
Reuters
London-based global wire service; one of three dominant international news agencies since 1851.
Reuters' unnamed sources remain the main public account of Iran's Supreme Leader: on 5 July 2026 they said Mojtaba Khamenei was disfigured and badly injured in the 28 February strike that killed his father.
Last refreshed: 18 October 2026 · Appears in 9 active topics
How reliable is Reuters' Iran war sourcing compared with other wire services?
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Reuters is a London-based international news agency, founded in 1851 and owned by Thomson Reuters. It supplies reporting to publishers, broadcasters and financial markets from more than 200 locations, and its Trust Principles commit it to accuracy, independence and freedom from bias.
Much of its most consequential 2026 reporting rests on unnamed officials. On 11 April it reported that Mojtaba Khamenei had survived the strike with facial and leg injuries and was governing by audio conference. On 5 July sources close to his inner circle told the agency he was disfigured, and no photo or recording of him had surfaced since February. It tied the Houthis' 25 July strikes on Jazan and Yanbu to Iranian personnel flown into Yemen on 13 July. On 4 August, citing three officials, it reported that Iran sought 5 to 7 per cent of cargo value to let ships through Hormuz; Fars News rejected the report two days later. In closed systems such as Iran's leadership, such sources are often the only account available, so the reports carry weight but remain claims to corroborate.
Its record can also be checked and corrected. On 4 May Reuters revised its estimate of the year-on-year fall in TurkStream gas flows to 1.7%. In September it reported that Russia's 2027 draft budget gives defence a record 17.1tn roubles.
Reference
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Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 18 October 2026. Editorial standards.