained, with defiant remarks to reporters recently of how the Islamists would go on smuggling in weapons "by all possible means", including via Israel's arch-foe Iran. REUTERS/Ahmed Zakot (GAZA - Tags: CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT)

Iran Strengthens Ties To Palestinian Islamic Jihad

Iran has deepened its relationship with Islamic Jihad while maintaining good ties with Hamas, writes Abeer Ayyoub.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad waves after attending a wreath-laying ceremony at the mausoleum of late Vietnamese revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi November 10, 2012. Ahmadinejad is in Hanoi on a two-day visit to Vietnam from November 9 to 10. REUTERS/Kham (VIETNAM - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY)

Will Israel Miss Ahmadinejad?

Nadav Eyal discusses whether Israel will benefit from a new Iranian president, who is likely to be just as committed to Iran's nuclear program and perhaps an even more formidable adversary.

John Bumgarner, a cyber warfare expert who is chief technology officer of the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit, a non-profit group that studies the impact of cyber threats, works on his laptop computer during a portrait session in Charlotte, North Carolina December 1, 2011. A cyber warfare expert claims he has linked the Stuxnet computer virus that attacked Iran's nuclear program in 2010 to Conficker, a mysterious worm that surfaced in late 2008 and infected millions of PCs. Conficker was used to open back door

US Withholds Evidence for Iran Cyberattacks

Computer experts say they believe Iran is responsible for a barrage of attacks on the websites of US banks but that the Obama administration should reveal how it knows this and acknowledge responsibility for its own cyberattacks on Iran.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to film or take pictures in Tehran.

An Iranian protestor with his face covered with a green mask flashes the victory sign as he holds stones in his hands during clashes in central Tehran December 27, 2009. A senior Iranian police official denied a report on an opposition website that four pro-reform protesters were killed during clashes in Tehran on Sunday, the Students News Agency ISNA reported. REUTERS/S

Where Are Iran’s Reformists?

Sune Engel Rasmussen reports from Tehran that the reformists and green movement have been reduced to “near invisibility” in the run-up to the presidential elections scheduled for June.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili listens to a reporters' question during a news conference in New Delhi January 4, 2013. Iran has agreed to hold talks with six major powers about its atomic programme in January but the date and venue has yet to be decided, Jalili said on Friday. REUTERS/Mansi Thapliyal (INDIA - Tags: ENERGY POLITICS)

Iran Balks at Nuclear Talks Without Sanctions, Rights on Agenda

A dispute over the agenda could be a factor in delaying a new round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and a US-led coalition.

Senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh (L) and Islamic Jihad leader Mohammed Al-Hindi celebrate what Palestinians say is a victory over Israel after an eight-day conflict, during a rally in Gaza City November 22, 2012. A ceasefire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers took hold on Thursday after eight days of conflict, although deep mistrust on both sides cast doubt on how long the Egyptian-sponsored deal can last. REUTERS/Ahmed Zakot (GAZA - Tags: MILITARY CONFLICT POLITICS)

Iran Top Backer Of Palestinian Islamic Jihad

The latest war with Israel revealed the Palestinian Islamic Jihad's improved military capabilities, mostly due to continued Iranian support, Abeer Ayyoub reports from Gaza.

An Afghan family walks on a road in winter on the outskirts of Kabul January 3, 2013. REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail (AFGHANISTAN - Tags: SOCIETY ENVIRONMENT)

Afghan Water Infrastructure Threatens Iran, Regional Stability

Afghanistan has not yet built the needed infrastructure to utilize and reserve its water, a source of tension with its neighbors, writes Fatehmeh Aman.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.
Iranian students hold up their hands as a sign of unity as they form a human chain around the Uranium Conversion Facility (UCF) to show their support for Iran's nuclear program in Isfahan, 450 km (280 miles) south of Tehran November 15, 2011. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY EDUCATION)

Will Israel Support a Compromise on Iran's Nuclear Program?

Israeli officials are considering what might be the acceptable terms for Jerusalem if there is a new US-led diplomatic initiative with Tehran on Iran's nuclear program, writes Ben Caspit.

Turkish Shi'ite women shout Islamic slogans as they mourn during an Ashura procession in Istanbul November 24, 2012. Muslims all over the world mourn the slaying of Imam Hussein during the first ten days of the Islamic month of Muharram. Imam Hussein was killed by his political rivals along with 72 companions in the seventh century battle of Kerbala. REUTERS/Murad Sezer (TURKEY - Tags: ANNIVERSARY RELIGION CIVIL UNREST)

Turkey's Sectarian War With Iran Over Syria and Iraq

Semih Idiz examines the evolution of the sectarian conflict between Turkey and Iran over Iraq and Syria.

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

A worshipper pastes a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a flag and a Persian script that reads, "Hey Khamenei" on a Revolutionary Guard uniform as he attends Friday prayers in Tehran February 10, 2012. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS RELIGION MILITARY)

Sanctions Squeeze Revolutionary Guard

Alireza Nader explains how international sanctions are squeezing Iran's Republican Guard and could lead to compromises by Iran's leadership in the nuclear talks.

Herman Nackaerts (C), head of a delegation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reacts at the airport in Vienna after arriving with his team from Iran December 14, 2012. Some progress is believed to have been made in Thursday's talks between the U.N. nuclear agency and Iran in Tehran, a diplomatic source said on Friday. The source, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the discussions, said a new meeting between Iran and the U.N. IAEA was expected to take place in mid-Janu

Closing Iran’s Nuclear File

Seyed Hossein Mousavian, former spokesman for Iran’s nuclear negotiators, puts forward a plan for a breakthrough in the nuclear negotiations with Iran.

Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev attends a meeting with members of the United Russia party at the Gorki residence outside Moscow August 10, 2012. REUTERS/Dmitry Astakhov/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS) THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Is there a Syrian Medvedev?

To find a solution in Syria, the US should consider a renewed parallel diplomatic track with Moscow, Tehran and Ankara. The objective: Encourage the emergence of a "Syrian Medvedev," a transitional figure acceptable to the regime, the Syrian people and the relevant outside powers.