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Iran

April 1, 2026

Tehran 3:52 am

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A member of the Iranian security forces stands guard next to a banner honoring Iran's slain supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran on March 31, 2026.

Analysis

Iran executes alleged MEK members in bid to signal wartime control

Iran's execution of four alleged opposition members underscores a wartime strategy of tightening domestic control — leveraging a familiar "enemy" narrative to manage internal dissent and uncertainty.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to MPs at his party's group meeting in the Turkish parliament on Jan. 21, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey.

Analysis

How the Iran war is giving Turkey's Erdogan a big boost

Opinion polls show Turks turning to Erdogan as a steady hand during the war, even as the country's finances remain fragile.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Flag of Iran on a computer binary codes falling from the top and fading away.

Who is Handala, the hacktivist group US ties to Iranian intelligence?

Handala Hack Team portrays itself as a pro-Palestinian group but is widely believed to be linked to Iranian intelligence.

Exhaust emits from the engine of a passenger jet as it prepares for take off at Heathrow Airport on March 30, 2006, in London, England.

Jet fuel squeeze exposes Europe’s reliance on Middle East supply

Lawmakers on the continent have been told to make "timely preparations in anticipation of a potentially prolonged disruption" in energy flows from the region.

Latest News

Iran names US tech, finance firms in new Middle East threat list

People sit in a cafe outside the Apple Store in Dubai on May 8, 2025.

China, Pakistan announce 5-point plan to end Iran war: What to know

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar meets with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, at the Diaoytai State Guest House in Beijing, China, March 31, 2026.

Analysis

Israel urges US escalation against Iran, possible ground invasion

People inspect destruction at a business building that housed the offices of the Doha-headquartered news network Al Araby TV following a missile strike earlier in the day, Tehran, Iran, March 29, 2026.

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

Hegseth slams allies for reluctance to join Iran war, says coming days 'decisive'

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on March 31, 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

Khamenei questions US commitment to nuke deal

As implementation of the nuclear deal begins, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that the United States may not live up to its obligations.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani talks to journalists after he registered for February's election of the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body that chooses the supreme leader, at Interior Ministry in Tehran December 21, 2015. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RTX1ZKIR

Will Rouhani's negotiations with Iran’s hard-liners succeed?

With the difficult nuclear negotiations behind him, President Hassan Rouhani is now focused on domestic issues.

Why Israel is keeping a close eye on Iran’s parliamentary elections

Some Israeli security experts view the Iran nuclear deal and lifting of sanctions with cautious optimism, and consider upcoming elections a test case to see what path the Iranian people will choose.

Former Israeli minister calls removal of Iran sanctions a 'black day'

Former Minister Ephraim Sneh argues that the US administration was so keen to sign the nuclear deal that it ignored Iran's true nature and global aspirations.

A bus and a van are parcked in front of a plane carrying three Iranian-Americans, who left Tehran under a prisoner swap, after it landed at Cointrin airport in Geneva, Switzerland January 17, 2016. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse - RTX22RUH

Obama, Rouhani hail diplomacy as Americans fly home

President Barack Obama heralds his administration’s multichannel diplomacy with Iran for freeing detained Americans and implementing the nuclear deal and says there is an "opportunity" to pursue a new path with Iran.

Fed-up Iranian women organize to take more seats in parliament

Only 3% of incumbent Iranian members of parliament are female, but Iranian women are campaigning to drastically change the parliament's huge gender imbalance through the ballot box.

Residents inspect damage at a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes by forces loyal to Syria's president Bashar al-Assad in Aleppo, Syria December 25, 2015. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah - RTX201R0

Syrian endgame could begin with Aleppo

Aleppo could begin healing in Syria; Syrian armed group backed by US allies seeks caliphate; FSA leader says US “moving toward being a partner in crime” in Syria; Hagel says US Syria policy was paralyzed over "Assad must go."

Iran frees five Americans as nuclear deal goes into effect

Iran has released five American prisoners including Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian, in an apparent swap with Iranians jailed in the United States for sanctions violations.

Will US retaliate against Iran for detaining sailors?

The Obama administration has repeatedly challenged Iranian restrictions on freedom of navigation. Will that continue after the nuclear deal?

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir waves to the crowd during his arrival from Saudi Arabia at Khartoum Airport after returning from vocal cord surgery in the kingdom November 14, 2012. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah (SUDAN - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3AEAX

Why Sudan wants to stop the 'spread of Shiism'

In the past year, Sudan has joined the Saudi-led war in Yemen, shut down Iranian centers and finally cut diplomatic relations with Iran, but has Khartoum really turned pro-Saudi — or just anti-Shiite?

Facing oil slump, Iran moves to tax its way out of crisis

Faced with plummeting oil revenues, the Iranian government is taking measures to make up the smaller amount of petrodollars coming in with increased tax revenue.

A view of the Arak heavy-water project 190 km (120 miles) southwest of Tehran August 26, 2006. Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched a new phase in the Arak heavy-water reactor project on Saturday, despite Western fears it is aimed at producing a bomb. REUTERS/ISNA/Handout (IRAN) - RTR1GPBS

Iran deal implementation day ‘very, very soon’

Iran said it has taken a key final step to disable its plutonium reactor, making way for implementation of the Iran nuclear deal in the next few days.