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

Iran cover image

Iran

May 10, 2026

Tehran 8:24 am

19°C

CN-STR / AFP via Getty Images

China’s overland trade routes offer Iran wartime economic lifeline: What to know

Cargo rail traffic between China and Iran has reportedly surged since the US blockade began in April as Tehran seeks overland trade alternatives to help buy time.

A woman walks past a banner featuring Iran's late supreme leaders, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (L) and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (C), next to newly elected Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in Tehran on April 19, 2026.

Analysis

Why Iran's wartime behavior risks lasting rupture with Gulf states

Iran's rhetoric and policies toward Gulf states have sharply escalated, raising questions about whether years of painstaking regional rapprochement can survive mounting distrust and maritime confrontations.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Traffic passes a billboard depicting Iranian ballistic missiles in service, with text in Arabic reading "the honest [person's] promise" and in Persian "Israel is weaker than a spider's web," Valiasr Square, Tehran, April 15, 2024. ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images.

Analysis

CIA report on Iran missiles undercuts Netanyahu as war euphoria dissipates

The findings cast doubt on Israel’s wartime gains and put pressure on Netanyahu’s campaign strategy ahead of elections.

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

Getty

US strikes Iran tankers as UAE reports fresh missile, drone attacks

Strikes on Iranian tankers and fresh exchanges in the Gulf escalate tensions as Washington awaits Tehran’s response to a deal proposal.

Latest News

What to know about Iran's 'Persian Gulf Strait Authority' to control Hormuz traffic

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.

US sets expectations for Iraq’s next PM to confront Iranian militias

Popular Mobilization Forces

Analysis

China shores up Iran support as Trump seeks exit

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi of Iran meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi of China in Beijing on May 6, 2026. Credit: Telegram

Joyce Karam

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

A gas flare on an oil production platform in the Soroush oil fields is seen alongside an Iranian flag in the Gulf July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/File Photo - S1AETIFZPBAC

Iran could become collateral damage of OPEC decision

If OPEC decides this month to increase oil output, it will probably be the result of a simple economic decision and not any desire by Riyadh and Moscow to cater to the United States.

Iran highlights ‘multilateralism,’ warns North Korea in Shanghai summit

Iran highlights the role of multilateralism at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, while a Foreign Ministry official warns North Korea to "be careful" when it comes to a deal with the US.

Did hard-liners dupe Reformists in struggle for Iran's parliament?

While the Reformists again failed to win the speakership in the Iranian parliament, their maneuvering displayed a willingness, for better or for worse, to forge a partnership with the hard-liners.

Iran faces new threat as Kurdish jihadis join IS in Afghanistan

The rise of the Islamic State's branch in Afghanistan poses a new challenge for the Islamic Republic, as it is becoming a magnet for Iranian Kurdish recruits.

Iraqi-Kurdistan

A view of damage on a street where Houthis have recently clashed with forces loyal to slain Yemeni former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa, Yemen December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah - RC1476393DB0

Congress seeks to insulate Oman from Yemen instability

As the 3-year-old proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran continues to destabilize Yemen, Congress seeks to shore up security in neighboring Oman.

Iran ups pressure on other countries to keep nuclear deal alive

Iran’s foreign minister penned a letter to his counterparts around the world to call for a united stance against US unilateralism.

A man uses his smartphone to follow the presidential election results, at the Grand Bazaar in central Tehran, Iran, May 20, 2017. TIMA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RC1FE18841B0

How Iran's Telegram ban will kill jobs

The move by the Iranian authorities to ban Telegram impacts not just access to information but also top political priorities such as job creation.

A construction crane is seen as smoke rises from Yarmouk Palestinian camp in Damascus, Syria April 21, 2018. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho - RC16C2D4AC60

Russia finds navigating new development tricky in Syria

Syria is slowly being seen less as a military liability and more as an investment opportunity, though there are still many potential challenges.

Ahmadinejad attacks Rouhani, Khamenei over nuclear deal

Iranian former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad slams President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over their support for the JCPOA.

Iran’s insurance industry braces for impact of US sanctions

As Iran’s insurance industry awaits the re-imposition of US nuclear-related sanctions, the sector is this time better prepared for external restrictions.

A female member of the anti-Iranian group, the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), carries her weapon as she walks through their base deep in the Qandil mountains of northern Iraq's Kurdish autonomous region, on May 5, 2014. AFP PHOTO/SAFIN HAMED (Photo credit should read SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images)

What's behind Turkish threats to invade PKK stronghold in Iraq?

Turkish leaders have raised the specter of a ground offensive on the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq, home to the main camps of the PKK, but the motive and viability of such an operation remain questionable.

A display featuring missiles and a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is seen at Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran September 27, 2017. Picture taken September 27, 2017. Nazanin Tabatabaee Yazdi/TIMA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC11BFED01E0

Iran's Khamenei orders boost in uranium enrichment capacity

Ayatollah Khamenei’s order that preparations be made to vastly expand enrichment capacity if talks to save the JCPOA fail was met with various reactions in Tehran.