Defense/Security cooperation

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses Turkish members of parliament during the opening of the parliamentary session at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara, on Oct. 1, 2026.

Breaking | Last Updated: November 5, 2026, 3:56 pm

Turkey’s parliament ratifies Mecca pact in boost to Saudi Arabia

Turkey will now decide the scope of military support for Saudi Arabia amid ongoing Iran-backed Houthi attacks on the kingdom.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, on July 21, 2026, in Washington.

Massie renews Hegseth impeachment push as GOP blames Iran war for midterm losses

Most Democrats and at least a few Republicans are said to support impeaching Hegseth, but President Donald Trump still publicly backs the beleaguered Pentagon chief, and House leadership can still try to prevent a vote on Rep. Massie's measure.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Russian Mil Mi-8 military helicopters fly over a joint Russian and Turkish convoy, northeastern Hasakeh province, Syria, Feb. 4, 2021.

Russia to provide Iran with 90 missile launchers as military ties grow: Reports

Multiple recent reports reveal increased Russian support for Iran, including weapons and intelligence sharing.

An aerial view shows a campaign billboard depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud party and President Donald Trump in Tel Aviv, on Oct. 26, 2026, on the eve of Israel's legislative elections.

Explainer

Democrats’ midterm sweep tests US-Israel ties as Eisenkot vows reset

Political sources describe the Democrats' midterm victory as a political blow to both US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Latest News

Hegseth fires Pentagon’s top strategist accused of leaks amid Iran war

Ezra Acayan/Getty Images

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

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.

Explainer

As parliament approves, what's driving Egypt's 'defensive' support to Saudi Arabia?

Egyptian soldiers man an infantry fighting vehicle

Jordan’s King Abdullah calls church shooting ‘terror attack,’ at least 7 killed: What to know

People and security forces gather outside a Greek Orthodox Church in the village of Hammoud in Jordan's Karak governorate following a shooting on October 23, 2026.

Jewel SAMAD / AFP via Getty Images

How Israel’s election could shape next phase of Iran war

Most of the Israeli prime minister's main rivals in the Oct. 27 election agree that Israel's war to overthrow the Iranian regime should continue, but only he claims to have President Donald Trump's blessing to do so.

Benoit Tessier / AFP via Getty Images

France’s Macron first Western leader to visit Saudi Arabia since Houthi escalation

French President Emmanuel Macron met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a surprise stop in Saudi Arabia.

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

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Turkey's defense industry set to hit $20B in new contracts in 2026

The expanding defense industry sector has also become a foreign-policy tool for Ankara, deepening military partnerships with countries including Saudi Arabia.

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

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Oct. 14, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Iraq’s Zaidi, Saudi crown prince discuss security as Houthi attacks escalate

Iraq has moved to improve ties with Saudi Arabia after Iran-backed militias struck the kingdom and amid the conflict with the Houthis in Yemen.

A cargo ship is pictured off coast of the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, along the Gulf of Oman, on June 28, 2026, after Iran's top diplomat warned that any attempt by shipping to bypass its preferred route through the Strait of Hormuz would "increase tensions" in the Middle East.

Hormuz attacks spike after US airstrike on Iran-linked tanker

Six commercial vessels were hit in just one day in the Strait of Hormuz after an American fighter jet disabled an Iran-linked tanker that military officials accused of attempting to run the US naval blockade.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

A giant electoral poster for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party with the slogan "no surrender" is displayed on the facade of a building in Tel Aviv on Sept. 29, 2026

Exclusive

In bid to win over Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu may strike Yemen before elections

Attacks on Iran or its Yemeni proxy before the elections cannot be ruled out, but the Israeli prime minister appears more inclined to support Saudi Arabia against the Houthis in Yemen.

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

Pakistani soldiers (R) patrol on a street next to welcoming posters of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Islamabad on Feb. 17, 2019.

Analysis

Why Saudi-Pakistan defense pact remains key as Mecca alliance takes shape

Pakistan’s established military ties with Saudi Arabia remain the more operational defense framework as the newer Mecca alliance works to define its role.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

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

GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA - OCTOBER 05: U.S. President Donald Trump wraps up an appearance at a campaign rally at Pinnacle Bank Expo Center on the Nebraska State Fairgrounds on October 05, 2026 in Grand Island, Nebraska. Trump is campaigning for incumbent U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Gov. Jim Pillen ahead of the November midterm elections. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Analysis

Deal or war? Israel fears fallout from Trump’s next move on Iran

Israel is struggling to decipher the White House’s intentions toward Iran, given Washington's contradictions around launching a fresh military campaign.

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

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, on Sept. 1, 2026.

Pezeshkian to meet Putin as Iran looks to Russia for support: What to know

Russia has reportedly provided Iran with military materiel, intelligence and diplomatic backing during the war.

A US Boeing KC-135 air refueling tanker flies

US quietly aids Saudi Arabia’s Yemen campaign with intel, refueling

Pentagon aims to keep Yemen and Iran wars separate while shielding the flow of Gulf oil exports from attack as Riyadh bears the brunt of the Houthis' missile and drone barrages.