Iftar Time Today as Ramadan 2026 Begins Wednesday, February 18
With the moon-sighting committee confirming the crescent on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia announced the first day of fasting will be Wednesday, February 18, and many Muslims are checking iftar time today as the month begins; the fast will run dawn to dusk across communities worldwide.
Iftar Time Today and how long the fast lasts
The dawn-to-dusk fast will last anywhere from 11. 5 to 15. 5 hours depending on location, and observers should note that typical daylight fasts fall in a narrower band of about 12 to 15 hours. For nearly 90 percent of the world’s population living in the Northern Hemisphere, fasting hours will be shorter this year and will continue to decrease until 2031, when Ramadan will encompass the winter solstice.
How the month will be observed
Ramadan 2026 will run for 29 or 30 days, and during that month Muslims observing the fast will refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual relations during daylight hours to achieve greater “taqwa. ” The month is observed because Muslims believe Ramadan is the month when the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad more than 1, 400 years ago.
Who will have longer or shorter fasts
On the first day, people in the Northern Hemisphere should expect about 12 to 13 hours of fasting, while residents of southern countries such as Chile, New Zealand and South Africa face longer first-day fasts of about 14 to 15 hours. The overall range of 11. 5 to 15. 5 hours reflects differences in daylight at different latitudes and the season: it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere this year, shortening daylight for most.
Calendar shifts and what comes next
The start date reflects the lunar Hijri calendar, which has months of 29 or 30 days and causes Ramadan to move earlier by about 10 to 12 days each solar year because the lunar year is shorter by 11 days. That shift explains why Ramadan will be observed twice in 2030, beginning on January 5 and then again on December 26. Communities observing Ramadan now will complete the month after 29 or 30 days, with suhoor and iftar times varying by city across the globe.
For now, the confirmed milestone is the start: Wednesday, February 18. Observers should use local practice to determine exact suhoor and iftar times for their city on the first and last days of Ramadan 2026.
