Reading view

Why the United States Can’t Quit Its Wars

The country’s longest war came to an end exactly five years ago. Today it offers lessons for policymakers seeking to avoid an endless war in Iran.

© Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times

A U.S. military helicopter over Kabul, Afghanistan, in May 2021.
  •  

Long Lines for Gas in Iran Show War and U.S. Blockade Squeezing Supply

The government is struggling to meet a shortfall in fuel and is wary that higher prices at the pump could stir unrest.

© Vahid Salemi/Associated Press

A gas station in Tehran on Tuesday. Officials are urging people to clamp down on fuel use as they deal with a shortfall.
  •  

Turkey and Israel Vie for Middle East Influence as Tensions Spike

Israel’s strike on a Syrian base to pre-empt the feared deployment of Turkish forces was part of a growing competition in the Middle East and beyond.

© Ugur Yildirim/Dia Photo, via Associated Press

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Turkey, this year. Analysts and officials fear the growing rivalry between Turkey and Israel could exacerbate volatility in the Middle East.
  •  

For Trump, the Iran War Is Stuck Between Combat and Genuine Peace

The war has deteriorated over the past six months into Mr. Trump’s own version of a “forever war,” with no clear goals and no end in sight.

© Kenny Holston/The New York Times

President Trump has been unable so far to broker an agreement to end the war on satisfactory terms.
  •  

How Key Oil Stockpiles Dwindled During the War in Iran

Our energy reporter Rebecca F. Elliott explains how oil reserves helped prevent an oil shock caused by the war in Iran from getting even worse — and how low those reserves are now.
  •  

Why Many Iranians Are Losing Hope After Six Months of War

Iranians have become increasingly desperate, as they grapple with an economic crisis made worse by the conflict and grow increasingly skeptical about President Trump’s motives.

© Arash Khamooshi/Polaris for The New York Times

The most immediate preoccupation for most Iranians is dealing with soaring prices caused by an enduring economic crisis.
  •  

Six Months of War, and Trump’s Push for ‘Lake America’

Plus, the Friday news quiz.

© Arash Khamooshi/Polaris for The New York Times

A taxi station in Tehran last month. Iranians have become more desperate as they live with an economic crisis made worse by war.
  •  
  •  

Why Many Iranians Are Losing Hope After Six Months of War

Iranians have become increasingly desperate, as they grapple with an economic crisis made worse by the conflict and grow increasingly skeptical about President Trump’s motives.

© Arash Khamooshi/Polaris for The New York Times

The most immediate preoccupation for most Iranians is dealing with soaring prices caused by an enduring economic crisis.
  •  

Six Months In, Iran Appears Stronger and U.S. Goals Unclear

Trump’s replacement of a military war with a heightened economic one is not expected to alter Iran’s strategy, while further impoverishing its people.

© Arash Khamooshi/Polaris for The New York Times

A man holding an Iranian flag in an apartment destroyed by U.S.-Israeli airstrikes in Tehran earlier this year.
  •  

Lake Ontario Didn’t Ask for Trump to Rename It

There is a U.S.-led war in the Middle East and the midterm elections on the horizon, but President Trump’s latest priority seems to be “Making The Great Lakes Even Greater.”

© Cole Burston/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Boats were anchored along the waterfront of Lake Ontario in Toronto on Thursday.
  •  

Qatari Prime Minister Travels to Tehran as Iran War Nears Six-Month Mark

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has been a key mediator in the conflict, even as his country has blamed Tehran for hundreds of missile and drone attacks.

© Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters

Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, at a news conference in Egypt in August. His trip to Tehran comes at a moment of heightened tension between Iran and Qatar.
  •  
❌