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Iran

April 9, 2026

Tehran 6:24 pm

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This picture taken on April 9, 2026, shows the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Basta neighbourhood of Beirut the day before. Calls were mounting for the ceasefire between the US and Iran to be extended to Israel's war with Hezbollah, after a massive wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed more than 200 people. (Photo by FADEL itani / AFP via Getty Images)

Lebanon rejects Iran negotiating on its behalf, PM says only Beirut handles talks

Israel launched its largest attack against Lebanon in the war, firing over 160 munitions across the country. At least 203 people were killed and 1,072 injured, while 33 remain missing, authorities said.

Iranians hold national flags as they gather in Tehran's Revolution Square after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, on April 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Analysis

Ceasefire or strategic pause? How Iran is framing war narrative amid deep mistrust

Beneath the surface of official messaging, a more complex and uneasy reality is emerging — one defined by lingering mistrust, hard-line dissent and uncertainty over what comes next.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire following an Israeli strike at the Corniche al-Mazraa neighbourhood of Beirut on April 8, 2026.

Iran hits Gulf, threatens truce as Israel escalates in Lebanon: What to know

Iranian attacks continued in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait hours after a ceasefire between Iran and the US was announced.

picture of Qatar Energy's operating facilities on March 3, 2026, in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar.

Analysis

How fast can Gulf energy production rebound after US-Iran ceasefire?

The truce could pave the way for lost oil and LNG supplies to flow back to global markets, but restoring Gulf energy production to normal levels could take months, if not longer.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Latest News

Analysis

Trump ceasefire leaves Netanyahu flustered as Iran gains politically

TOPSHOT - Iranians react after a ceasefire announcement at the Enqelab square, in Tehran, on April 8 2026. The United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire Tuesday barely an hour before US President Donald Trump's deadline to obliterate the rival country was set to expire, with Tehran to temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) /

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

Trump agrees to halt war for 2 weeks if Iran reopens Hormuz

President Donald Trump pauses as he finishes speaking about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington.

EIA hikes 2026 oil price forecasts 22% as Hormuz fuels long-term market fallout

Gas prices over $6.00 are displayed at a Shell station across from the Marathon Petroleum Corp's Los Angeles Refinery on April 02, 2026, in Carson, California.

Iran threatens energy shock, ups Gulf strikes ahead of Trump deadline: What to know

A family sits against the backdrop of a dockyard in Khor Fakkan in the Gulf emirate of Sharjah, off the coast of the Gulf of Oman, on Feb. 25, 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

Samy Gemayel: Hezbollah intervention helped bring Syria war to Lebanon

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Samy Gemayel, member of parliament and a senior leader of Lebanon’s Kataeb Party, said, “When you decide to go fight a war in another country, you have to expect that these people will go fight you in your own country.”

U.S. President Barack Obama (L) takes questions from the audience after a conversation with Israeli-American media tycoon Haim Saban about negotiations with Iran in Washington December 7, 2013. REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS MEDIA) - RTX168MN

US security guarantees can reassure Israeli public on Iran

American security guarantees can protect Israel from an Iranian nuclear threat, reassuring the Israeli public and opening the way to meaningful negotiations with the Palestinians.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal speaks during a joint news conference with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (not pictured) in Riyadh November 4, 2013. Kerry on Monday played down any rift with Saudi Arabia, saying relations between the two countries were strategic and enduring and that both agreed negotiations were the only way to stop Syria's civil war. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser (SAUDI ARABIA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX14ZTC

Israel's silent partner?

There may be common interests shared by Jerusalem and Riyadh, but there is no "alliance" on the horizon.

Gamers take on Iranian revolution

The Iranian director of the popular video game “Grand Theft Auto” has created a new one that takes place in and around 1979 Iran.

A storekeeper places money in the drawer of the cash register at his shop in Tehran May 4, 2008. With Western banks cutting ties with the Islamic Republic, it is becoming more and more difficult to transfer funds to the country of 70 million people. Tehran's increasing financial isolation is forcing some to bring in money by hand in thick wads of $100 bills on the plane from Dubai, the Gulf's financial centre, or elsewhere. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN) - RTX5GRN

Rouhani’s first budget reflects realism, discipline

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s budget submission to the parliament implies hope for sanctions relief and private sector investment.

Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters during a religious procession to mark Ashura in Beirut's suburbs November 14, 2013. Ashura, which falls on the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram, commemorates the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Mohammad, who was killed in the 7th century battle of Kerbala. REUTERS/Khalil Hassan
(LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS RELIGION) - RTX15CVK

Hezbollah escalates rhetoric against Riyadh

While Hezbollah and Saudi Arabia have been at odds for months over their opposing positions in the Syrian war, Hezbollah has recently escalated its rhetoric, directly accusing Riyadh of waging open warfare against the party.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attends a joint news conference with Kuwait's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah al Khalid al Sabah (not pictured) in Kuwait City December 1, 2013. REUTERS/Stephanie McGehee (KUWAIT - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX15ZK5

Iranian hard-liners in parliament go after Rouhani’s team

Hard-liners in parliament have become vocal critics of Rouhani's cabinet and have even begun the preliminary steps to have one minister impeached. UPDATED 12/10/13

Relatives of a victim of recent clashes hold his picture as they cry over the grave of Neda Agha-Soltan at Tehran's Behesht-e Zahra cemetery July 30, 2009. Baton-wielding Iranian police fired tear gas on Thursday and arrested protesters mourning the young woman killed in post-election violence who has become a symbol for the opposition to Tehran's hardline leaders. REUTERS/Reuters via Your View (IRAN CONFLICT POLITICS) - RTR268R8

Now is the time to engage Iran on human rights

On International Human Rights Day, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a former Maldivian foreign minister, is ready to work with the government of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani for the benefit of Iran’s citizens.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (L) shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a joint news conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, December 5, 2013. Kerry said on Thursday that some progress had been made in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and that he had presented Israel with ideas for improving its security under any future accord. REUTERS/Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Pool (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX164LE

Netanyahu worries about US reset in region

If Iran is no longer a diplomatic taboo, could Hamas and Hezbollah be next for Washington?

Two men display tattoos on their arm and neck while standing in front of an Iranian painting at a shopping centre in northern Tehran September 21, 2006. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl (IRAN) - RTR1HM9D

Tattooed in Tehran

Iranian officials are actively trying to stem the appeal of tattooing, which is illegal but increasingly popular among youths.

US, region pivot to confront terrorist threat in Syria

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari warns of a "Islamic emirate" in Syria, former US diplomat Ryan Crocker suggests a channel to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Israeli President Shimon Peres says he would be willing to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa attends the IISS Regional Security Summit - The Manama Dialogue, in Manama, December 7, 2013. The United States has a proven and enduring commitment to Middle East security, backed by diplomatic engagement and a fierce array of warplanes, ships, tanks, artillery and 35,000 troops, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told Gulf Arab leaders on Saturday. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed (BAHRAIN - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) - RTX167RU

Bahrain's foreign minister asks Iran to end regional interference

Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Bahrain's foreign minister, says Iran must take "concrete steps" to show that it is turning a page in its relations with Bahrain and the Gulf.