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Iran

March 17, 2026

Tehran 5:58 am

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A smoke plume rises from an ongoing fire near Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 16, 2026.

Analysis

Why Iran sees UAE as attractive target in war against US, Israel

As the war enters its third week, the Gulf state has come under heavier Iranian missile and drone fire than its neighbors — and even more than Israel.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Black smoke rises following an airstrike, as Iranians take part in the Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day rally, a commemoration in support of the Palestinian people on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in Tehran on March 13, 2026.

No ceasefire in sight as Trump claims Iran wants a deal

President Donald Trump continues to offer mixed messages about how long the war, now in its third week, might continue.

A cargo ship is pictured off coast city of Fujairah, in the Strait of Hormuz in the northern Emirate, on Feb. 25, 2026.

As Trump presses allies on Hormuz support, reopening hurdles mount

Key European allies have balked at Trump’s request to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, raising doubts about how quickly the US can secure the waterway from Iranian missile and drone threats.

Kamran Hekmati

Breaking | Last Updated: March 16, 2026, 6:34 pm

State Department says second American 'wrongfully detained' by Iran

Kamran Hekmati is serving a two-year prison sentence for visiting Israel more than a decade ago.

Latest News

Iran war hits Gulf aluminum exports, risking nearly 10% of global supplies

Aluminum ingots in the Aluminium Dunkerque plant of the American Industrial Partner group on Jan. 13, 2022, in Loon-Plage, near Dunkirk, France.

Iran detains over 500 accused of spying for Israel, US: What to know

Funerals are held for members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and other military figures at Enghelab Square on March 11, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

IEA's Asian members begin deploying emergency oil reserves

A fuel pump is seen while refuelling a car at a gas station on March 13, 2026 in Kobe, Japan. Japan will release oil reserves to address the rise in gasoline and other petroleum products prices starting next Monday, said Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae. The International Energy Agency (IEA) stated that its member countries agreed to release the largest volume of emergency oil reserves in its history, responding to the disruption in energy markets caused by the Middle East War. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/G

Could Israel-US war on Iran save Netanyahu’s political future?

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) listens to a speech by his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, Jerusalem, Feb. 25, 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

Notorious Iranian prosecutor to begin serving prison sentence

Iranian prosecutor Saeed Mortazavi has been apprehended and will began serving a two-year sentence over the 2009 death of a protester in prison.

Hezbollah and Syrian flags are seen fluttering in Fleita, Syria August 2, 2017. REUTERS/ Omar Sanadiki - RC15E3E7FA20

Confrontation looms as Iran-Israel tension high in Syria

While far from a new phenomenon, Iran and Israel are at a heightened risk of conflict in their confrontation in Syria.

Israeli soldiers stand next to mobile artillery units near the border with Syria in the Golan Heights January 27, 2015. At least two rockets from Syria hit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Tuesday and Israel returned fire, the military said, nine days after an Israeli air strike in Syria killed an Iranian general and several Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (MILITARY POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - GM1EB1S00W201

Is Israel-Iran clash imminent?

A consensus has emerged among Israel’s political and security establishments that a military clash with Iran is likely.

A demonstrator runs during clashes with Israeli troops at a protest where Palestinians demand the right to return to their homeland, at the Israel-Gaza border in the southern Gaza Strip, April 20, 2018. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1B7BFE3220

How long can Saudi Arabia ignore Gaza protests?

Saudi king clarifies approach to Jerusalem, but Arab League statement silent on the Gaza Strip; Will Macron and Merkel use North Korea as blueprint for US approach to JCPOA?

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attends a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia January 10, 2018. REUTERS/Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool? - UP1EE1A1NCZOZ

Iran FM: Trump administration 'never in' nuclear deal

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke about Tehran’s potential response as the United States weighs pulling out of the nuclear deal.

Why Iran moved to unify dual exchange rates

Iran’s government was left with no choice but to resort to unifying the official and open market currency exchange rates to tame the rial's slide during a currency crisis, which has spurred some positive efforts.

Iranian workers offload waste plastic, collected from Tehran, from a pick-up truck in the southern outskirts of the Iranian capital on February 25, 2012. The International Monetary Fund estimates that Iran's 2011 Growth Domestic Product (GDP) was 480 billion dollars at the official exchange rate, around 2.5 percent higher than the previous year. AFP PHOTO/BEHROUZ MEHRI (Photo credit should read BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images)

How an anti-waste challenge went viral in Iran

A campaign to get ordinary people involved in devising solutions to Iran's growing waste problem has gone viral.

Scientist's departure from Iran blow to Rouhani policies

The departure of Iranian scientist Kaveh Madani has served as a reminder that certain organizations in Iran will continue to counter Rouhani’s policies of reversing Iran’s brain drain.

Will Iran’s banking sector collapse?

While Iran is certainly on the brink of a major banking crisis, the likely outcome won’t be financial collapse but rather a restructuring of banks.

Telegram in Iran on verge of being blocked

Iran’s supreme leader leaves Telegram as talk increases of the imminent blocking of the popular messaging app.

At 70, Israel sits atop a volcano

Israel’s army holds a definitive advantage over the rest of the region, but the 70-year-old country is confronted by multiple enemies and points of conflict.

Iran’s deputy environment chief resigns amid mounting pressure from hard-liners

The sudden resignation of the young deputy head of Iran's Department of Environment, who had moved back to Iran from the UK to take the position, has stirred controversy.