Axios, the American site that sets the media pace on the war in Iran

Since the beginning of the conflict, scoops on the backstage of relations between Washington and Tehran have been piling up on Axios. A very trendy and influential site.

Published on 23/05/2026 at 5:25 pm

Reading time: 1min

Publishing scoops, reporting discussions, negotiations, work scenarios and not necessarily consolidated information: this is the Axios recipe. A way to “string along” the news, as they say in the jargon. One of the site’s journalists is particularly in the spotlight: Barak Ravid. The Israeli journalist has half a million subscribers on X.

Three recent examples illustrate the influence of this free site. On March 8, the site exposed the first serious disagreement between Americans and Israelis on the extent of strikes against Iranian fuel depots. Disagreements have since multiplied. A few days later, the same Barak Ravid claimed that the Pentagon was preparing a “final blow” in Iran, which could include ground troops: quickly, the information made international headlines. On May 6, he announced that the White House believed it was on the verge of a one-page agreement with Tehran. Two weeks later, the agreement is still elusive, but the issue shook media worldwide.

Created in 2017, the name of the media comes from ancient Greek, with axios meaning “valuable”. The idea is simple: to create a media tailored for thumbs and smartphones, with short, highly graphical, and very rhythmic articles. No editorials, no opinions, no columns, just snippets of well-pitched info, online before anyone else preferably. And it works: Axios now attracts fifty million visitors per month and sets the tone for media coverage on the war in Iran.

Last month, the American market regulator opened an investigation into massive bets on oil, just before Donald Trump’s announcements on Iran. Were these bets made because an Axios article was preparing? Were information provided to Axios to influence prices and encourage investments? Axios emphasizes its good faith and professionalism, but lawmakers are calling for an investigation. Moral of the story: read Axios, but not only.