https://www.rferl.org/z/660 RFE/RL's latest news, features, commentary, and multimedia content on Iran. https://www.rferl.org/Content/responsive/RFE/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.rferl.org/z/660 en Copyright 2026 - RFE/RL, Inc. 60 Sat, 02 May 2026 07:30:46 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL Iran supplies about 90 percent of the world's saffron. But since Iranian authorities shut down Internet access at the start of the war two months ago, growers have been cut off from their usual clients in Europe and China. That has meant a windfall for Afghan saffron dealers. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-saffron-farming-internet-shutdown-afghanistan/33747226.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-saffron-farming-internet-shutdown-afghanistan/33747226.html Fri, 01 May 2026 20:03:54 +0200 IranVideo ArchiveVideos Max Meizlish, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and a former official at the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), looks behind the "mafia state" that makes up the Iranian regime. https://www.rferl.org/a/meizlish-iran-supreme-leader-khamenei/33746594.html https://www.rferl.org/a/meizlish-iran-supreme-leader-khamenei/33746594.html Fri, 01 May 2026 10:21:37 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Headline As the US-Israeli war with Iran continues to impact and shape the region, journalists from RFE/RL deliver ongoing updates and analysis. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-war-us-hormuz-oil-blockade-gulf-israel/33640284.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-war-us-hormuz-oil-blockade-gulf-israel/33640284.html Fri, 01 May 2026 07:00:00 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Stories Matthew Tavares, a former Pentagon analyst, tells RFE/RL the West is no longer facing a partnership of convenience between Moscow and Tehran, but a strategic alignment that spans the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of warfare.  https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-military-axis-iran-pentagon-analyst-matthew-tavares/33746049.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-military-axis-iran-pentagon-analyst-matthew-tavares/33746049.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:53:51 +0200 IranFeaturesRussiaUkraineRussia Invades Ukraine Iran’s currency has fallen to a new record low against the US dollar as the two-month-long conflict rattles the country’s already battered economy. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-economy-blockade-war/33746016.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-economy-blockade-war/33746016.html Thu, 30 Apr 2026 12:56:58 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown HeadlineMiddle East Senator Thom Tillis, a co-chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group and a self-described “plain-spoken” Republican from North Carolina, has a message for those who view the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East as isolated events: they are not. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-senator-thom-tillis-russia-iran-axis-war/33745497.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-senator-thom-tillis-russia-iran-axis-war/33745497.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:54:00 +0200 IranNewsRussiaUkraine Weeks of US and Israeli air strikes, sanctions, and restrictions have hit Iran hard, but it could be geology that eventually pushes it into making concessions in its ongoing standoff with the United States. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-oil-sector-blockade-tehran/33745206.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-oil-sector-blockade-tehran/33745206.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 18:23:43 +0200 News AnalysisFeaturesIranThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East The unity that Iran’s rival political camps maintained through 40 days of US and Israeli strikes is fracturing over negotiations to end the war. The real divide, experts say, is not necessarily about whether to talk but rather when. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-politics-divide-us-israeli-war-/33745286.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-politics-divide-us-israeli-war-/33745286.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:20:12 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown HeadlineMiddle East In an interview with RFE/RL, US Representative Wesley Bell, whose legislation to address threats to the Baltics has advanced with bipartisan support, discusses checking Russia’s ambitions, how the war in Ukraine shapes long-term security, the implications of Russia-Iran cooperation, and more. https://www.rferl.org/a/baltics-us-security-nato-russia-threats-wesley-bell/33745055.html https://www.rferl.org/a/baltics-us-security-nato-russia-threats-wesley-bell/33745055.html Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:20:39 +0200 RussiaFeaturesBelarusIranRussia Invades UkraineThe Rundown Stories The United States has deployed a third aircraft carrier to the Middle East, significantly boosting its capabilities, despite a cease-fire with Iran. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-strait-of-hormuz-blockade/33744467.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-strait-of-hormuz-blockade/33744467.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:19:03 +0200 IranFeaturesThe Rundown Headline Beijing has pushed back on a US decision to sanction the Hengli oil refinery, rejecting Washington's accusations that the company "plays an outsized role" in buying Iranian oil. https://www.rferl.org/a/china-us-sanctions-oil-iran-eu/33744295.html https://www.rferl.org/a/china-us-sanctions-oil-iran-eu/33744295.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 13:52:01 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown StoriesChina RFE/RL spoke with former US Central Command (CENTCOM) communications director, retired US Army Colonel Joe Buccino, on April 27 to discuss the escalating situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the strategic "staring contest" between Washington and Tehran that is now defining the region. https://www.rferl.org/a/centcom-buccino-iran-us-strategic-staring-contest-hormuz/33744184.html https://www.rferl.org/a/centcom-buccino-iran-us-strategic-staring-contest-hormuz/33744184.html Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:45:45 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced strong support for Iran in its conflict with the United States as he greeted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi for talks in St Petersburg on April 27. https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-iran-strategic-relationship-araqchi-russia/33743629.html https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-iran-strategic-relationship-araqchi-russia/33743629.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:31:22 +0200 NewsIranRussiaThe Rundown Stories US President Donald Trump said that Tehran "can call us" if it wants to talk, but he added that it must give up any plans to build a nuclear weapon or "there's no reason to meet." https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-iran-pakistan-russia-putin-araqchi-ceasefire/33742897.html https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-iran-pakistan-russia-putin-araqchi-ceasefire/33742897.html Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:53 +0200 IranNewsRussiaThe Rundown Stories More than a week after the United States announced a naval blockade on Iranian ports in an effort to put pressure on Tehran to reach a peace deal, analysts say the effects are mixed. Iran's oil exports are being affected but are also still being sold in Asia, one expert says. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-strait-hormuz-blockade-war-persian-gulf-israel-oil-cease-fire-ship-irgc/33742855.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-strait-hormuz-blockade-war-persian-gulf-israel-oil-cease-fire-ship-irgc/33742855.html Sun, 26 Apr 2026 18:57:37 +0200 IranVideo ArchiveVideos Iran’s foreign minister held talks with the leader of Oman, a day after the two lead US envoys abruptly pulled out of planned talks aimed at ending the nearly two-month old war in Iran. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-war-peace-talks-/33742716.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-war-peace-talks-/33742716.html Sun, 26 Apr 2026 10:08:43 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Stories By supplying Russia with drones and enabling its long-range strikes in Ukraine, Tehran has become an active participant in a major European war. https://www.rferl.org/a/behnam-ben-taleblu-russia-iran-partnership-ukraine-war/33742291.html https://www.rferl.org/a/behnam-ben-taleblu-russia-iran-partnership-ukraine-war/33742291.html Sat, 25 Apr 2026 14:48:00 +0200 FeaturesIranUkraineThe Rundown Stories US President Donald Trump has canceled a planned trip to Pakistan by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for peace talks with Iran. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-pakistan-peace-talks/33742216.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-pakistan-peace-talks/33742216.html Sat, 25 Apr 2026 10:13:55 +0200 IranNewsThe Rundown Stories The United States will send a delegation to Pakistan this weekend for a new round of talks with Iranian officials, the White House said, as Washington tests whether a fragile cease-fire can translate into diplomatic progress. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-talks-diplomacy--blockade-nuclear/33741895.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-talks-diplomacy--blockade-nuclear/33741895.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 23:21:06 +0200 NewsIranThe Rundown StoriesMiddle East While officials in Tehran have long emphasized self-reliance, experts say battlefield evidence points to a far more interconnected war effort, reflecting deepening partnerships that have helped Iran replenish its military, improve targeting, and blunt Western operations during the conflict. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-russia-china-war-cooperation-support/33741900.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-russia-china-war-cooperation-support/33741900.html Fri, 24 Apr 2026 21:52:17 +0200 IranFeaturesRussiaThe Rundown HeadlineMiddle EastChina