Iran
60 stories from Middle East Affairs.
Pentagon conducts polygraph tests on 50 senior military officials
About 50 officers and staff at the U.S. military's Joint Staff underwent polygraph testing in August following news reports on ammunition shortages related to the conflict with Iran.
AI spending boom cushions global economy against multiple shocks
A surge in spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure is helping the global economy absorb shocks from trade conflicts, energy disruptions, and rising borrowing costs, according to analysis from the Wall Street Journal and economists.
U.S. analysis: Iran willing to absorb costs of prolonged conflict
A New York Times report citing U.S. officials says Iran's leadership believes it can sustain a prolonged confrontation while Iranian civilians bear economic hardship.
Three experts assess path to US-Iran deal as conflict deepens
The conflict between the US and Iran appears to be hardening, with little prospect for near-term agreement despite US pressure campaigns combining military strikes and economic sanctions.
Guardian columnist questions whether Trump wants Republicans to lose midterm elections
A Guardian columnist argues Trump's policies on Iran, Canada and data centers may harm Republicans in upcoming elections; a report links U.S. aid cuts to deaths of women and children in Afghanistan; a global trial begins testing preventive Alzheimer's treatment.
Iranian media reports explosions near Kharg Island oil terminal
Iranian state media reported hearing multiple explosions near Kharg Island, the country's main oil export terminal, as military tensions with the United States intensified.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan sign joint defence pact
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a collective-defence agreement on August 7, 2026, pledging to treat an armed attack on any one signatory as an attack on all three.
Iran says refining capacity rebuilt after strikes
Iran's Oil Minister said most oil and gas refining capacity damaged since late February has been rebuilt, and crude exports continued throughout the conflict.
Explosions reported near Iran's Kharg Island oil terminal
A correspondent for Iran's semi-official Fars news agency reported hearing explosions of unknown origin near Kharg Island, a key oil export terminal, with unconfirmed reports of a missile strike on an Iranian tanker.
Trump calls Iran conflict "small potatoes" despite casualties
President Trump characterized a six-month military conflict with Iran that has killed 18 American service members as "small potatoes."
US and Iran resume strikes after monthlong lull
A monthlong pause in hostilities between Iran and the United States ended this week with renewed military strikes in the Persian Gulf region.
Qatar disputes Iran's account of where missiles struck
Qatar said Friday that UN-submitted records show Iranian missiles hit civilian areas, contradicting Tehran's claim that strikes targeted only US military facilities.
Trump says US could strike Iran site "very soon"
President Trump said Friday the US could strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain site soon and characterized the ongoing military confrontation as minor.
Pentagon tests dozens of Joint Staff members over classified leaks
The Pentagon subjected about 50 members of its Joint Staff to polygraph examinations following unauthorised leaks of classified information to news outlets.
US Navy escorts tankers through Hormuz as mine-clearing effort accelerates
The US Navy is escorting tankers carrying roughly 7 million barrels through the Strait of Hormuz as it clears mines from the shipping channel.
US forces attack Iranian tanker near Kharg Island
US forces attacked an Iranian oil tanker near Kharg Island, Iran's main crude export terminal, according to state news reports.
Fuel shortages again snarl Baghdad traffic, close stations
Fuel shortages have returned to Baghdad and southern Iraq, closing dozens of filling stations and creating long queues for gasoline and gasoil.
Trump warns of Iran strike as regional tensions escalate
Tensions are mounting across the Middle East as the United States and its allies pursue military and diplomatic responses to recent Iranian actions, while the Pentagon investigates leaks about the conflict.
Missile strikes Iranian tanker near Kharg Island oil hub
Iranian media reported that a US missile struck an oil tanker near Kharg Island, Iran's major oil export hub, on Saturday with no immediate casualties.
US widens Iran financial crackdown as Bank Melli shutters overseas
The US Treasury announced a new sanctions campaign against Iran and designated Bank Melli, the Iranian state's largest bank, requiring all its foreign branches to close; Britain sanctioned Melli Bank plc, the institution's London subsidiary, though it continues to operate under a general license.
Britain keeps Iran's London bank open—but on life support
Britain has frozen the assets of an Iranian state bank's London subsidiary but kept its banking license active under a restricted general license, allowing only payroll, pensions, IT costs and audit fees.
Iranians weigh Trump's calls to resist amid shifting US priorities
Some Iranians expressing doubt about whether to heed Trump's calls to rise up against their government, citing months of shifting US policy between supporting protesters and negotiating with Tehran.
U.S. targets Iran's largest bank as Britain weighs shuttering London subsidiary
The U.S. Treasury designated Bank Melli, Iran's largest state bank, in a new sanctions campaign, while the British government holds the key to shuttering its London subsidiary.
U.S. tightens Iran bank sanctions as Britain holds firm on license
The U.S. Treasury designated Bank Melli and demanded closure of all foreign branches, while Britain has sanctioned the bank's London subsidiary but left its banking license intact.
Trump threatens imminent strike on Iranian military site
President Trump said the United States may soon strike an Iranian military site, as administration officials signaled economic and military pressure on Tehran.
US tightens grip on Iran's shadow financial networks
The US is intensifying efforts to sever Iran's decades-old financial networks that have sustained the country under sanctions.
Trump accuses critics of ammunition-supply reports of treason
President Trump accused critics and media outlets questioning US ammunition supplies of treason, saying the country has ample stockpiles for its military operations against Iran.
Oil surges past $90 as US and Iran escalate military strikes
Oil prices rose sharply after US forces struck Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz and Iran responded with missile attacks on US military bases in Jordan.
Trump calls Iran conflict 'small potatoes' as US plays down war
President Trump described an ongoing six-month conflict with Iran as minor for the United States, part of an administration effort to reduce its political impact before November's midterm elections.
Iran says it attacked U.S. bases in Gulf, after reporting American strikes
Iran's military said it attacked U.S. bases in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait after reporting that American strikes killed nine Iranian service members.
Iran turns to shadow networks and cryptocurrencies to weather Trump sanctions
Iran is relying on shadow business networks and cryptocurrencies to circumvent the Trump administration's new sanctions on oil, banking and technology sectors.
Trump names policy sparks frustration at US geological survey
Staff at the US Geological Survey expressed frustration after President Trump ordered the renaming of Lake Ontario to Lake America and mused about renaming the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump says US may soon strike Iran nuclear site
President Donald Trump said on Friday the United States may soon strike a heavily fortified Iranian site near the Natanz uranium enrichment facility.
US approves $5 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia
The United States has approved a $5 billion sale of bombs, guidance kits and military equipment to Saudi Arabia, citing threats from Iran and Yemen-based Houthi militants.
Iranian community in Kuwait navigates wartime pressure
An Iranian restaurant removed Iran from its name, and Kuwait shut an Iranian school, as the Iranian community of roughly 52,000 faces pressure from the wider conflict between Iran and the United States.
U.S. sanctions Turkish bank over Iran ties; South Korea considers Hormuz role
The U.S. Treasury sanctioned a Turkish bank for alleged ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, while South Korea said it was considering contributing to security operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump says oil flow through Strait of Hormuz returning to pre-war levels
Trump said oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz has returned to pre-war levels as the U.S. military escorts cargo ships and repels Iranian attacks in the vital waterway.
Russian crude surges as China turns away from Middle East suppliers
Russian ESPO crude has surged to a $10-a-barrel premium over Brent as Chinese refineries turn to the Pacific-shipped oil amid disrupted Middle Eastern supplies.
Weapons experts say U.S. munition hit wedding reception in southern Iran
Weapons experts examining photographs verified by Reuters said a house hosting a wedding in southern Iran was struck directly by American munition, not damaged by ricochet, as Iran reported at least five deaths.
South Korea considers role in Strait of Hormuz security
South Korea said Friday it is considering a contribution to securing the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating U.S.-Iran clashes, as Tehran launched new strikes on American interests and vowed retaliation for a wedding airstrike.
US election calendar constrains response to Iran conflict
The Trump administration is attempting to contain fighting with Iran until after November midterms, relying on economic pressure rather than military escalation while public opposition to the conflict grows.
Milei Says U.S. May Shift on Falklands, Vows Sanctions on Oil
Argentine President Javier Milei said the U.S. position on the Falkland Islands may be changing and threatened sanctions against oil companies operating in the British territory.
Al-Nujaba refuses disarmament, stays outside Iraqi politics
Al-Nujaba, an Iran-aligned armed faction, has rejected pressure to surrender weapons and reiterated its refusal to join Iraq's formal political process.
Gold surges 2% as traders pare rate-hike bets
Gold jumped more than 2% after a Federal Reserve official signaled openness to holding interest rates steady if inflation continues moderating.
Iran's IRGC says it arrested monarchist cell in southern province
Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it arrested eight people linked to a monarchist movement in the southern province of Fars.
Netanyahu says toppling Iran government "within reach" as U.S., Iran trade strikes
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that overthrowing Iran's government is "within reach," as the United States and Iran exchanged military strikes this week.
Explosions reported near Iranian oil hub; damage unclear
Official Iranian news agencies reported explosions near the Kharg Island fuel hub on Saturday, with no visible damage confirmed.
US sanctions Turkish bank for alleged Iran guard transactions
The US Treasury Department sanctioned Golden Global Bank and two Turkish subsidiaries for allegedly facilitating tens of millions of dollars in transactions for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force.
Conflict in Iran drives fertilizer prices higher, straining farming economics
Fertilizer prices have spiked as conflict in Iran disrupts ammonia production and shipping, forcing farmers to absorb higher input costs and driving up food prices.
Brent surges 7.6% on week as US-Iran clashes deepen
Brent crude rose 7.6 per cent this week as military clashes between the US and Iran disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, lifting fuel prices globally and deepening concerns about inflation.
China's Xi calls for end to "foreign interference" in Middle East
Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Middle Eastern countries to oppose "foreign interference" during a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo, his first visit to the capital in a decade.
Trump hints at potential military action against Iran nuclear site
President Trump suggested the United States might attack Iran's fortified nuclear facility near Natanz, characterizing any such conflict as a limited military operation.
Iran attacks Kuwait as fighting with U.S. intensifies
Iran launched attacks on Kuwait on Thursday, part of an intensifying exchange of strikes with the United States that included American bombing of a wedding in Iran.
Lebanon seeks to assert independence from Iran and Israel
Lebanon's government has begun pushing back against both Iranian influence through Hezbollah and Israeli military encroachments in the south, declaring an Iranian ambassador persona non grata and insisting that regional powers treat it as a sovereign state.
Trump declines to discuss CIA involvement in potential Iranian uprising
President Trump said it would be inappropriate to discuss whether he would authorize CIA operations to arm Iranians, a day after calling for the Iranian people to rise up.
Marine fuel prices surge as conflict disrupts global supplies
Marine fuel buyers face record prices and declining fuel quality in 2026 as conflict disrupts global supply chains.
U.S. targets Iran financial operations in Gulf
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned individuals and entities it said were helping Iran access international financial systems, drawing a sharp rebuke from Tehran.
U.S. targets Iranian bank operations and intermediaries
The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against Iranian banking operations and a Hong Kong-based intermediary, and proposed restrictions on a United Arab Emirates bank's access to American financial institutions.
Trump says Iran seeks talks; Tehran sets conditions
President Trump said Iran is seeking negotiations, while Iran's foreign minister outlined conditions for resuming diplomacy.
Trump says Iran wants talks; Tehran says U.S. must change approach
President Trump said Iran is seeking a deal, while Tehran's foreign minister said resuming talks requires the U.S. to end its pressure campaign and respect Iranian rights.