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Iran

March 12, 2026

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Retired Israeli general and executive director of Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies Amos Yadlin attends a session at the Manama Dialogue security conference in the Bahraini capital, on Dec. 5, 2020.

Interview

Yadlin: Israel's war goal to weaken Iran, not immediate regime change

Israeli leaders are aware that Washington will decide when the war ends whether or not Israel has achieved its war aims, Yadlin told Al-Monitor.

A man looks at the site of overnight Israeli airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut on March 12, 2026.

Lebanon summons Iran envoy over Hezbollah-IRGC attacks: What to know

The move comes after Hezbollah launched over 200 rockets toward Israel, just as Iran fired a barrage of missiles, triggering a violent Israeli escalation in Lebanon.

Commercial vessels are pictured offshore in Dubai on March 11, 2026. AFP via Getty Images

Oil jumps above $100 as energy crisis called worst in history: What to know

The latest spike is the second time in a week that oil prices have climbed above $100 a barrel.

Latest News

In first remarks, Mojtaba Khamenei vows 'revenge,' holds firm on Hormuz closure

This photo taken in Tehran shows a statement by Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei being televised on March 12, 2026. Iran's new supreme leader ordered the vital Strait of Hormuz oil shipping lane to remain closed on March 12, while US President Donald Trump said stopping the Islamic republic's "evil empire" was more important than crude prices. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was reportedly injured in an air strike, has yet to appear publicly since his nomination as supreme leader, and his defiant

Citi, HSBC order Gulf evacuations after Iran threatens US tech, banks

People sit in a cafe outside the Apple Store in Dubai on May 8, 2025. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

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

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.

Analysis

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

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.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

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

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

Zarif’s stock rises with support from Soleimani

While Iran’s foreign minister carries the day against hard-liners, Israel hopes to exploit possible cracks in Tehran’s Syria policy.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (R) and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attend a meeting with Muslim leaders and scholars in Hyderabad, India, February 15, 2018. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui - RC13BC72B9E0

Soleimani's support boosts Zarif, isolates Iran's hard-liners

Iran’s foreign minister has returned to his post with renewed authority after expressions of support from an array of the ruling elite, but his hard-line detractors are still poised to make gains in the country’s next elections.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attends India-Iran business forum in New Delhi, India, January 8, 2019. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis - RC11CD45DD00

US shrugs off Zarif resignation reversal

Before Iran’s foreign minister had returned to the job, the Donald Trump administration dismissed Mohammad Javad Zarif’s resignation as essentially irrelevant, as the prospect of getting to the negotiating table looks increasingly remote.

Iraqi envoy calls on US to reopen Basra consulate

At an exclusive Al-Monitor event, Iraq’s ambassador to the United States urged the Donald Trump administration to reopen its consulate in Basra, which the State Department closed last year amid rocket attacks from Iran-backed militias.

Representations of the Ripple, Bitcoin, Etherum and Litecoin virtual currencies are seen on a PC motherboard in this illustration picture, February 13, 2018. Picture is taken February 13, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration - RC1993E31370

Iran’s top banks launch blockchain platform to boost ailing banking system

Banking giants in Iran have established a digital tokenization platform to liquidize bad assets. If it can overcome the many challenges on the way, it could generate vital cash — and public trust.

Rouhani media launches rare attack on hard-line critic in parliament

In a rare move, the news agency that operates under Hassan Rouhani has responded with an attack on a staunch critic in parliament for spreading “lies.”

Workers sort pistachios by hand during a final inspection before packing at a processing factory in Rafsanjan, 1,000 kilometers southeast of Tehran September 23, 2008. Iran may this year see its position as the world's largest producer of pistachio nuts overtaken by the United States, as the Islamic Republic suffers one of its worst harvests ever. Picture taken September 23, 2008. To match feature IRAN-PISTACHIOS/ REUTERS/Caren Firouz (IRAN) - GM1E4A90KNL01

Will sanctions suffocate trickle of Iran-US trade?

With the reimposition of US sanctions, the trickle of trade between Iran and the United States could vanish altogether.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi chat during their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China February 19, 2019. How Hwee Young/Pool via REUTERS - RC181062C080

Iran's Zarif returns to work after Rouhani rejects resignation

Mohammad Javad Zarif has resumed work as Iran's top diplomat after President Hassan Rouhani rejected his abrupt resignation, though the debate continues over what forced the foreign minister to bid farewell in the first place.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement to the media in Tel Aviv, Israel February 21, 2019 REUTERS/ Ammar Awad - RC15D221F200

Israel hopes Zarif resignation reveals cracks in Iran's Syria policy

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to express his glee when Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif offered his resignation, but what does it mean for Tehran's strategy in Syria?

Egyptian-Iranian relations: Where are they now?

It's often hard to tell whether Cairo and Tehran will embrace or break up.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif speaks during the annual Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany February 17, 2019. REUTERS/Andreas Gebert - RC11A5801410

'Iran has one foreign minister': How Zarif is turning claimed weakness into strength

The debacle surrounding the apparent resignation of Iran’s foreign minister is centered on a desire to refocus the diplomatic power of the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif speaks during a news conference in Istanbul, Turkey October 30, 2018. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC11D7974300

Iran in grip of massive backlash over Zarif’s sudden resignation

The surprise resignation announcement by Iran's foreign minister has sparked debate on what pushed him over the edge.