Iran - The Atlantic

Iran

The High-Risk, Low-Reward Blockade of Hormuz

Brynn Tannehill

7:28 AM ET

Color photograph of a big ship appearing to materialize through a fog in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Atlantic Daily

Trump’s Logic for Blockading the Blockaders

April 14, 2026

Strait of Hormuz illustration

National Security

Trump Pivots to ‘Least Bad Option’ On Iran

Nancy A. Youssef, Vivian Salama, and Missy Ryan

April 13, 2026

A montage of Donald Trump in front of a red fever chart heading down

Three Changes Wrought by the Iran War

April 13, 2026

A photograph through a jagged hole in a wall shows a collapsed building across the street with an Iranian flag flying atop it.

Iran Could Speedrun the Vietnamese Path

April 11, 2026

An image of people walking on a pedestrian street near the Ho Chi Minh Monument in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The Atlantic Daily

Iran Has the Upper Hand in the Upcoming Negotiations

April 10, 2026

A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Marjeyoun shows trails of rockets fired from Lebanon towards Israel

Why Trump Chose Vance to Negotiate With Iran

Karim Sadjadpour

April 10, 2026

Black-and-white photograph of an armed soldier standing in front of a mural of Mojtaba Khamenei holding a rifle next to the Iranian flag

National Security

Iran Out-Trolled the Troller in Chief

April 10, 2026

Illustration of the flags of the United States and Iran, and emojis

Photos of the Week: Solar Eclipse, Amazon Monument, Titanic Bonfire

April 10, 2026

Four astronauts hug while inside a capsule, floating in micro-gravity.

The Atlantic Daily

Vance’s ‘Fraud Czar’ Title May Come Back to Haunt Him

April 9, 2026

J. D. Vance smiles as he does a salute

Reasons to Be Hopeful in Iran

April 9, 2026

An image of a woman speaking on the phone as emergency workers sift through rubble of a residential building that was hit in an airstrike in Tehran.

Claude Mythos Is Everyone’s Problem

April 9, 2026

A GIF of locks on top of the globe.

National Security

What China Just Learned From the Iran War

April 9, 2026

Two tourists, seen from behind, taking a photo of the Chinese mainland and Chinese flagged sand dredgers from the bunker of an old Taiwan military observatory in Kinmen, Taiwan.

Trump Is Wishcasting Victory in Iran

April 9, 2026

Donald Trump holds a news conference with military officials on the mission to rescue a downed airman in Iran.

1979 Is the Year That Explains Donald Trump

Jonathan Lemire and Isabel Ruehl

April 9, 2026

A collage showing a hostage with their hands tied, a crowd of people in protest, and a portrait of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini

Pete Hegseth Is Trying to Resegregate the Military

April 8, 2026

An image of Pete Hegseth speaking to a group of military personnel

Only Losers Play the Madman

April 8, 2026

A black-and-white photograph of Donald Trump speaking from a low vantage point with the sky behind him

The Atlantic Daily

The Trump Administration Is Trying to Erase Its Own History

David A. Graham

April 8, 2026

Donald Trump holding a document with his signature

National Security

Trump Made a Deal That Gives Him Nothing He Wanted

Nancy A. Youssef

April 8, 2026

Iranian flag in the foreground with images of fighter jets in the background

America Looks Like a Paper Tiger

Brynn Tannehill

April 8, 2026

Photograph of a young girl sitting in the backseat of a car and holding an Iranian flag out of the rolled down window

The Forgotten War That Iran Already Won

April 8, 2026

Photograph of a wall with an illustration of Yitzhak Rabin, Hebrew writing, and mourning protesters sitting in front of it

A New Geopolitical Reality Is Here

April 8, 2026

An image of local officials and navy personnel saluting a ship in the Gulf of Oman.

An Incredibly Weird Time to Be Alive

April 7, 2026

A silhouette of Donald Trump and a photo of Earth as seen from space

What the Astronauts See That Trump Cannot

April 7, 2026

A photo of the Earth in a crescent shape, with the dark side of the moon in the foreground.

Did Trump Just Threaten to Use Nuclear Weapons in Iran?

April 7, 2026

Photo of Donald Trump from the nose down speaking at a podium, with the image tinted red and blue as if glitching

Trump Looks Frantic

April 7, 2026

Black-and-white close-up image of Donald Trump speaking with the photograph burning a hole where Trump’s mouth is.

The Atlantic Daily

Trump Threatens to Destroy an Entire Nation

David A. Graham

April 7, 2026

Black-and-white photo of Donald Trump speaking at a podium during a White House press conference.

Trump’s Fundamental Misunderstanding in Iran

Karim Sadjadpour

April 7, 2026

Illustration showing Trump, Iran imagery, and an optical illusion

Three Things the Consensus Gets Wrong About the Iran War

April 7, 2026

Photograph of a man looking through the side of a bombed out building.

The Atlantic Daily

What Happens When Trump Feels Cornered

David A. Graham

April 6, 2026

Trump's shadow with Washington Monument behind

This Is Not How Presidents Typically Communicate

Barbara A. Perry

April 6, 2026

An image of President Trump speaking from a podium in front of a large American flag backdrop

Trump Is Putting America’s Weaknesses on Display

Phillips Payson O’Brien

April 6, 2026

Photograph taken behind iron window grills of a destroyed building with an Iranian flag hanging from its side

National Security

The Real Intelligence Failure in Iran

April 5, 2026

Trump in the foreground with U.S. troops behind him in May 2025 at a US air base southwest of Doha

Why Trump Thinks He Can Walk Away From the Strait of Hormuz

April 5, 2026

Illustration of a globe with a silhouette of Trump's face against a map of Iran in green and tan

The Iranian Opposition’s Urgent Task

April 4, 2026

Photograph taken from behind of three figures on a bench overlooking Tehran's skyline.

Trump’s Stone Age Threat Will Lead to Tragedy

April 3, 2026