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

Iran cover image

Iran

TOPSHOT - A view of the B1 bridge is pictured, a day after it was destroyed by a strike in Karaj, around 20miles (35kms) southwest of Tehran, April 3, 2026. US President Donald Trump said on April 2 the tallest bridge in Iran had been destroyed, hours after threatening to bomb the country "back to the Stone Ages." (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images) /

With Trump's goals unmet, can strikes on Iran's economy force a deal?

Ordering the US military to destroy Iran's road transit system and electrical grid risks war crimes that may harden Iranian resistance after five weeks of bombing has failed to deliver Trump’s strategic objectives.

Indian vessel Nanda Devi, carrying liquefied petroleum gas, arrives at Vadinar Port in the Jamnagar district of Gujarat state on March 17, 2026, after Iran allowed it to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a

From France to India: Who is Iran allowing through the Strait of Hormuz?

Ships from Qatar turned around on Monday after sailing toward the Strait of Hormuz, while a growing number of countries have received permission to traverse the waterway.

US President Donald Trump looks on during a press conference about the conflict in Iran in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, on April 6, 2026, in Washington.

‘No bridges, no power plants’: Trump ups threats against Iran if deal fails

President Trump said he wasn't worried that striking civilian infrastructure could amount to war crimes.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan walks alongside his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Shibani, as he arrives in Damascus, April 5, 2026.

Analysis

How the Iran war can help Syria manage Turkey and its regional rivals

Rising regional tensions and disrupted oil flows are giving Damascus leverage to balance Ankara and other neighbors while exploring alternative energy corridors.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Latest News

Iran rejects latest ceasefire proposal as Trump deadline looms

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 06: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he attends the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. The Easter Egg Roll is a White House tradition dating back to 1878. The Trumps also honored the 250th anniversary of the United States during the event. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Iran's IRGC intel chief killed as Israel expands targeted strikes: What to know

Seyed Majid Khademi

Third Turkish ship clears Hormuz as Ankara presses Tehran on safe passage

A bulk carrier sits anchored at Sultan Qaboos Port on March 23, 2026 in Muscat, Oman.

Analysis

Hostage to Hormuz, can Gulf rewire future energy flows to bypass Iran’s chokepoint?

A police speed boat patrols the port as oil tankers and high speed crafts sit anchored at Muscat Anchorage near the Strait of Hormuz on March 30, 2026 in Muscat, Oman.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

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

Lebanese Hezbollah supporters march during a religious procession, to mark the burning of the tents that is part of the Ashura religious ceremony, in Nabatieh November 7, 2014. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS RELIGION) - RTR4DAZY

Hezbollah arrives in Iraq

As the battle against the Islamic State evolves, experienced members of Hezbollah arrive in Iraq to provide guidance and training.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif (L) and Abbas Araghchi, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, stand on the balcony of Palais Coburg during a meeting between Iran and six world powers in Vienna November 22, 2014. Iran, the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China began the final round of negotiations on a nuclear deal on Tuesday. Officials close to the talks have said the two sides are unlikely to secure a final agreement and may need to extend the negotiations. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger

Israel views extension of Iran talks as lesser of two evils

Israel's attitude, favoring no nuclear agreement with Iran over a bad one, resulted in it being denied any direct influence on this phase of the negotiations, even if some of its worries are legitimate and shared by the US Congress.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Britain's Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (LtoR) pose for photographers before a meeting in Vienna November 24, 2014. Iran, the United States and other world powers are all but certain to miss Monday's deadline for negotiations to resolve a 12-year stand-off over Tehran's atomic ambitions, forcing them to seek an extension, sources say. The ta

Iran leader: Nuclear issue won’t bring Iran to its knees

Reactions have been mixed inside Iran to the announced extension of the nuclear talks as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei remains defiant.

Representative Ed Royce (R-CA) leaves a Republican caucus meeting at the Capitol in Washington August 1, 2014. A bill to fund border security blew up in House Speaker John Boehner's face on Thursday, leaving Republicans in disarray and struggling to reconcile Tea Party demands with the need to deal with a humanitarian crisis on the southwestern border with Mexico. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS SOCIETY IMMIGRATION) - RTR40XQR

Sanctions talk heats up after second extension to Iran talks

Lawmakers are making the case for a new round of sanctions in a Republican-controlled Congress.

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 woman stands in 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) - RTR2VU75

Iran's private sector eager for nuclear deal

Iran's private sector has high hopes for a comprehensive nuclear deal, as it predicts economic growth and stability as the outcome.

Gold bars are stacked at a safe deposit room of the ProAurum gold house in Munich March 6, 2014. Gold was flat on Thursday as diplomatic efforts to cool the Ukraine crisis depressed demand for assets seen as safe, but the metal found support above $1,330 an ounce from weak U.S. economic data and ahead of a key employment report. REUTERS/Michael Dalder(GERMANY - Tags: BUSINESS COMMODITIES SOCIETY) - RTR3G4CM

Tehran's missing $14 billion

Iranian investigation of the gold trade with Turkey, and Tehran’s pursuit of its missing $14 billion, are likely to strain bilateral ties.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is surrounded by security while commuting to meetings on the sidelines of the 69th United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, September 25, 2014. Rouhani blamed the rise of violent extremism on "certain states" and on unidentified "intelligence agencies" and said it was up to the region to find a solution to the problem. REUTERS/Adrees Latif (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR47PL1

Embattled Rouhani struggles to find allies in parliament

President Hassan Rouhani has had a contentious relationship with his conservative parliament, and steps to form a moderate faction have been slow.

Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters during a rare public appearance at an Ashoura ceremony in Beirut's southern suburbs November 3, 2014. REUTERS/Khalil Hassan (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS RELIGION) - RTR4COLH

Recent events a good sign for Lebanon

Developments among parties in Lebanon as well as between Iran and the P5+1 might ultimately lead to solutions to Lebanon's current political stalemate.

Head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards force, General Mohammad Ali Jaafari speaks at a University during Friday prayers in Tehran November 23, 2007. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN) - RTX3YZH

IRGC commander: nuclear deal no retreat from 'values'

The commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says a nuclear agreement will not be a retreat from Iran's revolutionary and Islamic values.

A City worker passes a branch of Iranian owned Persia Bank International in London December 22, 2011. Hit by international sanctions, the Iranian banks in London linger on, unable to take on new business. The pressure on them is rising. Last month, the UK forbid its banks to do any business with Iranian banks after a new report from a nuclear watchdog highlighted further concerns about the possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear programme. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor (BRITAIN - Tags: BUSINESS POLITICS)

Economist: Iran doesn’t understand sanctions structure

As Iranian officials demand that all sanctions be dropped in a nuclear deal, one Iranian economic analyst explains why this is unlikely and how poorly the complex issue is understood in Iran.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.
Iranian Air Force soldiers march in formation during the Army Day military parade in Tehran April 18, 2011. REUTERS/Caren Firouz (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) - RTR2LCZL

Khamenei says world relies on Iran’s armed forces

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has encouraged young officers to "elevate Iran’s military organization" by taking advantage of the country’s scientific abilities, as "the world counts on" Iran's military.

Iran nuclear deal could be key to resolving region’s conflicts

Iran has signaled a willingness to engage in Iraq and Syria.