Iran

Oscar-nominated Iranian screenwriter released from prison in northern Iran after 17 days - report

Mehdi Mahmoudian, who is nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay for Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident, was imprisoned after he signed a letter condemning Khamenei.

|ByHANNAH BROWN
Mehdi Mahmoudian, Oscar-nominated co-writer of Jafar Panahi’s "It was just an accident."
The strikes and protests by workers in IRGC-dominated Asaluyeh have occurred repeatedly in recent years but have intensified in recent months.

Fate of protesting workers arrested by the IRGC still unknown

Approximately 200 workers are being held in IRGC-controlled warehouses, raising serious concerns among labor activists about their condition.

|ByOMID HABIBINIA/THE MEDIA LINE
Switzerland's Foreign Minister and Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis speaks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, during a bilateral meeting between Switzerland and Iran, in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, February 17, 2026.

US-Iran talks reveal diplomatic gaps despite progress, sources tell 'Post'

According to a US official, the Iranians said they would return within two weeks with detailed proposals to bridge some of the remaining gaps with Washington.

|ByAMICHAI STEIN
An anti-US mural on a building in Tehran, Iran, February 17, 2026

Iran missed the memo: Tehran is offering Trump similar deal to 2025 while ignoring reality

Two critical events have changed everything since 2025, and the Islamic Republic appears dedicated to living in an alternate reality in which those events have not transpired. 

|ByYONAH JEREMY BOB

Iran rushes to protect Natanz, its most crucial nuclear site, from potential US strike

Tehran may have used the delay in the US's potential strike to make the beneath-mountain facility nearly untouchable.

FEBRUARY 12, 2026ByYONAH JEREMY BOB
A satellite image shows airstrike craters covered with dirt at the Natanz Enrichment Facility, following US airstrikes, in Natanz County, Iran, June 24, 2025

Iranians understand need to reach nuclear deal with US, Turkey's Hakan Fidan tells FT

“The Iranians now recognise that they need to reach a deal with the Americans, and the Americans understand that the Iranians have certain limits. It’s pointless to try to force them,” Fidan said.

FEBRUARY 12, 2026ByTZVI JASPER
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) and Iranian Foreign Minster Abbas Araghchi (L) hold a press conference in Istanbul, Turkey, January 30, 2026.

In Australia, President Isaac Herzog tells anti-Israel demonstrators to protest Iran instead

Herzog said it was “obscure and odd” that heavy police protection was needed to ensure Jews could gather peacefully with the president of Israel.

FEBRUARY 12, 2026ByHERB KEINON
ISRAEL'S PRESIDENT Isaac Herzog speaks during his state visit to Australia following a deadly mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025, in Melbourne, Australia, February 12, 2026.

Araghchi slams US-Israeli Miriam Adelson, accusing her of dual loyalties in antisemitic trope

Iran's FM Abbas Araghchi criticizes Miriam Adelson's claims, calls for diplomacy in US-Iran talks, and warns of military retaliation if negotiations fail.

FEBRUARY 12, 2026ByJAMES GENN
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addresses the Al Jazeera Forum in Doha, February 7, 2026; illustrative.

Sen. Graham calls Trump 'most consequential' since Ronald Reagan, praises Netanyahu as key partner

Graham praised both leaders' efforts towards a "way forward in the Middle East" following a three-hour White House meeting between the two.

FEBRUARY 12, 2026ByARIELLA ROITMAN
US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks during a US Senate Judiciary Privacy, Technology, and the Law Subcommittee hearing on oversight of telecommunications carriers in the wake of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, February 10, 2026.

'War Trump' vs 'Peace Trump': the Eretz Nehederet skit that captured Israel’s Trump anxiety

Israeli satirical sketch comedy Eretz Nehederet's newest skit was the highlight of the show's entire season.

FEBRUARY 12, 2026ByHANNAH BROWN
Israeli television sketch comedy Eretz Nehederet portrays US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amidst tensions with Iran.

Pentagon prepares second aircraft carrier for possible deployment to Middle East - report

US President Donald Trump reposted the Wall Street Journal's report to Truth Social on Thursday. 

FEBRUARY 11, 2026ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAM
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) sails alongside the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.

'We are ashamed before the people': Iran’s president signals remorse after crackdown

“We are ashamed before the people. We are ready to hear the voice of the people," Iranian President Pezeshkian said in a speech during the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

FEBRUARY 11, 2026ByTOBIAS HOLCMAN
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, February 11, 2026.

Nobel Committee calls on Iran to free imprisoned Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi

Mohammadi, 53, who has been imprisoned repeatedly in her three-decade campaign for women's rights, was last week sentenced to a new prison term of 7-1/2 years, a group supporting her said on Sunday.

FEBRUARY 11, 2026ByREUTERS
NARGES MOHAMMADI sits in her apartment in Tehran, Iran, on December 18, 2024.

Guterres faces backlash for congratulating Iranian regime, UN Watch demands transparency

According to Iran's state outlet, Guterres extended congratulations to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, describing the day as an opportunity to reflect on the country's path.

FEBRUARY 11, 2026ByTZVI JASPER
UNITED NATIONS Secretary-General Antonio Guterres smiles while speaking with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer inside 10 Downing Street in central London, Britain, January 16, 2026.