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Politics & Security

Iraq's prime minister-designate, Ali al-Zaidi, at Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's office on April 28, 2026.

Trump congratulates Iraq PM-designate Zaidi in call: What to know

President Donald Trump was openly critical of previous nominee Nouri al-Maliki, who was seen as close to Iran, but is now welcoming the new candidate put forward by Iraq’s leading Shiite bloc.

This photo obtained by AFP from the Iranian news agency Tasnim shows an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) boat allegedly taking part in an operation to seize ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, on April 21, 2026.

Trump faces three paths ahead in Iran war as Hormuz standoff intensifies

As the Hormuz standoff intensifies, Trump must choose between military escalation, a limited diplomatic deal, or continuing a pressure campaign against Iran.

AFP via Getty Images

In defiant message, Iran’s Khamenei threatens US but appeals to Gulf

The address was Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s third since coming to power and included a pledge to rid the Gulf of the US.

Latest News

Turkey warns France over Cyprus troop deployment: What to know

Members of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), from the British Army's 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, No. 2 Company, patrol along the buffer zone separating the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus and the breakaway Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the divided capital Nicosia on Feb. 17, 2026.

US blockade tests Iran's limits, but will global pain force Trump’s hand?

QESHM ISLAND, IRAN - APRIL 28: Boats navigate the sea on April 28, 2026 on Qeshm Island, Iran in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's latest proposal for ending its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz calls on the United States to end its naval blockade of Iran's ports, and sets aside questions about what to do with Iran's nuclear program. The United States has not formally responded to the latest proposal, which was delivered by Iran's foreign minister to Pakistan two days ago. (Photo by Asghar Besharati/Getty Images

Iran-linked group claims stabbing in Jewish area in London: What to know

Local residents look on from outside a cordoned off area in the Golders Green neighborhood of north London on April 29, 2026, following the stabbing to two people nearby.

Amberin Zaman

Chief Correspondent

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Elizabeth Hagedorn

Diplomatic Correspondent

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

Ezgi Akin

Associate Editor (Turkey)

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Ben Caspit

Israel Columnist

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

Jared Szuba

Defense and Security Correspondent

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

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during the American Compass New World Gala at the National Building Museum on June 3, 2025 in Washington.

Rubio announces sanctions on ICC judges over US, Israel probes

Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the four judges of engaging in the court's "illegitimate and baseless actions."

An Egyptian Bedouin walks with his camel on Feb. 24, 2000, outside the walls of Saint Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula, some 400 kilometers southeast of Cairo.

Egypt, Greece pledge to protect Mount Sinai monastery after court ruling: What to know

Greece and Egypt have launched a diplomatic effort to reaffirm the status of Saint Catherine’s Monastery, one of the most revered monasteries in Christianity.

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli air strike targeting the southern suburbs of Beirut, Nov. 23, 2024.

Israel strikes Beirut, targeting underground Hezbollah drone facilities

This marks the first time Israel has struck Lebanon’s capital city since April.

Travelers from the Middle East arrive at the International Arrivals section at Los Angeles International Airport on June 29, 2017.

Trump travel ban 2.0: Assessing the impact on Mideast nations

Trump’s new decision excludes Syria and Iraq, both of which were part of his previous ban issued during his first term in 2017.

A picture taken on Feb. 21, 2020 shows M1 Abrams Fighting tanks of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, as US military equipment arrives to the Port of Bremerhaven the United States for the Defender 2020 international military exercises.

US green-lights $325 million in sustainment for Kuwait’s M1 Abrams tanks

The Trump administration has notified Congress of a $325 million arms sale to Kuwait for tank maintenance, part of broader efforts to strengthen Gulf defense ties and streamline US arms transfers.

Ozgur Ozel, head of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), gestures toward supporters during a rally in support of arrested Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu in Ankara, April 23, 2025.

Turkish prosecutors probe main opposition leader Ozel, oust mayors

The probes, following Ozel's criticism of the judiciary, come amid five additional district mayors' dismissal from their duties.

Protesters hold signs and photos of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by Hamas during a rally calling for a hostage deal, May 31, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Israeli military recovers bodies of two Israeli-American hostages held in Gaza

Kibbutz Nir Oz announced that the bodies of Gadi Haggai and his wife, Judith Weinstein, were recovered overnight from Gaza in a military operation.

US President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 23, 2025.

Trump travel ban bars entry from Iran, Libya, Sudan, Yemen

The president during his first term issued a number of travel bans largely aimed at Middle Eastern countries, and the new one targets countries the administration says have insufficient vetting procedures and internal security risks.

A fighter loyal to the army patrols a market area in Khartoum on March 24, 2025.

Sudan: 14 killed in camp shelling blamed on RSF as Darfur violence grows

An attack on the Abu Shouk displacement camp in El Fasher has killed 14 people amid ongoing assaults on civilians and humanitarian convoys.

Members of the United Nations Security Council listen as Jean-Noel Barrot, minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, speaks during a meeting on the conflict in the Middle East on April 29, 2025.

US vetoes UN resolution demanding Gaza ceasefire

The blocked resolution also called for the release of hostages and the unrestricted flow of aid into Gaza.

Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, delivers a speech during a funeral ceremony after a terrorist attack, on Jan. 5, 2024, in Kerman, Iran.

Iran says 13 ISIS affiliates arrested for planning suicide attacks

ISIS’ Khorasan branch has conducted numerous attacks against Iran in recent years, prompting authorities to pursue its members.

A view of the UN Security Council during a meeting to discuss the situation in Middle East at the UN headquarters in New York City, on April 29, 2025.

What Bahrain’s election to UN Security Council means for Mideast diplomacy

The election of new members to the UN Security Council comes ahead of a vote on a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.