Iran War: Analysis and Updates

The U.S.-Israeli war in Iran is reshaping the Middle East and beyond. CFR is tracking the conflict with expert analysis, in-depth explainers, and timely briefings on the conflict’s military dimensions, regional fallout, and global implications.

Latest News & Analysis

<p>Ships and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman, April 18, 2026. </p>

The Limitations of Hard Power in Iran

June 12, 2026

By Michael Froman

graphic_teaser2

Trump Walks Back Threat to Strike a Critical Iranian Oil Hub

June 11, 2026

By Will Merrow, Mariel Ferragamo and Diana Roy

Somali soccer fans sit in a stadium, holding photos of referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who had been expected to officiate matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup but was refused entry to the United States.

FIFA Promised a World Cup Economic Boom, But U.S. Stands May Be Emptier Than Usual

June 11, 2026

By Mariel Ferragamo

Iranian children play as an animation featuring an effigy of U.S. President Donald Trump and coffins of American soldiers is displayed during a state-run religious rally in downtown Tehran, Iran, on April 29, 2026.

Iran’s Trolling Caught the U.S. Off Guard. Here’s How to Push Back.

June 10, 2026

By Jessica Brandt

A man walks down a sidewalk in front of a concrete wall displaying a painted mural for the 2026 World Cup in Mexico.

FIFA World Cup 2026: The Geopolitical Tensions at Play Off the Pitch

June 10, 2026

By Mariel Ferragamo and Ivana Saric

<p>U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick attend a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., on May 27, 2026.</p>

Trump Says He’s Not Watching the Clock on Iran—but Voters Are

May 29, 2026

By James M. Lindsay

A statue depicting Persian mythical figure Arash the Archer, who according to tradition defined the border area between Persia and the Turanians, is displayed near a billboard on the facade of a building depicting the Strait of Hormuz with a caption in Persian reading "Forever in Iran's Hand", at Vanak Square in Tehran on May 6, 2026.

What the Iran War Taught China About Fighting the United States

May 12, 2026

By Elisa Ewers and Michael Schiffer

A boy stands next to a fire outside his family's tent, at a temporary encampment for displaced people, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, as the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran continues, in Beirut, Lebanon, April 1, 2026.

The Iran War’s Forgotten Front: Global Food Insecurity and the Limits of U.S. Aid

May 12, 2026

By Sam Vigersky

<p>High gas prices are displayed at a Shell gas station on May 11, 2026, in Burbank, California. </p>

Iran War Costs Reverberate Domestically

May 12, 2026

<p>Smoke rises following an Israeli strike in Kfar Tebnit, Lebanon, May 11, 2026. </p>

Trump Rejects Latest Iranian Truce Proposal

May 11, 2026

A giant banner featuring symbolic images of the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, Iranian nuclear scientists killed in Israeli attacks during the 12-day war, and a Persian script that reads, ''Science is power,'' hangs from a governmental building in downtown Tehran, Iran, on August 28, 2025.

Iran Nuclear Talks: Three Lessons From the War for Negotiators

May 6, 2026

By Erin D. Dumbacher

<p>People hold Iranian flags during a rally in Tehran, Iran, April 29, 2026.</p>

Trump Pauses Hormuz Shipping Mission

May 6, 2026

Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, May 1, 2026.

Trump’s Project Freedom Isn’t Going to Open the Strait of Hormuz

May 4, 2026

By Max Boot

<p>Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Bandar Abbas, Iran, May 4, 2026. </p>

U.S. Announces Mission to Support Strait of Hormuz Shipping

May 4, 2026

A female soldier walks in front of a Kurdish flag while on the phone

The Case for Exploiting Iran’s Internal Fractures

May 1, 2026

By Ed Husain

A female soldier walks in front of a Kurdish flag while on the phone — Ismael Adna/Getty Images

The Case for Exploiting Iran’s Internal Fractures

May 1, 2026

Iran’s Conflict With Israel and the United States
April 2, 2026
How Pakistan Became the Iran War’s Unlikely Peace Negotiator
April 28, 2026
Trump’s Project Freedom Isn’t Going to Open the Strait of Hormuz
May 4, 2026
An 'Open for Open' Hormuz Deal Could Break the Iran Stalemate
April 20, 2026
How the Iran War Confirmed, Contradicted, and Complicated U.S. Policy
April 15, 2026

Iran will continue to use the Strait of Hormuz as an ‘insurance policy’

Events

Remains of ballistic missile.

Meeting

AI, Drones, and the Iran War

June 9, 2026

A drone view shows the Manzanillo seaport in Manzanillo, Mexico

Meeting

How the Iran War is Remaking the Global Economy

June 3, 2026

Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam

Meeting

Iran, Conflict, and Economic Aftershocks

May 20, 2026

EU leaders discuss Iran crisis and Middle East with regional partners in Cyprus

Meeting

Europe's Response to the Iran War

May 5, 2026

An explosion of what appears to be white phosphorus after an Israeli army attack in South Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border

Meeting

Lebanon: Military Strikes, Negotiations, and Where it Goes From Here

May 4, 2026

Israeli artillery units and military vehicles in formation on the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border in northern Israel

Meeting

Military Analysis of the War With Iran

April 29, 2026

Video and Podcasts

People attend a funeral ceremony for the Head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards' intelligence organisation, who was killed in strikes according to Iranian and Israeli statements, in Tehran, Iran on April 8, 2026.

What Comes Next After Failed U.S.-Iran Talks, With Elliott Abrams

April 13, 2026

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi shake hands during a press conference following their talks in Moscow, Russia on April 18, 2025.

Russia’s Stakes in the Iran War, With Thomas Graham

April 7, 2026

The Dubai skyline is pictured as a smoke plume rises from an ongoing fire near Dubai International Airport on March 16, 2026.

Gulf States Under Fire, With Mina Al-Oraibi

March 31, 2026

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, U.S. President Donald Trump, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pose for a photo during a NATO leaders summit in The Hague, Netherlands, June 25, 2025.

Why Allies Aren’t Following on Iran, With Kristi Govella and Constanze Stelzenmüller

March 24, 2026

ApplePodcasts-Website_3000x3000_1b9fef

Iran War Spirals + Oil Shocks Keep Coming + China’s Advantage

March 17, 2026

An F/A-18F Super Hornet prepares to launch from the USS Abraham Lincoln during Operation Epic Fury, February 28, 2026.

The Strategy Gap in Iran, With Max Boot

March 17, 2026

The Iran War’s Second Front in Lebanon

CFR Middle East experts Steven A. Cook and Elisa Ewers discuss the missed opportunities and possible outcomes of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon.

Iran Experts at The Council

0070_Ray Takeyh Reshoot-005

Ray Takeyh

Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies

Elisa Ewers

Elisa Ewers

Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies

0022_Steven-Cook-037 copy

Steven A. Cook

Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies

0009_Elliott Abrams-077

Elliott Abrams

Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies

0016_Linda Robinson-042 copy

Linda Robinson

Senior Fellow for Women and Foreign Policy

Portrait image of Stephen Biddle

Stephen Biddle

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Defense Policy

0064_Ed Husain-022

Ed Husain

Senior Fellow

Henri Barkey

Henri J. Barkey

Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies

43 results

The Limitations of Hard Power in Iran
June 12, 2026
By Michael Froman
Iran’s Trolling Caught the U.S. Off Guard. Here’s How to Push Back.
June 10, 2026
By Jessica Brandt
Meeting
AI, Drones, and the Iran War
June 9, 2026
What Do Voters Think of Operation Epic Fury After Three Months?
June 3, 2026
By James M. Lindsay
Meeting
How the Iran War is Remaking the Global Economy
June 3, 2026
Trump Says He’s Not Watching the Clock on Iran—but Voters Are
May 29, 2026
By James M. Lindsay
Meeting
Iran, Conflict, and Economic Aftershocks
May 20, 2026
What the Trump-Xi Summit Means for Southeast Asia and South Asia
May 19, 2026
By Joshua Kurlantzick
Meeting
Media Briefing: Making Sense of the Trump-Xi Summit
May 15, 2026
Even In a Historic Energy Crisis, ASEAN Fails Again
May 12, 2026
By Joshua Kurlantzick
What the Iran War Taught China About Fighting the United States
May 12, 2026
By Elisa Ewers and Michael Schiffer
The Iran War’s Forgotten Front: Global Food Insecurity and the Limits of U.S. Aid
May 12, 2026
By Sam Vigersky
Trump Rejects Latest Iranian Truce Proposal
May 11, 2026
At the Trump-Xi Summit, China Will Have the Upper Hand
May 10, 2026
By Rush Doshi, Chris McGuire, Heidi E. Crebo-Rediker, David Sacks and David M. Hart
Amid Diplomatic Efforts, Hostilities Flare in the Gulf
May 8, 2026
Israel Strikes Beirut for the First Time Since Ceasefire Announcement
May 7, 2026
Iran Nuclear Talks: Three Lessons From the War for Negotiators
May 6, 2026
By Erin D. Dumbacher
Trump Pauses Hormuz Shipping Mission
May 6, 2026
Clashes in the Strait of Hormuz Test Ceasefire
May 5, 2026
Meeting
Europe's Response to the Iran War
May 5, 2026
Trump’s Project Freedom Isn’t Going to Open the Strait of Hormuz
May 4, 2026
By Max Boot
Meeting
Lebanon: Military Strikes, Negotiations, and Where it Goes From Here
May 4, 2026
U.S. Announces Mission to Support Strait of Hormuz Shipping
May 4, 2026
The Case for Exploiting Iran’s Internal Fractures
May 1, 2026
By Ed Husain