![A view of giant banner, featuring an image of the Iranian flag and the slogan reading "Iran is our homeland, the flag is our shroud" at Enghelab Square in the capital Tehran, Iran on January 15, 2026. [Fatemeh Bahrami - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/AA-20260115-40261707-40261691-GIANT_BANNER_FEATURING_IRANIAN_FLAG_HUNG_AT_ENGHELAB_SQUARE_IN_TEHRAN_AFTER_PROTESTS-1.jpg)
When a war begins to give way to diplomacy, the battle rarely ends at the negotiating table. It continues in headlines, guest segments and the emotional frame through which audiences are told to interpret a possible end to violence. Reuters has reported that the United States and Iran have agreed on a framework to end their war, halt Washington’s blockade and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while The Associated Press has reported that mediators were working to finalise agreed language. The details remain uncertain and the hardest questions, including sanctions and Iran’s nuclear programme, may be pushed into another phase. Yet even a fragile opening can threaten the political usefulness of panic. That is why the media war matters. Iran […]