Defense/Security cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with King of Jordan Abdullah II during a signing ceremony at The Great Hall Of The People on Sept. 9, 2015, in Beijing, China.

Jordan's King Abdullah heads to China in first visit since 2015: What to know

Ahead of the visit, King Abdullah said that Jordan hopes to expand cooperation with China in green energy, tourism and aviation.

AFP via Getty Images

US general meets Lebanon’s army chief as ceasefire with Israel teeters

Control over a strategic ridge overlooking Nabatieh is emerging as a flashpoint between the Israeli military and Lebanon ahead of the next expected round of negotiations in September.

Jared Szuba

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

SPA

Explainer

Three ways China benefits from Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan pact: What to know

The pact points to a more multipolar Middle Eastern security order, one in which Washington is no longer the unquestioned center of Gulf security.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends a press conference in Moscow on June 16, 2026.

Analysis

Fidan heads to Egypt amid questions over Saudi Arabia-Turkey-Pakistan pact

Conflicting accounts of why Egypt stayed out of the agreement have exposed the competing interests shaping the region’s emerging defense architecture.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Latest News

New deal reduces Russia’s military presence in Syria: What to know

A Syrian rebel fighter looks on as he stands at an inspection checkpoint for incoming vehicles before a Russian flag and Russian soldiers behind manning the entrance of the Russian-leased Syrian military base of Hmeimim in Latakia province in western Syria on Dec. 29, 2024.

Analysis

As US rethinks regional presence, Israel shifts focus to destabilizing Iran

Hussein FALEH / AFP via Getty Images

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

Turkey’s defense exports reach record $5.79B in first 7 months of 2026

People look at a drone on display at the Baykar exhibit at the SAHA International Defense and Aerospace Expo on May 6, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Analysis

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

Win McNamee/Getty Images

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

YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images

Following Biden’s MidEast visit, Pentagon aims to do more with less

The White House wants the Pentagon to bring Israeli tech to link up Arab air defenses, but can progress be achieved without deploying additional American units?

Israeli President Isaac Herzog meets with Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson (not pictured) inside Number 10 Downing Street, London, England, Nov. 23, 2021.

Israel rushes to de-escalate diplomatic crisis with Russia

Israeli President Isaac Herzog is now trying to discreetly resolve the diplomatic dispute between Moscow and Jerusalem so that the Jewish Agency can continue its activities there.

Israeli soldiers close a gate near the Kibbutz of Shtula, near the border with Lebanon, July 3, 2022.

Israel assesses Nasrallah's next move amid escalation on northern border

Jerusalem is concerned that internal pressures in Lebanon on Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah could be translated into more violence against Israel.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L), Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (C) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan returns empty-handed from talks with Putin, Raisi

Erdogan fails to enlist Russian and Iranian support for a fresh Turkish military operation in Syria, but he remains bent on maintaining the pressure.

Austin Milley

Pentagon warns Iran not to aid Russia's war against Ukraine

Rare rebuke comes after White House declassified intelligence revealing Moscow's interest in Iran's fleet of armed drones.

JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images

Hezbollah, Israel tensions heat up over border

US-led mediation over Israel's maritime borders with Lebanon complicated by border tensions with Israel.

Aviv Kochavi in Morocco

Israeli army chief in Morocco for first visit

The Rabat visit of IDF chief Aviv Kochavi reflects rapprochement between the countries on regional security cooperation.

A Jewish Ukranian woman waves the Israeli flag as she disembarks from an aircaft carryng Jewish immigrants after fleeing the Russian invasion, Tel Aviv, Israel, March 6, 2022.

Israel concerned Russia may create obstacles to Jewish emigration

Two weeks after a letter to that effect, Jerusalem fears that Moscow is serious in its intention to shut down Jewish Agency activities of helping Jewish immigration to Israel.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid at the opening of the Maccabiah Games, Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem, July 14, 2022.

Biden captures Israeli hearts

On the strategic level, the visit of US President Joe Biden to Israel generated mixed results, but on the level of image and intimacy, Biden captured the hearts of Israeli citizens.

i2u2

Israel, US, India, UAE hold virtual summit on food security, clean energy

During US President Joe Biden's trip to Israel, the leaders the two countries met virtually with those of India and the United Arab Emirates to discuss food security and clean energy.

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid sign the Jerusalem Declaration, Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Jerusalem, July 14, 2022.

Biden, Lapid sign Jerusalem Declaration

While the document lays out a platform for continued US-Israeli cooperation, there are still signs the two are divided on diplomacy with Tehran.

Biden lands in Tel Aviv

Biden arrives in Israel

Israeli official sources said yesterday the centerpiece of President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel would be an unprecedented Jerusalem Declaration, outlining the strategic partnership between the two countries.