Men on motorbikes drive past cars and a residential building damaged in a March 8 U.S.-Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. Vahid Salemi/AP hide caption
Middle East conflict Conflict in the Middle East has been escalating. These stories provide context for current developments and the history that led up to them.
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Middle East conflict
A woman walks past a mural depicting Iran's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at Valiasr Square in central Tehran, on Aug. 8. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Workers walk in the Zubair oil field, whose operations have being reduced since the start of the Iran war, near Basra, Iraq, March 28. Leo Correa/AP hide caption
Gulf countries race to build new oil pipelines as alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz
People walk past a large American flag decorating a building in downtown Jerusalem on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. Ohad Zwigenberg/AP hide caption
Vehicles drive past a billboard with an illustration showing the Strait of Hormuz and the sewn lips of President Trump in a square in downtown Tehran, Iran, May 2. Vahid Salemi/AP hide caption
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calls on reporters after announcing a new set of sanctions against Iran, describing them as "an economic D-Day". Chip Somodevilla/Getty hide caption
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks at a news conference at the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., on Monday. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP hide caption
The U.S. flag flutters outside the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, March 17, 2026. Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty hide caption
US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Prime Minister of Iraq Ali al-Zaidi in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 14, 2026. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty hide caption
Israeli army soldiers block the road leading to the houses of three Palestinian families that have been besieged by Israeli settlers, in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra. Majdi Mohammed/AP hide caption
Large crowds of pilgrims fill the area between the two holy shrines in Karbala at sunset, with the illuminated dome and minarets of Imam Hussein's shrine visible in the background during the Arbaeen commemoration. Mohammed Sawaf for NPR hide caption
Despite war and strife, millions of Shia Muslims in Iraq gather for sacred pilgrimage
A vessel is anchored off the coast of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on Aug. 3. The war with Iran nearly ground traffic to a halt in the Strait of Hormuz. AFP via Getty Images hide caption
A partial reopening of the Strait of Hormuz appears close
A Palestinian scans a valley with a flashlight as people gather around a bonfire during a volunteer night watch to help prevent Israeli settler attacks in the West Bank town of Sinjil, Monday, July 27, 2026 Leo Correa/AP hide caption
Ukrainian Air Force F-16 fighter jets fly over a Patriot air and missile defense system in an undisclosed location in Ukraine, on Aug. 4, 2024. Efrem Lukatsky/AP hide caption
People gather during a protest on January 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. Getty Images/Getty Images Europe hide caption
Palestinians carry a body from the site of an Israeli military strike in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. Jehad Alshrafi/AP hide caption
President Trump exits Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, N.J., on Friday after a trip to Camp David, the presidential retreat. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption
Najib Ayyad checks his apartment in Nabatiyeh, Lebanon, which was heavily damaged and likely to be demolished. The apartment overlooks Beaufort Castle, a national symbol of deep personal meaning for him, now occupied by Israeli forces. Diego Ibarra Sánchez for NPR hide caption
Historic hub of south Lebanon badly damaged in war with Israel
The logos for ExxonMobil and Chevron appear on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on July 24. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images hide caption
Major oil companies report sky-high earnings off higher crude prices
This satellite image provided by Planet Labs PBC on July 27 shows smoke rising from the Saudi Aramco oil processing facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia. Planet Labs PBC via AP hide caption
A sattelite image from May 22, 2026 shows Mazen's Neighborhood in Yaroun is destroyed. hide caption
Residents barred from Lebanon amid Israeli war use satellite images to check on homes
An Iranian couple rides past Iranian-made Zolfaghar missiles displayed at Azadi Square in Tehran on Friday. Iran's army said it carried out drone strikes against several U.S. military facilities and bases in Bahrain and Jordan in retaliation for the latest U.S. attacks against Iran. AFP via Getty Images hide caption
