Armed Militias and Extremist Groups

Manon Roca / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Lebanon files charges against 2 Hezbollah members as UNIFIL prepares to withdraw

The move comes amid growing security concerns in the south less than two months before the UNIFIL mandate expires.

A police officer monitors traffic as he stands under portraits of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei in Tehran, on Oct. 21, 2026.

Iran executes two men in case tied to January protests: What to know

Iran has stepped up executions during the war with the US, and attacks on police are on the rise in the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchistan.

Journalists film drones and weapons reportedly seized by the Sudanese army, which it says were supplied to the Rapid Support Forces by foreign countries, during a media display in Khartoum on July 16, 2026.

Sudan says it downed drone from Ethiopia, files complaint with UN

Sudan filed a complaint against Ethiopia with the United Nations and the African Union over the alleged use of its territory by the RSF to launch drone attacks inside Sudan.

Bakr ALkasem / AFP via Getty Images

Syria foils Hezbollah-linked plot to attack Homs refinery: What to know

Syrian authorities have intensified a crackdown against Hezbollah’s alleged plans to launch attacks inside Syrian territory as well as smuggling attempts.

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Analysis

How Syria is balancing public anger, regional stability after Jordan's strikes

People inspect the damage at a site targeted by airstrikes

Shelly Kittleson

By Shelly Kittleson

In Middle East, reporting on regional politics

Russian satellite data helped Yemen’s Houthis target Saudi Arabia: What to know

Security forces stand guard in front of a banner showing the Kaaba during a protest by supporters of the Houthi authorities against the Saudi intervention in Yemen and against Saudi Arabia's recent accusation that the Houthis fired at the holy city of Mecca, in Sanaa on Sept. 18, 2026.

Syria slams Jordan over crossborder strikes, denies coordination: What to know

Mourners attend the funeral of those who were killed in airstrikes carried out by Jordan the night before on the village of Al-Taf in the Al-Lajat region, located in the northeastern countryside of Daraa, on Oct. 27, 2026.

RSF drones knock out five Sudanese power stations, causing blackouts

Displaced families sit together on mats and bedding inside a communal shelter in Al-Ubayyid, North Kordofan, Sudan, on March 30, 2026.

church on October 25, 2026 in Hmoud, Jordan. Nine people were killed and around 40 injured on October 23 after unidentified gunmen arrived during a funeral service at Saint George's Greek Orthodox church and opened fire. (Photo by Salah Malkawi/Getty Images)

Jordan arrests three suspects after deadly church attack: What to know

The arrests follow days of searching for the three suspects in Friday’s attack, which killed nine people.

Destroyed military vehicles reportedly belonging to Saudi-backed forces

US issues travel advisories across Middle East citing Houthi threat

A State Department spokesperson said the travel warnings were "not indicative" of new Houthi capabilities.

AFPTV / AFP via Getty Images

Aramco evacuates staff as Saudi Arabia braces for potential Houthi escalation: What to know

The repeated and escalating Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia’s energy facilities and airports United States ordered the departure of non-essential government employees and their families from the kingdom, with oil giant Aramco reportedly evacuating its headquarters.

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 25: U.S. ambassador to Turkey Thomas Barrack attends a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Oval Office at the White House on September 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump has signaled that the U.S. might lift a ban on F-35 sales to Turkey during Erdogan's first visit to the White House since 2019. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

US moving away from Middle East security guarantor role, Barrack says

The US envoy said that direct US military intervention on the ground against the Houthis would be "fruitless."

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Yemenis line up to refill gas bottles at a refilling station in Taiz, on Oct. 19, 2026.

Yemen displacement tops 250K as Houthis tighten siege on Taiz: What to know

The Houthis are looking to completely seize Taiz city, with clashes escalating in other parts of the south as well.

Internally displaced Yemenis queue at a water tank dispenser

Feature

US aid runs dry as new fighting razes Yemen

Sweeping funding cuts and the Houthis' targeting of aid workers have hobbled relief efforts in war-torn Yemen.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

tunnel

Lebanon uncovers new tunnel amid tensions with Hezbollah: What to know

A tunnel was discovered near Beirut as tensions between Lebanese authorities and Hezbollah have been running high over the seizure of weapons shipments destined for the Iran-backed group.

Israeli troops stand guard on the dividing line between the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights and Syrian, near Majdal Shams, July 16, 2025.

Analysis

'The problem and the solution': Netanyahu-Sharaa call exposes Israel's Syria dilemma

The Israeli leader revealed that he spoke with the Syrian president last year, but stalled talks and Israel's fortification of a security zone on Syrian land underscore his mistrust of Sharaa.

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

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani

Qatar PM in Beirut as Lebanon seeks economic relief: What to know

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani’s visit to Beirut coincides with the Lebanese authorities’ ongoing efforts to curb Hezbollah’s influence in the country.

Fighters loyal to Yemen's exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi pose for a picture near the presidential palace (unseen R) following clashes in Aden's Maashiq neighborhood on July 22, 2015.

Houthis strike Yemeni government’s presidential palace in Aden: What to know

Aden serves as the de facto capital of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which was forced to relocate from Sanaa after the Houthis seized the capital in 2014.

People attend the funeral ceremony of Mahan Setareh, a member of the paramilitary Basij force who was killed in the recent Israeli attacks on June 26, 2025 in Tehran, Iran. A cease-fire between Israel and Iran has brought an end to 12 days of daily aerial attacks that started with Israel's strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites on June 13. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

Female commander in Iran's Basij units assassinated: What to know

Violence in the Sistan and Baluchistan province has become a regular occurrence, marked by clashes with armed groups and ambushes on Iranian security forces.

Flames burn at a facility belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco south of Riyadh

Explainer

Aramco HQ attack exposes Saudi defense gaps, infrastructure vulnerabilities

The Iran-linked Yemeni militants struck at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry this week amid an expanding campaign against key infrastructure.