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August 5, 2026

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President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport on Aug. 2, 2026 in Morristown, New Jersey.

Trump’s strategy on Iran may pay off as deal appears imminent

Through far-sighted diplomacy and a durable new regional architecture, Trump has cornered Iran between alignment and atrophy — and a deal may now be imminent.

Two brothers watch oil tankers, general cargo ships, bulk carriers, and fishing boats anchored in the waters off Muscat near the Strait of Hormuz on June 18, 2026 in Muscat, Oman.

Analysis

Why Iran is fighting to keep Hormuz at center of US negotiations

As Washington seeks a broader deal with Iran, Tehran says the Strait of Hormuz is the only issue on the table, reflecting a wider struggle over maritime security and regional power.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (2nd L), Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (2nd R) and Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi (R) walk inside a building in Muscat, Oman, on June 22, 2026.

Explainer

The emerging Iran-Oman Hormuz deal: What's at stake?

A framework that gives Tehran a formal role in determining how ships move through the waterway could strengthen its hand in future negotiations with the US.

Latest News

Analysis

Another US-Iran truce, same Hormuz standoff: What comes next

TOPSHOT - This aerial photograph shows boats anchored off Oman's northern Musandam Peninsula near the Strait of Hormuz on June 27, 2026. Iran launched attacks on US sites in the Gulf in response to American strikes on the country, state media said on June 27, after Washington accused Tehran of attacking one of its cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The trading of fire raised questions about efforts to keep the crucial waterway open while Washington and Tehran negotiate a final settlement to a war that beg

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Analysis

Lacking leverage over Trump, Israel stays quiet on US-Iran talks

US President Donald Trump (C) is welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport on Oct. 13, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

US military options narrow as Trump calls off Iran strikes: What to know

US President Donald Trump and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth listen to questions from the press during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David in Maryland, on July 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

Turkey plays both sides in Iran, Saudi conflict

Does Turkey courting Iran and Saudi Arabia simultaneously mean Ankara is moving away from Sunni-based policies?

An Iranian woman looks on as she stands next to a Benetton shop window in northern Tehran October 24, 2010. While ordinary Iranians struggle to survive international sanctions and deepening economic uncertainty, the gap has widened between the disadvantaged and those who can afford to travel to Paris for a haircut. The extravagant tastes of wealthy Iranians show no signs of abating in spite of tougher sanctions targeting the Islamic state over its disputed nuclear programme. Several new shopping malls packe

Is inequality rising in Rouhani’s Iran?

With the nuclear deal in hand, President Hassan Rouhani’s greatest challenge in the run-up to the 2017 presidential elections appears to be ensuring not only that the dividends of his foreign policy focus are reaped, but that they are evenly distributed.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.

An Iranian man walks past a currency exchange shop in northern Tehran January 3, 2012. The Iranian rial fell to a record low against the dollar on Tuesday following U.S. President Barack Obama signing a bill on imposing fresh sanctions against the country's central bank. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN - Tags: BUSINESS POLITICS) - RTR2VU6Z

Treasury secretary says US financial system will stay closed to Iran

US refusal to allow “U-turn transactions” involving the US dollar undermines sanctions relief for Iran.

Demonstrators hold placards showing a portrait of Maryam Rajavi, President of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), during a protest against Iran's President Hassan Rouhani in Vienna, Austria, March 30, 2016. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger - RTSCU95

Why did Rouhani pull out of Austria visit?

The recent abrupt cancellation of a planned visit by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani to Austria is raising a great deal of speculation.

Iranian-made Emad missile is displayed during a ceremony marking the 37th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, in Tehran February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RTX26GRZ

Kerry’s comments on Iranian missiles strike nerve in Tehran

Iranian officials have rejected Secretary of State John Kerry’s suggestion of a “new arrangement” with Iran over issues such as their missile program.

Will Iran's king of singing come back to the Iranian stage?

After having been struck by cancer, blacklisted Iranian classical singer Mohammad Reza Shajarian may soon be back on the air in the Islamic Republic.

Saudi-Iran rivalry spills into UN Human Rights Council

While Iran was unhappy with the renewal of Ahmed Shaheed’s mandate as special rapporteur for Iran, it appears to be even more irritated over how Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar voted in favor of the measure at the UN Human Rights Council.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a news conference in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 26, 2016. REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood - RTSCBFN

Despite criticism, Rouhani calls for more international deals

President Hassan Rouhani warns that opportunities arising from the nuclear deal won't last forever and Iran must take advantage of them and engage with the world.

Rafsanjani denies closing his social media accounts

The office for Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani denied that he would be closing his social media accounts after criticism for a tweet.

Iran hopes to get its trains back on track

The development of Iran’s railways has been slow in the past decades, but the sector might finally be getting the attention it deserves.

U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) talks to reporters after the weekly Republican caucus policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington May 12, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTX1CO22

Congress split over Iran's access to the dollar

Key lawmakers disagree on whether banking restrictions would violate nuclear deal.

Trump's unlikely Iranian fans

Though seemingly opposed to each other, the reality is that US Republicans and Iranian hard-liners play complementary roles for each other, as they give one another excuses to advance their respective domestic agendas.