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Iran

May 8, 2026

Tehran 4:54 pm

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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

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attends a news conference in Vienna, Austria, July 4, 2018. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger - RC1BB998E3E0

Hard-liners attack Rouhani over outreach to Europe on JCPOA

Iranian hard-liners show no sign of compromise with moderate President Hassan Rouhani, reigniting their attacks on him for his push to maintain the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Iranian Presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi speaks during a campaign meeting at the Mosalla mosque in Tehran, Iran, May 16, 2017. Picture taken May 16, 2017. TIMA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RC1A68E6D390

Iran's energized conservatives move to unite ahead of upcoming polls

Reinvigorated by the Trump administration’s harsh rhetoric against the Rouhani administration, divided Iranian conservatives appear to be coalescing around a new grouping.

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir walks with officials as he leaves the African Union (AU) summit in Nouakchott, Mauritania, July 2, 2018. Ludovic Marin/Pool via Reuters - RC1D50433000

Iran media on Bashir trip to Syria: Arab states have accepted reality of Assad

Iranian media believe that the Sudanese president's meeting with Bashar al-Assad is a sign that Arab countries are beginning to accept the reality on the ground in Syria.

Reza Pahlavi, the last heir apparent to the defunct throne of the Imperial State of Iran and the current head of the exiled House of Pahlavi speaks during an interview with Reuters in Washington, U.S., January 3, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - RC1829E98ED0

Son of deposed shah urges US to back Iran regime change

The son of the former shah of Iran urged the US administration to back Iran regime change rather than try to pressure the Iranian government to change its policies abroad and at home.

Congress sees unprecedented opportunity to confront OPEC

For the first time since OPEC’s formation, both the White House and Congress appear to be on the same page when it comes to suing the oil cartel for violating the US antitrust law.

Iranian MPs are seen during a meeting of the Iranian parliament for the impeachment of the Minister of Labor on March 13, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Iranian Reformists clash with hard-liners in drive to restrict child marriage

A parliamentary bill to restrict child marriage is pitting hard-liners against Reformists in Iran.

A man holds a stack of Iranian Rials in front of a shop in the capital Tehran on July 31, 2018. - Iran's currency traded at a fresh record-low of 119,000 to the dollar on today, a loss of nearly two-thirds of its value since the start of the year as US sanctions loom. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Shrinking pie causes intense struggle over wages in Iran

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, the Rouhani administration is under pressure to increase salaries while facing the threat of spiraling inflation.

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 12: Irans Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Es'hagh Al Habib delivers remarks at the United Nations Security Council meeting on Iran at the United Nations on December 12, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Hagen/Getty Images)

Iran says US is ‘bragging’ about violating UNSC resolution

While the United States has failed to receive European support for scrapping the nuclear deal, Europe is more sympathetic to concerns about Iran’s missile program.

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 12: United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press conference following the United Nations Security Council meeting on Iran at the United Nations on December 12, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Hagen/Getty Images)

On Iran, US allies fear ‘maximum pressure’ could provoke escalation

While Iran continues to comply for now with the 2015 nuclear deal even after the reimposition of US sanctions, European allies fear that the US administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign could eventually lead to war.

Six factors shaping Iran’s missile decision-making calculus

It would be folly to expect that Iran would dismantle the backbone of its defense doctrine without bearing in mind its security concerns, including the need for a broader regional arrangement to ban weapons of mass destruction.

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

Supporters of the Iranian opposition movement wear green during the funeral of Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri in the holy city of Qom December 21, 2009. Big crowds of mourners chanted anti-government slogans during the funeral of Iran's leading dissident cleric, Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, in the holy city of Qom on Monday, websites reported. REUTERS/v

Deadlock continues over fate of Iran's Green Movement leaders

The three Iranian opposition leaders detained during the 2009 election protests are still languishing under house arrest as Reformists and hard-liners argue endlessly.

Hard-liner accuses Rouhani of blocking Telegram

A hard-line politician in Iran has accused President Hassan Rouhani of ordering the ban on a popular social media app in the wake of the nationwide protests in early 2018.