Armed Militias and Extremist Groups

View of some wreckage after the Rapid Support Forces targeted several civilian facilities in Al-Rahad Abu Dakna, one of the largest cities in North Kordofan, on the national highway linking Kosti and el-Obeid, July 25, 2026.

Analysis

RSF turns to drones, new fronts as Sudan battlefield pressure grows

A wave of RSF drone attacks reflects the group fighting back, but it also points to limited supply lines and difficulty mounting ground offensives beyond its territorial strongholds.

By Rosaleen Carroll

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

Israeli army vehicles move to a position in southern Lebanon, March 27, 2026.

Analysis

Israel defies Trump on Lebanon as Netanyahu, Katz prioritize elections

Both Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump face fateful elections this fall, but one needs progress in Lebanon while the other wants more of the same.

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

military projectile are embedded in the ground

Yemen’s Houthis claim new attack on Aramco refinery in Saudi Arabia: What to know

The strike follows a deadly Houthi attack on a ship in the Red Sea as the renewed conflict take its toll on shipping.

A man inspects the damage at the site of a strike in Bartalla, in the northern Iraq's Nineveh province, after US-Saudi attacks on militias, July 29, 2026.

Iraq intel and security officials visit Saudi Arabia after drone attacks

Iraqi authorities are cracking down on drone attacks after US and Saudi airstrikes targeted Iran-backed militias in the country.

Latest News

Sudan’s RSF attacks Khartoum, seizes border town: What to know

Ebrahim HAMID / AFP via Getty Images

Explainer

Who benefits from Lebanon’s amnesty law and why it is controversial

FADEL itani / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

What Qaani's Baghdad visit reveals about Iran's post-war dilemma

The commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Esmail Qaani, speaks during a commemoration ceremony marking the anniversary of the 2020 killing of Guards general Qasem Soleimani (on screen) in the capital Tehran on Jan. 3, 2024.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

IRGC chief Qaani reportedly in Iraq ahead of militia deadline

Qaani

A US AH-64 Apache attack helicopter flies above US soldiers patrolling along the frontlines.

US captures Islamic State official in Syria as fighting renews among allies

The US military said it captured a senior IS official in Syria on Saturday, as renewed fighting Monday between Kurdish-led forces and Arab tribes in Deir Ezzor raised new questions as to the open-ended nature of the US mission.

A Russian helicopter flies off the coast of the Syrian port city of Tartus, July 25, 2022.

Suspected Israeli strikes in Syria hit military sites in Tartus, Hama

Several Syrian military sites were targeted in two rounds of airstrikes in Tartus and Hama, leaving at least two soldiers dead and causing material damage.

A fighter watches as Palestinian youths parade during a military-style summer camp.

Gaza Palestinian factions hold drills amid infighting in Lebanon’s refugee camp

Senior Hamas official Mousa Abu Marzouk arrived in Beirut to discuss an end to the fighting between rival Palestinian factions in Ain al-Hilweh camp.

Argentine Israeli Mutual Association

US unveils sanctions on Hezbollah operatives in South America, Lebanon

The targets include one of Hezbollah's alleged operational members behind the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association bombing in 1994.

International Institute for Counter-Terrorism

Mossad chief warns Iran leadership of retaliation, says Israel foiled 27 attacks

In an unusual direct threat, Israel's Mossad chief warned Tehran decision-makers that Israel will come after them should Iran hurt any Jew or Israeli.

A man wearing camouflage visits the grave of Wagner private mercenary group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was killed in a private jet crash in the Tver region last week, at the Porokhovskoye cemetery in Saint Petersburg on August 30, 2023. (Photo by Olga MALTSEVA / AFP) (Photo by OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia maintains Libya role after Wagner's mutiny, Prigozhin's death

A senior defense official visited eastern Libya to meet with the Libyan National Army and assure them that Russian support would continue.

North Africa Pulse

Members of Lebanon's LGBTQ community attend a picnic the coastal city of Batroun, north of Beirut, on May 21, 2017, as part of the Beirut Pride week aimed at raising awarness about the rights of the community. / AFP PHOTO / IBRAHIM CHALHOUB (Photo credit should read IBRAHIM CHALHOUB/AFP via Getty Images)

Culture

Lebanon: Backlash as MPs introduce bill to decriminalize LGBTQ+ relationships

Some Lebanese leaders have intensified their campaign against the LGBTQ+ community after news emerged of a bill to repeal an anti-LGBTQ+ provision of the Penal Code.

Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen (L) attends a press conference with his counterpart from Bahrain Abdul Latif al-Zayani (R), during his visit to the capital Manama on September 4, 2023. (Photo by Mazen Mahdi / AFP) (Photo by MAZEN MAHDI/AFP via Getty Images)

Hamas, Hezbollah lash out at Bahrain as Israeli FM concludes visit

Hamas criticized the visit as Israel’s relations with the island kingdom continue to improve, despite historically high tensions with the Palestinians.

Tens of thousands of people rally in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on October 26, 2011, as an Arab delegation led by Qatar was headed for Syria for mediation between the Syrian government and its opponents. The demonstrators, waving Syrian flags and brandishing pictures of Assad and his brother Maher (L), swarmed to Omayyad square in the heart of Damascus. AFP PHOTO/LOUAI BESHARA (Photo credit should read LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Syria: clashes in Damascus countryside with Maher Assad brigade leave 5 dead

The residents of Zakia town had been raising anti-regime banners, and a man was killed by local militias affiliated with Maher al-Assad’s Fourth Division this week.

Iraqis drive past electoral billboards and placards of candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Karrada district, Baghdad, Iraq, Sept. 19, 2021.

US welcomes conviction of Iranian, 4 Iraqis for killing American citizen

Stephen Troell, an aid worker in Baghdad, was killed in November when gunmen opened fire on his car.

Palestinian militants march during the funeral of Palestinians killed in clashes the previous day in the Israeli military operation in Jenin in the occupied West Bank on July 5, 2023.

What's behind rare intra-Palestinian clashes in West Bank

The rare clash between the Palestinian Authority and local Palestinians came amid increased Israeli security raids in the territory.

Arab Israelis demonstrate against organized crime and calling on the Israeli police to stop a wave of intra-communal violence, Umm al-Fahm, March 12, 2021.

Analysis

Does Israel’s government want to curb deadly crime wave in Arab sector?

Despite electoral promises, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has nothing to show in terms of stopping spiraling violence in Arab Israeli towns and villages.

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