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

Iran cover image

Iran

August 6, 2026

Tehran 11:03 am

34°C

Khaled ZIAD / AFP via Getty Images

Explainer

Iran-Oman deal spurs Hormuz hopes as Red Sea threats evolve

Iran has signaled that an agreement was reached with Oman establishing a Hormuz shipping route even as Houthi attacks in the Red Sea expand.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

US stock markets soar to new records amid Hormuz deal hopes

The S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite and Dow Jones Industrial Average are on track for their best five-day performance since April 2025.

Latest News

US lifts sanctions on Iraqi airline linked to Iran's IRGC: What to know

A memorial depicting Qassem Soleimani, the slain commander of the "Quds Force" of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), who was killed by a US airstrike in Iraq in 2020, is pictured at Valiasr Square in Tehran on April 6, 2026. Israeli strikes killed the intelligence chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, as the Islamic republic on April 6 defied threats from the US President to devastate civilian infrastructure if it does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Ima

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

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

Analysis

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

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.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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

Rouhani announces sanctions to be removed by January

After the IAEA resolution concluding that Iran has not conducted weapons-related researched in their nuclear program since 2009, President Hassan Rouhani declared that sanctions will be removed by January.

An Iranian customer speaks with a bank clerk at the Export Development Bank of Iran in the capital Tehran on July 27, 2015. Iran's central bank chief said that Iran has assets of $29 billion in overseas banks that could be unlocked under a nuclear deal struck on July 14, far less than reported estimates of over $100 billion. AFP PHOTO / BEHROUZ MEHRI (Photo credit should read BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images)

Will Iran's red tape thwart post-sanctions boom?

Amid the imminent lifting of sanctions, Iran's complicated licensing and permit regulations continue to deter investment — despite the Rouhani administration's efforts.

Iran concerned over Nigerian military attack on Shiite leader

Iranian officials have condemned the attack by Nigerian military forces on Shiite leader Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, who has strong ties to Iran.

A general view of a meeting of the joint commission tasked with monitoring the implementation of a nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers in Vienna, Austria, December 7, 2015. REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader - RTX1XJAH

Khamenei's strategy puts US 'Trojan horse' out to pasture

Iranian hard-liners apparently have dashed any hopes that the nuclear deal would clear the way for better relations between the United States and Iran.

How Iran will choose its next supreme leader

A special group has been formed to review candidates for the next supreme leader.

People attend a ceremony launching the diesel-electric submarine "Rostov-on-Don" at the Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg, June 26, 2014. "Rostov-on-Don" produced under Project 636.3 is the second serial submarine being built by OJSC Admiralty Shipyards for Russia's Black Sea Fleet. REUTERS/Alexander Demianchuk (RUSSIA - Tags: MILITARY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR3VUFV

Will Syria become Russia's Vietnam?

Israel is worried that the Russian submarine now patrolling near the Syrian coast will collect intelligence data on Israel, and fears Moscow’s Syrian adventure could drag on for a long time.

A traveler arrives to pass through U.S. Customs and Immigration after using the Cross Border Xpress pedestrian bridge between San Diego and the Tijuana airport on the facility's opening day in Otay Mesa, California December 9, 2015. The privately run facility allows ticketed passengers to skip long border waits and clear U.S. Customs for a fee. REUTERS/Mike Blake - RTX1XZ6Q

Will changes to US Visa Waiver Program torpedo Iran deal implementation?

If signed into law, proposed changes to the Visa Waiver Program will likely antagonize US allies and trade partners, as well as key players vested in the implementation of the JCPOA.

Will Iran support the intifada?

After relations took a hit from the Syrian civil war, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has reached out to Iran for help.

An Iranian woman adjusts her face veil as she participates in the Jerusalem Day demonstration in Tehran August 26, 2011 . REUTERS/Caren Firouz (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR2QC5V

More veils lift as topic loses political punch in Iran

In Iran, efforts to depoliticize the veil and criticism of the theological justifications for its coerced use are paving the ground for change.

Are Turkey and Iran reviving a 16th century conflict?

Turkey's Iraq policy can be traced back to its rivalry with Iran in Mesopotamia centuries ago.

EU, Iran relationship heats up

The European Union has created an Iran Task Force to facilitate the implementation of the nuclear deal, develop relations and build a framework for regional cooperation.

'Corruption on earth' brings death penalty in Iran

Iranian member of parliament Ahmad Tavakoli is skeptical that the removal of sanctions will address economic problems in Iran.