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Iran

April 1, 2026

Tehran 8:46 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

U.S. President Barack Obama, with Secretary of State John Kerry (2nd R) at his side, meets with a group of veterans and Gold Star Mothers to discuss the Iran nuclear deal at the White House in Washington September 10, 2015. Gold Star Mothers is an organization of mothers whose children have died while serving the U.S. in war or times of conflict. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTSIDU

Congress sets up first showdown of the year over Iran deal

The Obama administration says it "strongly opposes" sanctions bill scheduled for an initial vote Jan. 7.

Will missing text message disqualify Khomeini’s grandson?

Confusion over how Hassan Khomeini was informed about taking an exam may lead to his disqualification to run in the Assembly of Experts elections.

Tehran’s smog problem unlikely to clear up anytime soon

Both as public servants, a father and daughter have sought to address Tehran's air pollution for decades, but Iran's highly politicized environmental crisis is a tangled issue.

A memorial still remains outside as workers return to work for the first time at the Inland Regional Center (IRC) in San Bernardino, California, January 4, 2016. The office building in San Bernardino, California, where 14 people were massacred last month by a married couple inspired by Islamist militants, reopened on Monday. Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, stormed into a holiday party attended by his co-workers from a San Bernardino County social services agency and opened fire on Dec. 2, k

Congress seeks to punish countries that fail to hinder foreign fighters

The House Foreign Affairs panel will vote this week on a plan to combat international travel by terrorists.

Muslim pilgrims pray around the holy Kaaba at the Grand Mosque ahead of the annual haj pilgrimage in Mecca September 21, 2015. REUTERS/Ahmad Masood - RTS24CV

Will Iran suspend hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia?

After Riyadh severed diplomatic relations with Tehran and suspended direct flights between the two countries, some are wondering if Iranian pilgrims will be banned.

Shi'ite protesters carry posters of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr during a demonstration in front of Saudi Arabia's Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, January 3, 2016. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RTX20V2E

Saudi-Iranian crisis complicates Ankara’s regional plans

Islamists and secularists alike want Turkey to stay out of the Iranian-Saudi conflict.

Why are Iranian investors shrugging at nuclear deal?

Despite the signing of the nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, the Tehran Stock Exchange is still far below its levels before negotiations began under President Hassan Rouhani's rule.

How will Saudi-Iranian crisis affect the region?

As relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran reach their worst levels yet following the Saudi execution of Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, the United States, Russia and the European Union are exerting all possible efforts to avoid a spillover to other countries where these parties wield influence.

An Iranian protester holds up a street sign with the name of Shi'ite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr during a demonstration against the execution of Nimr in Saudi Arabia, outside the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Tehran January, 3, 2016. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX20VLE

US scrambles to curb damage from Saudi-Iranian fallout

American diplomats try to salvage Syria peace efforts and avert the further deterioration of Iranian-Saudi relations after Saudi Arabia abruptly severed diplomatic relations with Iran on Jan. 3.

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to supporters at the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, December 30, 2015. REUTERS/Randall Hill - RTX20JLW

Candidates for president flesh out their anti-IS war plans

Republican contenders agree on only one thing: Obama’s strategy isn’t working.

What does Khamenei think of Saudi Embassy attacks?

Iranian officials have condemned the attack on Saudi Arabia's embassy.

Five reasons so many Iranians are rushing to run for office

In Iran, the number of candidates for the upcoming parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections has ballooned compared with the previous round of polls, but why?