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Iran

April 13, 2026

Tehran 9:58 pm

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As US blockades Hormuz, China urges restraint, rejects call to ditch Iran oil

Beijing and Ankara called for calm as the US began its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as regional diplomacy over the fragile ceasefire intensifies.

A ship is seen off the coast of Ras al-Khaimah, the day after the failure of US-Iran peace talks on April 13, 2026. The failure of US-Iran peace talks has left the US president with several unpalatable options, as analysts say his order to blockade the strategic Strait of Hormuz could further complicate his next move on April 12, 2026. Any hopes that the US vice president would emerge from the marathon day of negotiations with top Iranian officials with a deal to end a war that has rippled across the Middle

Analysis

US blockade on Iran’s oil begins amid unclear enforcement, energy shock fears

The move threatens to cut off roughly 2 million barrels per day of Iranian crude exports, but key questions remain as the operation begins.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Pope Leo XIV

'No fear': Pope Leo pushes against Trump attacks as he lands in Algeria

President Donald Trump has escalated against the first American pontiff over his criticism of the Israel-US war in Iran.

Elke Scholiers/Getty Images

Oil back above $100 as US moves to blockade Strait of Hormuz

Soaring energy prices can be expected to remain volatile while the US begins its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Latest News

Analysis

Inside Turkey’s role in the US-Iran ceasefire

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) walks with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif upon his arrival during an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey on June 1, 2022. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Analysis

Ceasefire without relief: How Iranians are grappling with post-war repression

People gather under a large portrait of Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, during a memorial to mark the 40th day since his father, Ali Ayatollah Khamenei, was killed in US-Israeli joint strikes, on April 9, 2026, in Tehran, Iran.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

In Islamabad, US set to face a more defiant Iran at negotiating table

A woman walks past a digital screen displaying news of US-Iran peace talks along a road in Islamabad on April 10, 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

MAZEN MAHDI/AFP via Getty Images

Republican says Congress 'kept in dark' as Iran envoy saga develops

Congressional Republicans are furious after the Tehran Times published a letter purportedly from the State Department discussing the suspension of Malley’s security clearance.

An Iranian Kurdish peshmerga member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI).

Iran renews ultimatum for Iraq to disarm Kurdish opposition groups

A September deadline set to disarm the groups will “not be extended in any way.”

The President of Iran Ebrahim Raisi attends a meeting during the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg on Aug. 24, 2023.

Raisi pushes anti-US agenda in BRICS as Iran celebrates ascension

The Islamic Republic hopes that BRICS membership will remedy its ailing economy and open a new front against American influence in the global sphere.

A boy waves an Iranian national flag as supporters of Iran's newly-elected president Ebrahim Raisi celebrate his victory in Imam Hussein square in the capital Tehran on June 19, 2021.

Can US-Iran prisoner deal build trust for broader talks?

Experts say the release of five Americans held in Iran could lay the groundwork for a resumption of nuclear talks between the longtime adversaries.

JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images

4 Arab Israelis arrested for Hezbollah ties, smuggling Iranian explosives

The Shin Bet announced today that four Arab Israelis suspected of involvement with Hezbollah's smuggling activities were arrested last month.

BRICS summit 2023

Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE to join BRICS

The Shanghai-headquartered New Development Bank, or so-called “BRICS bank”, had already admitted the UAE and Egypt as shareholders.

AFP via Getty Images

Iran sentences 7 men, 1 woman to prison as protest anniversary nears

Eight people were convicted of killing a paramilitary force member during Iran's nationwide protests that erupted following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini.

President Ebrahim Raisi, second right, at a ceremony to unveil the Mohajer-10 drone, Aug. 22, 2023.

Iran unveils new armed drone, defying pressure over shipments to Russia

With a range of over 1,200 miles, Mohajer 10 is the latest from a family of drones that Russia is believed to have imported from Iran to use in its war on Ukraine.

The Suez Rajan is pictured in this undated photo.

US finally unloads Iranian oil from seized tanker

The Iranian oil aboard the Suez Rajan sat unloaded off the coast of the United States for months amid threats from Iran, causing concern in Congress.

Xi Jinping at BRICS

BRICS summit: which Middle East states could join powerful bloc?

China and Russia are seeking to expand the group and their global influence, and several MENA countries are in line to apply.

Iran's "Fattah" missile.

Iran claims to have produced key engine for supersonic missile tech

The announcement was the latest in a chain of advancements Iran has claimed in its missile technology in defiance of Western criticism and amid regional tensions.

President Joe Biden speaks at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Aug. 10, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Analysis

Is Biden’s reset on Iran paying off?

Republicans say no; four benchmark dates to watch.

Week in Review

Andrew Parasiliti

By Week in Review , Andrew Parasiliti