Turkey’s Erdogan to visit China for first time in five years for SCO summit

The SCO summit comes as Ankara walks a tightrope between maintaining close ties with Washington and diversifying its foreign partnerships.

Turkey

UN Security Council renews Lebanon peacekeeping mission for one year

The compromise vote gives Lebanon's army buffer time to meet US demands to fill security vacuum in the country's south before a planned withdrawal of UN peacekeepers in 2027.

Lebanon

Lebanon's army receives 8 truckloads of weapons from Palestinian camps

The army received weapons from several Palestinian refugee camps in the south, following a similar handover last week from a camp in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Lebanon

UK, France, Germany trigger snapback sanctions on Iran

The three countries set an end-of-month deadline for Iran to cooperate over its nuclear program.

Iran

Turkey detains top execs of defense firm Assan in military espionage probe

The company’s 10 subsidiaries have been placed under the control of Turkey's state-run  Savings Deposit Insurance Fund.

Turkey

Analysis

As E3 prepares to restore Iran sanctions, IAEA's Grossi pushes nuclear access

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said his team is seeking access to Tehran's nuclear sites "as soon as possible."

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

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

Turkey delivers $460 million first batch of Steel Dome air defense system

More than 40 units, including long- and short-range missile systems, radars and sensors, are ready for use as Ankara pushes for an integrated air defense, the Turkish president said.

Turkey

US Army trains new Saudi anti-missile THAAD crew as Gulf air defense lags

Despite damage from Israel’s June air campaign, Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal continues to threaten Arab states and has in the past limited US military access to regional bases, testing the Pentagon’s ability to manage its global resources.

United States

Analysis

Netanyahu makes ill-timed Armenian genocide nod as Yerevan courts Turkey

Ankara accused the Israeli premier of exploiting history for political gain after he became the first Israeli leader to use the term genocide for the 1915 killings of Armenians.

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Lebanese PM meets Egypt’s Sisi amid Hezbollah disarmament push: What to know

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi pledged support for Lebanon’s stability and reconstruction during talks in Cairo with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

Lebanon

Syria says six soldiers killed in Israeli drone strike as US pushes for security deal

There have been signs of progress in Israel-Syria talks, though tensions are flaring in the south and Syria has condemned a number of Israeli actions.

Syria

Sudan cabinet convenes in Khartoum in first since war began: What to know

Sudan’s newly formed government met in the capital, Khartoum, for the first time since the war broke out in April 2023, as authorities weigh moving the government’s seat from Port Sudan to the capital.

Sudan