With the supreme leader’s retreat from view since the 12-Day War with Israel, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) appear to have taken on his role as political disciplinarian, nudging senior figures to keep their feuds out of public view.
The latest round of US sanctions imposed on Iran mark a shift in Washington’s strategy, moving beyond conventional financial limits to target the intertwined financial and digital networks that sustain Tehran’s economy and political control.
Ali Larijani’s tour of Iraq and Lebanon a few weeks after his Russia visit underscores his re-emergence as a trusted envoy and crisis manager tasked with shoring up Tehran’s defences in the twilight of supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s rule.
While China keeps buying discounted oil from Iran and Russia, it is steering new investments and trade routes toward their competitors, official Chinese data reveals.
Tanker tracking data obtained by Iran International shows sharp fluctuations in Iranian oil discharges at Chinese ports this year, alongside a steep rise in floating oil stocks.
A young woman in a loosely draped hijab, strands of hair framing her face, flashes a peace sign while holding a photo of a slain Revolutionary Guard commander.
Ali Larijani’s reappointment as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) may appear to mark a return to moderation, but it is better understood as a tactical facelift.
Capital flight from Iran’s stock market has intensified since the June war with Israel, with retail investors pulling half a billion dollars—much of it appearing to shift into gold or exit the country altogether.
A 12-day war with Israel has ushered Iran into a new phase where crisis is no longer episodic but structural—an unstable order held together by instability itself.
The triggering of international sanctions on Iran threatened by Europe could unleash a cascade of new challenges on the country's energy sector, from shrinking oil exports, blocked payments, halted infrastructure upgrades and deeper isolation from global markets.
Officials in Tehran blame drought and public overuse for Iran’s worst water shortage in living memory, but the crisis stems from decades of mismanagement, short-sighted policy and institutional denial.
In the midst of mounting economic pressure, international isolation and a series of military setbacks, Iran has launched a drive to deport Afghan migrants, marking the impoverished community's latest blow amid the vagaries of official policy.
Existing narratives competing to shape Iran’s future after the war with Israel offer little clarity, calling for a sober reassessment that confronts the questions of power, leadership and a potential transition from the Islamic Republic.
Diplomatic prospects between Iran and the West appear increasingly bleak, with Tehran’s political class voicing growing skepticism that a negotiated breakthrough is still possible.
A recent flurry of high-level meetings across Central Asia and the Middle East signals a quiet but marked shift: Iran and Russia are increasingly sidelined in the region’s political and economic realignments in favor of Arab states.
Defection from within Iran’s armed forces could become a serious threat to the Islamic Republic—but only if defectors are given protection, a clear pathway to safety, and a structure they can trust, experts told Iran International.
For Iran’s rulers, wishing death upon enemies is mostly rhetoric—rarely acted on, but often carrying real consequences.
New data shows Iran’s foreign trade took a sharp hit during last month’s 12-day war with Israel, despite officials’ claims that it remained stable.
Tucker Carlson's interview with Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian was all Tehran could wish for, experts told Iran International: a global stage, no pushback, and a direct line to Donald Trump’s base.
The war has paused, but the collapse has not. Shaken by defeat in the streets, across the region, and from the skies, the Islamic Republic now stands weakened and exposed. The pillars that once held it up, ideology, reach, and fear, are cracking.
President Donald Trump's surprise remark—that China can now buy Iranian oil—made immediate headlines, but also raised a few eyebrows and fresh questions.
The Islamic Republic will not return to what it was before the Israeli and American airstrikes, but what comes next is uncertain, experts tell Iran International.