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 Thu, 04 Jun 2026 05:10:07 +0200 Pangea CMS – RFE/RL Families sharing single meals. Appliances sold to pay utility bills. Businesses gutted. Four Iranians inside the country describe an economy in freefall. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-economy-us-war-sanctions/33771852.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-economy-us-war-sanctions/33771852.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:43:53 +0200 Iran The United States and Iran exchanged missile and drone attacks as a fragile cease-fire hangs in the balance amid uncertainty in stalled peace talks. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-united-states-drone-attacks-kuwait-peace-talks/33771717.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-united-states-drone-attacks-kuwait-peace-talks/33771717.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:39:52 +0200 Iran Diplomatic efforts to contain the widening Middle East crisis entered a critical phase this week as US officials sought to keep alive negotiations with Iran amid mounting tensions. RFE/RL spoke with Dania Arayssi, program head and senior analyst at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy. https://www.rferl.org/a/can-diplomacy-survive-analyst-dania-arayssi-on-iran-hezbollah-and-the-struggle-for-a-deal/33771631.html https://www.rferl.org/a/can-diplomacy-survive-analyst-dania-arayssi-on-iran-hezbollah-and-the-struggle-for-a-deal/33771631.html Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:34:49 +0200 Iran As the US-Israeli war with Iran continues to impact and shape the region, journalists from RFE/RL's Central Newsroom and Iranian service, Radio Farda, 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 Wed, 03 Jun 2026 04:10:59 +0200 Iran As Washington and Tehran edge toward a preliminary peace deal, renewed fighting in Lebanon has cast uncertainty over the diplomatic track. https://www.rferl.org/a/former-senior-trump-nsc-official-says-diplomacy-alive-as-us-iran-battle-for-leverage/33770891.html https://www.rferl.org/a/former-senior-trump-nsc-official-says-diplomacy-alive-as-us-iran-battle-for-leverage/33770891.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 12:41:12 +0200 Iran Two more men have been executed in Iran in connection with the January protests with human rights groups condemning growing repression in the country. Iran's judiciary announced on June 1 that the men were hanged after being convicted of attacking a mosque. More than 40 people have now been executed in Iran since the start of the war with the United States and Israel. An Iranian man was also sentenced to 10 years in prison for simply shooting video of protests that first erupted in... https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-execution-protest-prisoners-human-rights-video-sentence/33770259.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-execution-protest-prisoners-human-rights-video-sentence/33770259.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:42:38 +0200 Iran The shaky video of the incident recalled the famous "Tank Man" protester on Tiananmen Square in Beijing, who single-handedly defied an armored column during pro-democracy protests in 1989 that were subsequently crushed by tanks. https://www.rferl.org/a/iranian-tehran-tiananmen-moment/33770299.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iranian-tehran-tiananmen-moment/33770299.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:03:37 +0200 News European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says any temporary peace agreement between the United States and Iran must be followed by deeper talks about Tehran’s nuclear stockpiles, missiles and other critical issues. https://www.rferl.org/a/kallas-iran-eu-nuclear-us-war-peace/33770107.html https://www.rferl.org/a/kallas-iran-eu-nuclear-us-war-peace/33770107.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 14:31:22 +0200 Iran Tina Fordham, founder of Fordham Global Foresight and a geopolitical strategist, speaks in an RFE/RL interview about the state of Iran negotiations, the market's assessment of the talks, and the broader geopolitical consequences of the standoff. https://www.rferl.org/a/fordham-iran-negotiations-trump-hormuz-nuclear/33769578.html https://www.rferl.org/a/fordham-iran-negotiations-trump-hormuz-nuclear/33769578.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:20:11 +0200 Iran The United States and Iran exchanged fire for a third time early on June 1 amid ongoing attempts to secure an agreement to end the war and reach a lasting peace deal. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-exchange-fire-peace-deal/33770033.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-exchange-fire-peace-deal/33770033.html Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:49:15 +0200 Iran US President Donald Trump said Iran had provided guarantees that it would not develop nuclear weapons, as he asserted Washington was nearing a "very good deal" to end the three-month-old war with Tehran. https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-iran-ceasefire-framework-hesgeth-uranium/33769107.html https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-iran-ceasefire-framework-hesgeth-uranium/33769107.html Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:58 +0200 Iran Threat of legal action by Georgia's ruling party against a researcher who documented Iranian influence in the country is the latest sign of how far Tbilisi has drifted from its once-close ties with Washington. https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-iran-relations-washington-sanctions-hudson/33768300.html https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-iran-relations-washington-sanctions-hudson/33768300.html Sat, 30 May 2026 10:26:19 +0200 News Analysis To understand where Iran negotiations stand and whether diplomacy can still prevent escalation, RFE/RL spoke with Ethan A. Goldrich, a veteran US diplomat who served under multiple administrations, most recently as deputy assistant secretary of state overseeing Near Eastern affairs from 2021-24. https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-ceasefire-framework-goldrich-nuclear-hormuz/33768612.html https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-ceasefire-framework-goldrich-nuclear-hormuz/33768612.html Fri, 29 May 2026 22:44:41 +0200 Iran When US President Donald Trump unexpectedly called on a number of Muslim-majority states to join the Abraham Accords in a social media post suggesting the move could pave the way for a broader peace arrangement with Iran, many responded with uneasy silence. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-abraham-accords-trump-saudi-pakistan/33768416.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-abraham-accords-trump-saudi-pakistan/33768416.html Fri, 29 May 2026 16:41:31 +0200 News Analysis As conflicting signals continue to emerge from Washington and Tehran over reports of a possible interim agreement, the White House has struggled to clarify whether the US and Iran are actually on the verge of a deal. https://www.rferl.org/a/gray-security-iran-trump-ceasefire-hormuz/33767785.html https://www.rferl.org/a/gray-security-iran-trump-ceasefire-hormuz/33767785.html Thu, 28 May 2026 23:04:10 +0200 Iran Internet access in Iran has been partially restored after the government shut down communications at the start of the US-Israeli bombing campaign in late February. Iranians told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that they had been unable to check on their loved ones' safety during months of deadly air strikes. Even as the total blackout ended on May 27, Iranians inside and outside the country described slow connections and difficulty reaching friends and family. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-internet-restored-blackout/33767726.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-internet-restored-blackout/33767726.html Thu, 28 May 2026 19:10:53 +0200 Iran Armenia has staged a Republic Day military parade showcasing hardware including rocket launchers, drones, and armored vehicles from countries such as France and India -- as well as what appears to be an Iranian air defense system. https://www.rferl.org/a/armenian-military-parade-iranian-air-defense-system/33767600.html https://www.rferl.org/a/armenian-military-parade-iranian-air-defense-system/33767600.html Thu, 28 May 2026 17:02:41 +0200 News Analysis Former Pentagon official Michael Patrick Mulroy says both Washington and Tehran have incentives to avoid renewed war, but warns the Strait of Hormuz will remain a long-term pressure point even if an agreement is reached. https://www.rferl.org/a/mulroy-warns-iran-us-conflict-could-restart/33767525.html https://www.rferl.org/a/mulroy-warns-iran-us-conflict-could-restart/33767525.html Thu, 28 May 2026 13:51:40 +0200 Iran Iran and the United States launched fresh strikes on targets in the Persian Gulf region highlighting a precarious cease-fire amid a diplomatic push to reach a compromise deal to end their three-month old war. https://www.rferl.org/a/gulf-strikes-highlight-fragile-iran-us-cease-fire/33767403.html https://www.rferl.org/a/gulf-strikes-highlight-fragile-iran-us-cease-fire/33767403.html Thu, 28 May 2026 11:16:49 +0200 Iran US President Donald Trump has indicated that Iran's decision to end its unprecedented Internet blackout is a sign that the country wants to reach an agreement with the United States. https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-iran-internet-blackout-us-deal/33766937.html https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-iran-internet-blackout-us-deal/33766937.html Wed, 27 May 2026 19:20:28 +0200 News After 88 days of a near-total Internet blackout, Iranians are slowly reconnecting, but to the same heavily censored, regulated network they had before. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-internet-restrictions-shutdown/33766824.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-internet-restrictions-shutdown/33766824.html Wed, 27 May 2026 16:34:32 +0200 Iran After 88 days of digital isolation, described by NetBlocks as the “longest nationwide Internet shutdown in modern history,” Iran has begun partially restoring Internet access. To unpack what this means, RFE/RL spoke with Charles Dunne, a former senior US diplomat and national-security official. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-s-internet-restoration-highlights-shift-from-battlefield-to-negotiating-table-says-former-diplomat-charles-dunne/33766524.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-s-internet-restoration-highlights-shift-from-battlefield-to-negotiating-table-says-former-diplomat-charles-dunne/33766524.html Wed, 27 May 2026 09:38:11 +0200 Iran A series of conflicting signals from Tehran and Washington has highlighted the fluid status of ongoing US-Iran negotiations. To break down the strategic calculations, political pressures, and maritime realities on the ground, RFE/RL spoke with former US Ambassador Christopher Henzel. https://www.rferl.org/a/ambassador-christopher-henzel-iran-deal-negotiations/33766110.html https://www.rferl.org/a/ambassador-christopher-henzel-iran-deal-negotiations/33766110.html Tue, 26 May 2026 20:00:54 +0200 Iran RFE/RL interviewed Jason H. Campbell, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute and former Pentagon official during Trump’s first administration, about a potential peace deal between Washington and Tehran. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-conflict-peace-deal/33764611.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-us-conflict-peace-deal/33764611.html Mon, 25 May 2026 20:55:15 +0200 Iran A senior Iranian official says Tehran has imported Chinese equipment to support a “permanent” internet shutdown, as the country’s unprecedented blackout enters its third month. Experts say Iran's censorship model is cheaper than the Chinese version and easier to replicate for other states. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-china-internet-blackout-censorship-tool/33764398.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-china-internet-blackout-censorship-tool/33764398.html Mon, 25 May 2026 17:21:36 +0200 Iran The Trump administration says the US and Iran are closer to a nuclear agreement than at any point in recent years, even as senior officials insist a final deal is still days away and key details remain unresolved. https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-rubio-iran-war-memorandum-ceasefire/33763827.html https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-rubio-iran-war-memorandum-ceasefire/33763827.html Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:40 +0200 Iran US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said "good news" on the Iran negotiations could come sometime on May 24, telling reporters during a trip to India there’s had been "significant progress” in the talks. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-trump-ceasefire-negotiations-pakistan-mediation/33763328.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-trump-ceasefire-negotiations-pakistan-mediation/33763328.html Sun, 24 May 2026 00:28:44 +0200 Iran Pakistan has emerged as a central intermediary as regional and global powers intensify efforts to turn a fragile cease-fire into broader U.S.-Iran negotiations amid ongoing talks in Iran and China. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-war-pakistan-america-nuclear-diplomacy-china-rubio/33763157.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-war-pakistan-america-nuclear-diplomacy-china-rubio/33763157.html Sat, 23 May 2026 11:03:21 +0200 News US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ended a tense round of NATO talks in Sweden with a blunt message to European allies: Washington’s military footprint on the continent will shrink over time, but the US insists its commitment to NATO’s collective defense remains intact. https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-nato-europe-rutte-troops-summit/33762824.html https://www.rferl.org/a/rubio-nato-europe-rutte-troops-summit/33762824.html Sat, 23 May 2026 00:00:57 +0200 News Analysis RFE/RL interviewed Anwar Gargash, a senior official in the United Arab Emirates, about the prospects of a deal to end the Iran war. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-uae-israel-united-states-war/33762806.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-uae-israel-united-states-war/33762806.html Fri, 22 May 2026 21:43:54 +0200 Iran Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif begins a three-day visit to China on May 23 as tensions in the Middle East remain high. Analysts say Sharif is expected to push for renewed urgency in US-Iran negotiations. https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-china-iran-us-diplomacy-talks/33761723.html https://www.rferl.org/a/pakistan-china-iran-us-diplomacy-talks/33761723.html Fri, 22 May 2026 13:19:23 +0200 China A state-approved photo story intended to celebrate motherhood and volunteerism became a political controversy in Iran because the images used showed a woman unveiled at home. The photos were deleted within hours and the state news agency’s boss was later summoned by the authorities. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-foster-child-hijab-woman-irna-censor/33761942.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-foster-child-hijab-woman-irna-censor/33761942.html Fri, 22 May 2026 10:35:41 +0200 Iran US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there has been "slight progress" in Pakistan-mediated talks to end the Iran war, while warning against what he described as Tehran's attempt to establish a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz, which he said no country should accept. https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-rubio-iran-ceasefire-hormuz-uranium/33762051.html https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-rubio-iran-ceasefire-hormuz-uranium/33762051.html Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:42 +0200 News Some experts believe the recent emergence of fiber-optic drones piloted by Hezbollah militants indicates Russia is feeding Iran intelligence about drone warfare, others believe a more worrying potential is more likely. https://www.rferl.org/a/israel-iran-fiber-optic-drones-russia-ukraine-war/33761841.html https://www.rferl.org/a/israel-iran-fiber-optic-drones-russia-ukraine-war/33761841.html Thu, 21 May 2026 20:28:57 +0200 Features Iran is cementing its control over the Strait of Hormuz, a key international shipping route, 11 weeks after the start of the war with the United States and Israel. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-strait-of-hormuz-toll-defying-united-states/33761865.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-strait-of-hormuz-toll-defying-united-states/33761865.html Thu, 21 May 2026 16:35:14 +0200 Iran Iranian monarchist groups are voicing anger over reports that FIFA intends to ban the so-called Lion and Sun flag, often carried as a symbol of resistance to the theocratic rule that took over the country in 1979. Called a "political" symbol by the soccer association and thus not officially allowed at matches, the Lion and Sun is still likely to be flown at World Cup matches, its defiant proponents say. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-opposition-flag-fifa-world-cup/33761265.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-opposition-flag-fifa-world-cup/33761265.html Thu, 21 May 2026 00:46:37 +0200 Iran As Iran struggles with the economic fallout from months of conflict, Afghan refugees and migrant workers in the Islamic republic say they are paying a disproportionate price. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-afghanistan-migrants-war/33761126.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-afghanistan-migrants-war/33761126.html Wed, 20 May 2026 17:30:41 +0200 Iran The world soccer governing body FIFA reportedly plans to again prohibit fans from displaying Iran's pre-revolutionary flag at the 2026 World Cup, renewing a controversy that shadowed the tournament in Qatar four years ago. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-fifa-lion-sun-flag-ban-world-cup/33761122.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-fifa-lion-sun-flag-ban-world-cup/33761122.html Wed, 20 May 2026 17:13:23 +0200 Iran Republican Congressman Don Bacon warned that uncertainty over US commitments to NATO risks emboldening Russia, Iran, and China, arguing Washington must maintain strong alliances and military deterrence amid growing global instability. https://www.rferl.org/a/don-bacon-nato-russia-iran-china-us-alliances/33760960.html https://www.rferl.org/a/don-bacon-nato-russia-iran-china-us-alliances/33760960.html Wed, 20 May 2026 13:12:08 +0200 Features Over two days, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly raised the prospect that the cease-fire with Iran will be broken by new US military strikes -- in comments that have drawn close scrutiny from analysts and policymakers. https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-strike-iran-restraint-war/33760289.html https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-strike-iran-restraint-war/33760289.html Wed, 20 May 2026 10:39:25 +0200 Iran The Kremlin hopes turmoil in the Middle East will strengthen its case for deeper energy ties with China as Russia grows more dependent on Beijing. https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-xi-power-of-siberia-iran-war-trump-china-russia/33760781.html https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-xi-power-of-siberia-iran-war-trump-china-russia/33760781.html Wed, 20 May 2026 08:04:38 +0200 News Analysis RFE/RL, Mark Cancian, senior adviser with the Defense and Security Department at CSIS, told RFE/RL the US is focused on finding an "exit" from the crisis -- even as major disagreements remain over sanctions, nuclear restrictions, and Iran's claims over the Strait of Hormuz. https://www.rferl.org/a/csis-interview-mark-cancian-iran-trump-exit/33760437.html https://www.rferl.org/a/csis-interview-mark-cancian-iran-trump-exit/33760437.html Tue, 19 May 2026 20:35:29 +0200 Iran The public spectacle of hundreds of couples marrying in Tehran surrounded by armored vehicles and antiaircraft guns on May 18 demonstrates a new level of patriotic messaging from the country amid a fragile cease-fire with the US and Israel. The Iranian regime's "Janfada," or self-sacrifice, program has also involved organized displays of children and women learning to assemble assault rifles while the conflict drags into its third month. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-tehran-us-israel-war-wedding-irgc-janfada-self-sacrifice-ceasefire/33760330.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-tehran-us-israel-war-wedding-irgc-janfada-self-sacrifice-ceasefire/33760330.html Tue, 19 May 2026 17:31:37 +0200 Iran The United Arab Emirates has deported thousands of Pakistanis, many of them Shi’a Muslims, since the United States and Israel launched a bombing campaign of Iran on February 28, according to a Pakistani lawmaker and media reports in the South Asian country. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-pakistan-shia-uae-saudiarabia/33760229.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-pakistan-shia-uae-saudiarabia/33760229.html Tue, 19 May 2026 15:03:56 +0200 Iran Washington is sharply divided over the latest US sanctions waiver for Russian oil. Michael Parker, a former investigator and section chief in the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), explains why sanctions relief remains Washington’s sharpest diplomatic bargaining tool. https://www.rferl.org/a/sanctions-expert-michael-parker-russia-iran-waivers-/33760204.html https://www.rferl.org/a/sanctions-expert-michael-parker-russia-iran-waivers-/33760204.html Tue, 19 May 2026 14:20:00 +0200 Features The summit follows Xi Jinping's meeting with US President Donald Trump and is expected to cover future energy cooperation, Ukraine, and the war in Iran. https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-xi-china-russia-trump-war-ukraine-iran-power-siberia/33760042.html https://www.rferl.org/a/putin-xi-china-russia-trump-war-ukraine-iran-power-siberia/33760042.html Tue, 19 May 2026 09:51:47 +0200 China The US Treasury Department has extended for another 30 days a sanctions waiver allowing at-risk countries to purchase Russian oil shipments at sea, as supply disruptions linked to the US-Israeli conflict with Iran continue to roil global energy markets. https://www.rferl.org/a/us-renews-russian-oil-waiver-iran-conflict-energy-markets/33759619.html https://www.rferl.org/a/us-renews-russian-oil-waiver-iran-conflict-energy-markets/33759619.html Mon, 18 May 2026 20:01:02 +0200 News An armed Iranian state TV presenter fired at a United Arab Emirates flag during a broadcast amid signs of growing public militarization in Iran. It came as US President Donald Trump issued threats of renewed attacks on Iran if it didn't reach a deal to end the nearly three-month-long conflict. https://www.rferl.org/a/iranian-tv-presenter-fires-gun-at-uae-flag/33759595.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iranian-tv-presenter-fires-gun-at-uae-flag/33759595.html Mon, 18 May 2026 18:49:01 +0200 Iran Iran's appointment of parliament speaker and chief US negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf as special envoy for China signals Tehran is playing its most valuable political card on two fronts at once. https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-qalibaf-envoy-china-us-talks/33759380.html https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-qalibaf-envoy-china-us-talks/33759380.html Mon, 18 May 2026 14:13:28 +0200 Iran The Trump administration has allowed a controversial waiver on sanctions targeting Russian seaborne oil to expire, reimposing restrictions that had temporarily enabled countries such as India to continue purchasing Russian crude despite Western efforts to curb Moscow’s wartime revenues. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-seaborne-oil-waiver-iran-energy-war/33758687.html https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-seaborne-oil-waiver-iran-energy-war/33758687.html Sun, 17 May 2026 09:07:28 +0200 Iran