Defense/Security cooperation

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Analysis

Katz riles Iran, US as Netanyahu-Trump meeting raises questions

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to settle for a brief meeting with President Donald Trump, while his defense minister, Israel Katz, appeared intent on provoking Iran by publicly disclosing sensitive intelligence.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Trump Netanyahu

On eighth visit, Israel’s Netanyahu seeks to repair ties with Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to focus on Iran in his Tuesday meeting with President Donald Trump, while the US leader is more likely to want to discuss Lebanon and Syria.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi speaks during a meeting with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (not pictured) at the Pentagon on July 14, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia.

Zaidi to meet Erdogan as Turkey-Iraq ties take off, Kurds feel sidelined

The Iraqi prime minister's visits to Ankara and Riyadh underscore Baghdad's push to deepen regional ties as Turkey seeks closer cooperation on energy and security.

moke rises from a high-rise building following a drone attack in Kuwait City on March 8, 2026.

Analysis

Can Kuwait secure a Saudi-style defense pact with Pakistan?

Kuwait and other GCC states are looking to Pakistan, among other countries, for alternate security arrangements and multilayered deterrence.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Latest News

Analysis

Ahead of Trump meeting, Netanyahu lays groundwork for Israel to rejoin Iran war

GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP via Getty Images

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Explainer

As Turkey rivalry heats up, Greece to acquire $4B Israeli air defense system

David's Sling.

Israel fears US deal would allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium

US President Donald Trump (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands as they arrive to speak to journalists during a joint press conference at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on Dec. 29, 2025.

Analysis

As Turkey eyes US naval revival, here is why big warship deals are unlikely

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, president of Turkey, greets Donald Trump, president of United States, during a welcome ceremony of allied heads of state and government, on July 8, 2026, in Ankara, Turkey.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Yemeni supporters of the Shiite Huthi movement take part in a ceremony commemorating the seventh anniversary of the Huthi takeover of the capital Sanaa on Sept. 21, 2021. The conflict in Yemen flared in 2014 when the Huthis seized the capital, prompting Saudi-led intervention to prop up the internationally recognized government the following year.

US House passes measure to end maintenance for Saudi aircraft targeting Yemen

Progressives' bid to get Riyadh to stop bombing Yemen may test Biden's commitment to Gulf allies.

Israel rocket

US House passes funding for Israel’s Iron Dome after fiery debate

One Republican congressman accused the Democratic Party of being under the “bizarre influence of a group of anti-Semites” as a few Democratic lawmakers opposed US support for Israel’s air defense system.

PAUL HANDLEY/AFP via Getty Images

US Iron Dome funding holdup feeds internal Israeli political dispute

Rivals of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett are using US delay in funding the Iron Dome defense system to present him as dangerously inexperienced.

A picture shows daily newspapers on sale at a kiosk in the capital Tehran, on Sept. 18, 2021. Conservative and reformist newspapers showed rare unity in welcoming results of a conference yesterday in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, where members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation endorsed Iran's future membership in the bloc.

Iran’s membership in Asian security body won’t solve sanctions problem

While the news that Iran will gain full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a psychological victory for the sanctions-hit country, it will take much more to achieve lasting economic impact.

Israel's Iron Dome anti missile system launches to intercept a rocket on May 20, 2021 in Sderot, Israel.

House removes funding for Israel’s Iron Dome from spending bill

The head of the House Appropriations Committee said Israel will receive additional funding in a separate defense bill as the deadline to the end of the fiscal year nears.

ANGELOS TZORTZINIS/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi military trains with Greek forces

Saudi Arabia and Greece signed a missile deal earlier this year and are both allies of the UAE and Egypt.

Medical aid arrived from the United Arab Emirates is pictured at the airport in Kabul on Sept. 15, 2021.

UAE weighs opportunities, risks in Afghan diplomatic scrum

The US withdrawal and return of the Taliban has shaken up relationships in the Gulf and South Asia.

An Iranian man reads a copy of the daily newspaper "Etalaat" bearing the headline "Iran is a new member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation", at a kiosk in the capital Tehran, on Sept. 18, 2021.

Iran says SCO membership to end isolation

Iran is hoping to expand its economic ties after it enters the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

People gather during a demonstration demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli detention facilities, Ramallah, West Bank, Aug. 29, 2021.

Confidence-building measures with Israel trigger mixed reactions among PA leaders

Palestinian leaders exhibit varying reactions toward the confidence-building measures with Israel.

People look at military weapons on May 9, 2017, during the opening day of the 13th International Defense Industry Fair in Istanbul.

Turkey’s defense industry suffers setback but future remains promising

The Turkish defense industry saw a significant decline in its revenues last year according to newly released data, but companies in the sector remain optimistic about their growth prospects.

AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images

Protesters accuse IDF of tying soldiers' hands after deadly clash

In the wake of the death of IDF soldier Barel Hadaria Shmueli, hundreds of Israeli service members have been demanding the rules for live fire engagement be loosened.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses lawmakers during a special session to vote on a new government at the Knesset, Jerusalem, June 13, 2021.

Netanyahu goes after Bennett, with IDF paying the price

In his zeal to attack Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, opposition head Benjamin Netanyahu and associates are even ready to tarnish the IDF and its commanders.