Islamic Republic

What are Iran's options to escalate further in face of US economic threats? - explainer

Iranian attacks and threats to shipping have already stopped most traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, largely shutting down a waterway that once carried around a fifth of global energy.

|ByREUTERS
FILE PHOTO: People walk on the beach, with vessels in the Strait of Hormuz visible near the beach of Bandar Abbas, Iran, May 22, 2026.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a vote at the plenum hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on July 16, 2026.

'Iran tried to assassinate one of my sons,' Netanyahu reveals

Netanyahu was speaking on a phone call with Channel 14's military correspondent, Noam Amir, when he stated that the Islamic regime tried to assassinate one of his sons.

|ByJAMES GENN
A SUPPORTER holds a banner depicting Reza Pahlavi alongside his father, former shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The Islamic Republic’s recent media campaign has repeatedly sought to undermine the exiled prince’s appeal and portray him as incapable of uniting Iran’s opposition.

Is the Islamic Republic of Iran afraid of Reza Pahlavi? - analysis

Since Jauary's protests, the Islamic Republic’s media have worked hard to discredit Pahlavi, suggesting Tehran still believes that convincing Iranians not to follow him is worth the effort.

|ByALEX WINSTON
An illustrative image of the Iranian economy declining.

Economic warfare: Bankrupting Iran will be more effective than bombing - opinion

The objective is not to destroy Iran. It is to bankrupt the regime that has stolen Iran's future, financed terror across the Middle East, and kept its own people in chains.

|ByMIKE EVANS

WATCH: Iran’s ‘golden generation’ could reshape Middle East, analyst says

The Saudi-Pakistani-Turkish alignment could keep the region “in the ideological framework of political Islam” and block commercial prosperity, Bijan warns

AUGUST 22, 2026ByFELICE FRIEDSON/THE MEDIA LINE
Islamic Republic of Iran and the Middle East and Central Asia as seen on a vintage globe, November 14, 2024

Facing exile and persecution, an Iranian dissident crossed from devout Muslim to student of Judaism

IRANIAN AFFAIRS: Iranian refugee Behnam Vali Heydarian recounts persecution, attacks, pro-Israel activism, and fears of deportation to Iran after his journey from Islam to Christianity and Judaism.

AUGUST 22, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
IRANIAN ACTIVISTS display the Lion and Sun flag alongside Israel’s flag outside Georgia’s parliament at one of the rallies that interviewee Behnam Vali Heydarian says he was pressured to stop organizing.

Iran’s Pezeshkian says war should end while Tehran holds 'position of power'

Pezeshkian's comments come after sources said earlier on Friday that the chances of the Iran conflict expanding in the near future have decreased.

AUGUST 21, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
A handout photo made available by the Iranian Presidential Office shows Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian attending a press conference in the capital Tehran, on August 8, 2026.

Netanyahu isn't quiet ahead of elections, but letting others do the work, Bar-Asher Siegal argues

Hamas won't disarm, the West Bank is burning, Iran is stuck, and Israel's answer is campaigning. Prof. Michal Bar-Asher Siegal on what the wait costs.

AUGUST 20, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST PODCASTS
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara arrive to cast their vote at a polling station in Jerusalem on August 17, 2026, as party members vote in the Likud primary elections to determine the party’s Knesset list ahead of the Israeli general elections.

The US broke Iran's regime. Now it's time to let the Persian people finish the job - opinion

The US has to remain strong enough to make Iran's regime afraid, smart enough to know when to pull its troops back, and patient enough to let the Persian people finish what military pressure began.

AUGUST 20, 2026ByMIKE EVANS
A person holds an umbrella with a sign that reads: "Free Iran" as supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran gather to protest against the Iranian regime, in Berlin, Germany, June 21, 2025.

Error #404: ‘Leader not found’: No one has seen Mojtaba Khamenei, so who's running Iran? - opinion

After months of silence, the Islamic Republic finally released footage of its elusive supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. The clip was less than 15 seconds long, undated, and location undisclosed...

AUGUST 20, 2026BySOGAND FAKHERI
State media in Iran published a written message from the new leader on Thursday evening after nearly two weeks without any message or sign of him. These outlets also appear to have used image-enhancement tools to make Mojtaba Khamenei’s face look more polished

Iran establishes Tehran court for ‘moral security’ as it tightens monitoring of hijab compliance

BBC Persian reported that the announcement comes amid the renewed presence of morality police and heightened street harassment of women perceived to be violating Iran’s compulsory dress code.

AUGUST 19, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Women walk past shops at Valiasr Square in central Tehran on August 8, 2026.

UAE suspends trade, financial transactions with Iran after attacks

The decision follows a spate of attacks on UAE-owned tankers and Tehran's rejection of talks with the US.

AUGUST 19, 2026ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARD
Iranian-made Zolfaghar missiles are displayed at Azadi Square in Tehran on August 2, 2026. US President Donald Trump said on August 1 that the United States and Israel had agreed to hold off on new strikes on Iran -- provided that a deal to end the months-long conflict is reached rapidly.

Economic pressure can buy Israel time. Mistaking it for a strategy would squander it - opinion

A blockade would impose real costs on Tehran and make Israel safer. But weakening Iran is not the same as toppling the regime. It is the difference between buying time and solving the problem.

AUGUST 17, 2026BySETH D. KAPLAN
People wave flags next to an Iranian missile on display during the 46th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, February 10, 2025.

Netanyahu brands UK ‘Islamic Republic of Britain’ as tensions grow over Iran war

Netanyahu also recalled a phrase someone had said that "the first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons will be the Islamic Republic of Britain."

AUGUST 17, 2026ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a vote at the plenum hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on July 16, 2026.