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Iran

February 28, 2026

Tehran 6:36 pm

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A smoke plume rises over Abu Dhabi from the site of an Iranian missile strike on February 28, 2026. Iranian missiles hit capital cities around the wealthy Gulf on February 28, killing at least one, in retaliation for a US and Israeli attack that threatened to spark a wider conflict. One civilian died in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, after being struck by falling debris, according to the ministry of defence. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)

Iran pounds Gulf, regional states after US–Israel strikes: What to know

Kuwait, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, as well as Israel, Jordan and Iraq, have all been targeted by Iranian missiles.

Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

US strikes Iran military targets as Trump calls for overthrow of regime

A US official speaking on condition of anonymity said the operation could last several days, depending on Iran's retaliation.

A cyclist rides past an anti-US billboard installed on a building along a street in Tehran on Feb. 26, 2026.

Analysis

How survival mode has reshaped Iran's calculations for potential US war

Iran is blending cautious diplomacy with fortified defenses, a survival mindset and readiness to escalate strategically if challenged.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Sayed Hassan/Getty Images

Shipping giant Maersk diverts from Suez route amid Iran-US tension

The shift comes in reaction to the growing possibility of a military confrontation between the United States and Iran.

Latest News

Analysis

Israel, 'ready' for Iran escalation, looks to US to take lead

An F-18E fighter jet takes off from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, Sept. 24, 2025.

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

China, Canada urge citizens to leave Iran as Tehran proxies threaten US

The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford departs Souda Bay on the island of Crete on February 26, 2026. (Photo by Costas METAXAKIS / AFP via Getty Images)

US embassy in Israel authorizes non-essential staff, families to leave

Israel US embassy

US aircraft carrier nears Middle East as Geneva talks end without Iran breakthrough

The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford departs Souda Bay on the island of Crete, on Feb. 26, 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

An undated image of Liberian flagged tanker MT Mercer Street.

Two reported dead in attack on Israeli-operated ship near Oman

Iran was suspected in the attack on the UAE-bound Mercer Street, which is connected to an Israeli billionaire businessman.

Iranian boys ride their bicycles in Adimi village in Hamoon wetland near the Zabol town in southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, bordering Afghanistan, Feb. 2, 2015.

Top Sunni cleric laments Iran's discrimination against minorities

In his scathing criticism, Mawlawi Abdul-Hamid also recognized the ongoing protests in Khuzestan province, which in his view, should not be reduced to the water crisis.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a joint-press conference with Kuwaiti foreign minister in Kuwait City on July 29, 2021.

Blinken: Iran nuclear talks ‘cannot go on indefinitely’

Secretary of State Antony Blinken's comments came as negotiations over the landmark accord remain stalled.

A police officer patrols in front of banners put up by members of the National Council of Resistance of Iran.

US condemns violence against protesters in Iran

The US condemnation comes as rights groups accuse Iranian authorities of a violent crackdown on protests that erupted earlier this month over severe water shortages in the southwestern province of Khuzestan.

Khamenei

Iran's supreme leader says 'cowardly' US cannot be trusted

As Iran awaits a new president set to take office Aug. 3, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the West cannot be relied upon in future negotiations.

Ghalibaf

Iran protests gain momentum despite deadly crackdown

The protests that rocked the oil-rich province of Khuzestan have spread to other areas despite the government's iron-fist response and severe internet disruptions.

Iranians use internet at a cybercafe in the center of the Iranian capital Tehran on May 14, 2013.

Iran's parliament suspends controversial internet bill

Iran's parliament has decided to temporarily suspend a controversial bill that would block Iranians from major social media websites.

Muweis canal of Nile River in northern Egypt

How water has become a flashpoint in the Middle East

Al-Monitor reporting shows the increased risks and relevance of water security for Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia; Iran and Iraq; and Israel and Jordan.

2019 ahvaz street scene

Khamenei calls largely Arab province of Iran 'loyal' amid protests

Protesters in oil-rich Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran want clean drinking water, among other things.

An Iranian woman surfs the internet at a cybercafe in central Tehran on Jan. 24, 2011.

Watchdog: Internet disrupted in Iran amid water protests

The internet is heavily restricted in Iran, and the government initiated an internet blackout in 2019 during widespread protests in the country.

Iran's former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addresses reporters at the Interior Ministry headquarters.

Ahmadinejad accuses 'ring' in Iran intelligence of espionage

The serious allegation marked a new episode in the ex-president's confrontations with the Revolutionary Guards and its powerful intelligence branch.

An Iranian man rides a motorbike at Enghelab Square in the center of the capital, Tehran, on July 20, 2021, as authorities tighten restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tehran begins another round of coronavirus lockdowns

Iran has announced a new wave of restrictions in red zones as well as the capital.