Tehran

Voices from the Arab press: Hezbollah in state of crisis, Strait of Hormuz paralyzed

A weekly selection of opinions and analyses from the Arab media around the world.

DECLARING A  post-Islamist era is premature: Attendees at the funeral of Iranian intelligence minister Esmail Khatib at Tehran’s Grand Mosque, March 20.
An IDF infographic detailing the destruction of a naval missile and sea mine production facility in Yazd, Iran, March 27, 2026.

IDF destroys regime's missile, sea mine production site in Yazd amid nationwide airstrikes

Basij militia members during an anti-Israel march in Tehran, January 2025; illustrative.

Iranian security forces accused of using civilians as cover to avoid strikes

An Israel Air Force F-15 fighter jet flies over the outskirts of Tel Aviv on March 20, 2026.

Explosions heard across Tehran after IDF announces wave of strikes on regime terror targets


From revolutionaries to royalists? Why some of Iran's former leftists now back Reza Pahlavi

IRAN AFFAIRS: Nearly half a century after the Islamic revolution, a number of former leftist revolutionaries are arriving at a conclusion that would once have seemed unthinkable.

IRAN’S CROWN Prince Reza Pahlavi meets with Iranian former left-wing political prisoners in Paris. Many who formerly would never would have the son of the shah have now backed his post-regime plan for Iran. Iraj Mesdaghi is second from left, next to Pahlavi, and bottom right is Mahshid Sepehri.

Gulf states seek to balance diplomacy with deterrence policies as Iran war threatens region

Israeli and US actions against Iran, including strikes on key facilities such as Kharg Island, which hosts a large portion of Iran’s oil exports, have widened the confrontation.

 Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, US President Donald Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa attend a group photo session with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 14, 2025.

Israel strikes across Iran, kills Basij intel. chief, IRGC spox. among others

The military also announced that it had struck weapons production sites and ballistic missile launcher storage facilities located in Tehran.

An IDF biographical infographic on Basij intelliegence chief Esmail Ahmadi, published March 20, 2026.

Iran expels star striker Azmoun over 'disloyalty,' likely out of World Cup

Iran's participation in the World Cup as a whole is under a cloud because of the ongoing conflict with the United States.

Soccer Football - World Cup - AFC Qualifiers - Third Round - Group A - Iran v United Arab Emirates - Azadi Sports Complex, Tehran, Iran - March 20, 2025.

UAE dismantles terror network tied to Hezbollah, Iran amid Gulf tensions, arrests suspects

According to the state news agency, the network was involved in "money laundering, financing terrorism and threatening national security."

Hezbollah terrorists march in the funeral of senior terrorist Haytham Ali Tabatabai, others killed in IDF airstrike, in Beirut, November 24, 2025; illustrative.

Shrapnel from Iranian missile falls in Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, no wounded reported

Waves of sirens continue to sound across Israel following successive Iranian missile barrages. At least one person was injured by falling shrapnel.

IDF Home Front Command forces in an impact site in Jerusalem

IDF exploited Iran fallback plan, hit forces at stadiums in deadliest strikes of war - report

The majority of Iranian military and security personnel were reportedly killed at Azadi Stadium, one of the largest soccer stadiums in the region. 

A plume of smoke acends after a military strike on the capital Tehran on March 2, 2026.

'It's like a cancer': Lebanese journalists speak out on life under Hezbollah's grip

Many Lebanese say they are paying the price for a conflict they neither chose nor control.

A displaced girl sits in the back of a pick-up truck in Lebanon’s southern city of Sidon on March 15. Lebanon is working to form a delegation to negotiate with Israel in a bid to stop the war with Hezbollah.

Iran’s 'day after' debate shifts from regime change to who governs next - editorial

As Reza Pahlavi steps forward with a detailed post-regime vision, the conversation is shifting to what comes next and whether anyone is prepared for it.

A demonstrator holds a placard during a protest against the Iranian government held by supporters of the Iranian royal family in exile, who marched through central London past the Iranian embassy to the Israeli embassy, in London, Britain, March 8, 2026

Netanyahu could call early elections as wartime success influences political strategy - interview

The timing of the elections will “heavily depend” on the results of the war and can cause the date to be moved up, said Prof. Gideon Rahat, a senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the nation amid Israeli strike on Iranian regime targets on March 7, 2026.