Donald Trump's short-lived proposal to charge cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz has handed Tehran an unexpected argument: that Washington itself briefly accepted the principle that securing the strategic waterway could justify collecting fees.
An Iranian plane landing in Houthi-controlled Yemen looked like an oddly minor victory for Tehran. But it may have been the opening move in an effort to rebuild the allied force capable of threatening a second global maritime chokepoint alongside the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iran war has yet to trigger an exodus of entrepreneurs from the Persian Gulf, but falling investment, rising costs and slower funding are beginning to test the region’s heavily financed startup strategy, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.
As Ali Khamenei’s coffin is carried through days of state-orchestrated mourning, the Islamic Republic is trying to recast a humiliating wartime death as martyrdom, continuity and power, and repair a system wounded by war and public distrust.
Iraqi security forces arrested dozens of officials in Baghdad on Sunday, including figures linked to Shia parties close to Iran, sources told Iran International, in a sweeping operation tied to a corruption case involving alleged smuggling of Iranian oil.
Lebanon has ordered the removal of billboards showing Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and his late father from the road to Beirut’s airport, turning a dispute over public posters into a test of who gets to define the country’s fragile post-ceasefire moment.
An ultraconservative Iranian outlet warned on Wednesday that a temporary shipping corridor announced by Oman in coordination with the International Maritime Organization could become a “direct challenge” to Iran’s position in the Strait of Hormuz.
As Washington and Islamabad push for a preliminary agreement with Iran, experts say the unresolved fight over Lebanon could determine what the region looks like after the war and how much influence Iran retains.
For decades, a dangerous illusion governed the Persian Gulf. Arab capitals knew the Islamic Republic was hostile. Yet, they believed the threat could be managed.
Countries should pay Iran annual fees for fiber-optic cables that pass beneath the Strait of Hormuz, an Iranian lawmaker said, saying that hundreds of billions of dollars in financial transactions move through the lines each day.
Iran’s foreign minister accused the United Arab Emirates on Thursday of direct involvement in military operations against Iran, escalating Tehran’s criticism of regional states during a BRICS meeting in New Delhi.
A Bahraini court sentenced a woman to life in prison after convicting her of communicating with Iran's Revolutionary Guards with intent to carry out hostile acts against the kingdom and harm its national interests, Bahrain's public prosecution said on Tuesday.
IRGC-linked media called for Iran to generate revenue from undersea internet cables passing through the Strait of Hormuz, framing the waterway not only as an energy and shipping chokepoint but also as a digital pressure point.
Iran International won four top prizes at the 2026 WAN-IFRA Digital Media Awards Middle East, with projects recognized for innovation, audience engagement, data visualization and participatory storytelling under repression.
The shadow of a closed Strait of Hormuz no longer looms as a mere threat; it is a reality that has shattered the traditional foundations of the global energy market.
India and Pakistan condemned on Tuesday Iran’s attacks on the United Arab Emirates, calling for restraint and a return to diplomacy.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said it had seized two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and directed them toward Iranian shores, hours after Donald Trump said the United States would extend a ceasefire with Iran.
Fraudulent messages offering ships safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for cryptocurrency have been sent to some shipping companies, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing a maritime security firm.
For decades the IRGC relied on its ability to threaten closure of the Strait of Hormuz as its premier economic shield and golden get out of jail card.
Iran has halted exports of all petrochemical products until further notice to prevent shortages of raw materials and stabilize the domestic market, state-linked media reported.
Iran faces a wave of layoffs in its petrochemical sector and widespread factory closures as a deepening economic crisis and internet shutdowns paralyze businesses, according to reports sent by residents to Iran International.
Iranian police said on Thursday they had blocked 61 bank accounts belonging to users of Starlink satellite internet in the central city of Yazd, as part of a broader crackdown on unauthorized connectivity.