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Politics & Security

Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud speaks during the launch of an offshore energy exploration at the port in Mogadishu on April 10, 2026.

Turkish jets strike al-Shabab targets in Somalia: What to know

A Somali Defense Ministry statement initially said Turkish F-16s carried out strikes on Al-Shabab targets before a later version referred only to “international partners.”

Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

Who is Melat Kiros, the pro-Palestinian who unseated a longtime Democrat?

Kiros has taken a hard stance against Israel and opposes all aid to the country as pro-Palestinian candidates make further inroads in the party.

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Explainer

Turkey eases job rules for 1M+ Syrians under temporary protection: What to know

Syrian textile employees work in a textile workshop in Gaziantep, Turkey, on Jan. 30, 2025.

Syria announces Sharaa's parliamentary appointees, SDF Kurds sidelined

Al Sharaa

Analysis

Why Iran's Pezeshkian is facing an uphill battle in postwar diplomacy

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian listens during a joint press conference alongside Armenia's Prime Minister in Yerevan on August 19, 2025.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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

Syria thwarts church attack in Tartous, blames Assad 'remnants': What to know

Syrian officials blamed the attack on a group affiliated with the government of former President Bashar al-Assad.

Zamir

Israel's Netanyahu, army chief face off over possible Gaza City offensive

Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir opposes plans to take control of Gaza City, where some 800,000 Palestinians reside.

pakistan

Analysis

As Iran looks East, Pezeshkian courts Pakistan to ease economic woes

During his visit to neighboring Pakistan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sought to deepen political and economic ties as part of a broader foreign policy strategy to ease sanctions and offset the fallout from the recent war with Israel.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

People who fled the Zamzam camp for the internally displaced after it fell under RSF control queue for food rations in a makeshift encampment in an open field near the town of Tawila in Sudan's western Darfur region on April 13, 2025.

UN: Sudanese children 'skin and bones' as 250,000 in El Fasher face starvation

The warnings come as reports claim that Colombian mercenaries have taken control over the nearby Zamzam refugee camp.

Lebanese demonstrators march during a gathering to honour the victims of the catastrophic port explosion in 2020 and to call for accountability for the blast, in Beirut on August 4, 2025. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on August 4, vowed justice and accountability five years after a catastrophic explosion at Beirut's port, as the investigating judge finished questioning defendants, a judicial official said. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP) (Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)

Lebanon tasks army with plan to control weapons as Hezbollah rejects disarmament

Speaking to reporters at the conclusion of the session, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the army must draft its plan and present it before the government for review before Aug. 31.

Former Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani addresses the media following his registration at the elections registration office in Tehran, on May 31, 2024, ahead of the country's election of a new president next month.

Who Is Ali Larijani? Khamenei confidant returns to Iran’s top security post

The appointment comes amid a wider security reshuffling following Iran’s war with Israel in June.

Turkmen Alabai

Fears mount over fate of missing Turkmen dissidents in Turkey

The pair vanished after being released from a Turkish deportation center, prompting concerns they were abducted or secretly returned to Turkmenistan.

Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa holds a joint press conference with the Turkish president following their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, on Feb. 4, 2025.

As Trump warms to Syria, US pushes UN to lift Sharaa sanctions

The move comes as Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa prepares to attend the UN General Assembly in New York next month.

An Israeli army infantry-fighting vehicle leaves a cloud of dust as it moves at a position along Israel's southern border with the Gaza Strip, Aug. 5, 2025.

Analysis

Collision course: 'Desperate' Netanyahu pushes Gaza takeover plan as military balks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is poised to escalate the military operation in the Gaza Strip and may even order the Israeli army to seize control of all of Gaza.

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

A cargo ship is seen in a port in central Mogadishu, Somalia, April 25, 2025.

Somalia’s Puntland releases Turkey arms cargo ship: What to know

Talks between Turkey and Puntland follow the seizure of a military cargo ship amid simmering disputes over authority with Mogadishu.

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey names new army chief in unexpected reshuffle

While official releases cited staffing shortages as the reason, it has been roughly a decade since a Turkish chief of staff has retired before completing a full four-year tenure.

Fighters with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) line up to put their weapons into a pit during a ceremony in Sulaimaniyah, in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, on July 11, 2025.

Kurdish militants return abducted Turkish agents as fragile peace push continues

The handover is seen as a confidence-building measure, as Erdogan seeks a deal with militants to secure Kurdish support for extending his presidency beyond 2028.