Iran - AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Iran cover image

Iran

March 11, 2026

Tehran 1:50 am

5°C

A navy vessel is seen sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which much of the world's oil and gas passes, on March 1, 2026.

Trump warns Iran over Hormuz mines as senator cautions US may be nearing ground war

Iran has begun placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a recent report, after the American president threatened to strike Iran harder if oil shipments are interfered with.

US President Donald Trump speaks with the media as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (R) and special envoy Steve Witkoff (C) look on aboard Air Force One during a flight from Dover, Delaware, to Miami, Florida, on March 7, 2026.

Analysis

As Trump says war may end soon, Iran signals longer fight

As President Donald Trump claims Iran is ready to talk, its leaders show no sign of backing down.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

A demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, at Enghelab Square in central Tehran on March 9, 2026.

Analysis

Behind Mojtaba Khamenei: How IRGC steers Iran's wartime power structure

Iran's wartime leadership transition has elevated IRGC-backed Mojtaba Khamenei to the pinnacle of power, raising urgent questions about the organization's internal dynamics and how the Islamic Republic's strategic posture may evolve.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Latest News

Analysis

Oil-price hikes from Iran war threaten Turkey's rate cuts in inflation fight

Yasin AKGUL / AFP via Getty Images

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Russia denied sharing intelligence with Iran in Trump call, Witkoff says

Gavriil Grigorov / AFP via Getty Images

Iran threatens Trump as Israel hits IRGC weapons hub in Tehran: What to know

Majid Saeedi/Getty Images

Airlines gradually restore Middle East flights, Gulf still heavily grounded

An Emirates Airbus A380 passenger aircraft prepares for landing at Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 8, 2026.

United Arab Emirates

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

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks before signing an executive order imposing fresh sanctions on Iran as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Vice President Mike Pence look on in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., June 24, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria - RC1D3FDB52D0

Tehran says fresh US sanctions block path to diplomacy

The US administration's latest sanctions targeting several Iranian officials, including the country's supreme leader, have drawn the ire of the government in Tehran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shakes hands with U.S national security adviser John Bolton and Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Security Council, as Israeli national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat stands nearby during opening statements of a trilateral meeting between American, Israeli and Russian top security advisers in Jerusalem June 25, 2019. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun - RC1D41591EE0

Moscow seeks Iran-Israel compromise at Jerusalem security chiefs meeting

During the trilateral meeting of national security advisers from Russia, Israel and the United States, Moscow stressed Israeli security concerns but also called for acknowledging Iranian interests.

With 'Chernobyl,' Iranians talk other people's nuclear problems, for a change

The miniseries “Chernobyl” is a big hit in Iran and has sparked a debate between conservative and Reformist media about the alleged politics and messaging behind the production.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House national security adviser John Bolton look on in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., June 20, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC1B875D0060

Trump pitches Iran strike reversal to GOP ‘hawks’ and ‘doves’

President Donald Trump said on Saturday his decision to wave off a retaliatory strike on Iran for the downing of an American drone was being celebrated both by allies and critics as a wise move to stave off overextending the US military.

U.S. President Donald Trump displays an executive order imposing fresh sanctions on Iran in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., June 24, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria - RC1310DB3000

Iran shrugs off new sanctions

Iranian officials said they will continue to reduce their nuclear commitments under the JCPOA.

REFILE - UPDATING BYLINE The purported wreckage of the American drone is seen displayed by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in Tehran, Iran June 21, 2019. Meghdad Madadi/Tasnim News Agency/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1CF0139CF0

Will drone downing lead to Iran-US negotiations?

Although some in Tehran see a prime opportunity for talks, major obstacles still stand in the way.

Hamas silent on Saudi Arabia arrests of Saudi nationals supporting the movement

Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar reported that the Saudi authorities have been arresting Saudi nationals and Palestinian expats who support Hamas, over the movement’s declared position in support of Iran.

How Netanyahu exploits US-Iran tensions

For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the low-level US-Iran tensions are a great opportunity to bolster his security image and to divert public attention from his legal imbroglio.

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives flanked by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) and U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton (R) for the annual meeting of the Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons annual meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., October 11, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC1E9B59B7C0

War-averse Trump looks for off ramp with Iran

President Donald Trump “really wants to avoid a war,” former Trump National Security Council official Fred Fleitz said.

The purported wreckage of the American drone is seen displayed by the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in Tehran, Iran June 21, 2019. Tasnim News Agency/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1FEE5FE760

Iran: We gave 'multiple warnings' before downing drone

Iranian officials have made statements to reduce tensions following the downing of an American drone off Iran's southern coast.

U.S. President Donald Trump listens to questions during a meeting with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House national security adviser John Bolton look on in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., June 20, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC1ACBBDB270

Trump may chicken out on Iran, frets Israel

Israeli security officials are getting worried that escalating tensions between the United States and Iran could spill over into Israel through an attack by Hezbollah on the northern border.

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a chart of military hardware sales as he welcomes Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. March 20, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC14FF352EF0

Senate votes to constrain Trump on Gulf arms sales as Iran tensions heat up

A bipartisan group of senators rebuked President Donald Trump for his Iran emergency declaration hours after Tehran shot down a US drone over the Persian Gulf.