Politics & Security - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

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Politics & Security

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As Trump touts nuclear progress, US-Iran talks show little momentum

With a final nuclear agreement far from reach, the US-Iran conflict risks settling into a new status quo.

Syrian security forces and people gather at the site of an explosion at a cafe in the capital, Damascus, on July 2, 2026.

At least 6 killed, 22 wounded in Damascus cafe explosion: What to know

Syrian authorities have yet to identify a perpetrator in relation to the incident, and armed groups opposing the transitional government did not immediately take credit.

Latest News

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

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

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

Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

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

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sit down for a meeting at the Pentagon on July 09, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia.

US strikes on Iran included F-22s, F-35s, Hegseth says

Netanyahu expressed gratitude for the US' long-range bombing of Iran's key nuclear sites, but failed to earn a public endorsement from Washington for further Israeli strikes on Iran.

Supporters of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood take part in a protest in the village of Sweimeh.

Jordan targets charities for alleged Muslim Brotherhood ties: What to know

Jordan banned the Muslim Brotherhood in April and arrested some senior members of the related Islamic Action Front last month.

Palestinian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Varsen Aghabekian speaks during a UN Security Council meeting on Gaza in light of ceasefire and hostage release at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City on Jan. 20, 2025.

Exclusive

Palestinian FM: Ready to work with Trump; Saudi payments to PA resumed

Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian told Al-Monitor in first such interview since taking the position that Palestinian officials are ready to "work closely" with President Donald Trump for a negotiated settlement.

Daoud Kuttab

By Daoud Kuttab

In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics

BAKR ALKASEM/AFP via Getty Images

US envoy Barrack pushes deal between Syria's Sharaa, Kurdish commander Kobane

The talks come amid shifting dynamics on the ground and a reduced US military presence in the northeast.

RICCARDO MILANI/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

In first AI crackdown, Turkey blocks access to some Grok content

The access ban marked the first AI content censorship in Turkey, stemming from offensive material targeting the Turkish president, religious values, and the country’s founder.

A S-200 surface-to-air missile system is on display as heavy weaponry, including ballistic missiles, air defense systems and unmanned aerial vehicles, are showcased during an exhibition that marks the 44th anniversary of the 8-year war with Iraq, known as the "Holy Defense Week", in Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran on Sept. 26, 2024.

Analysis

Can China and Russia fill Iran's defense vacuum after 12-day war?

With its air defenses shattered by Israeli strikes in the recent war, Iran is scrambling to rebuild amid growing public doubt over the reliability of its "strategic alliances."

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

A Palestinian boy searches for things to rescue at a garbage waste dump in the Al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip on July 7, 2025.

White House upbeat about Gaza deal as Hamas signals impasse

US envoy Steve Witkoff said Israel and Hamas could agree to a 60-day truce and the release of 10 living hostages by the end of the week.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan received Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on July 8, 2025, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Iran FM visits Saudi Arabia as kingdom makes push for regional diplomacy

The meeting in Mecca comes as Saudi Arabia steps up its diplomatic engagement with key global powers with the aim of managing regional tensions.

Turkey protest

Turkey’s Sozcu TV forced off air in latest crackdown on opposition: What to know

As Istanbul's mayor remains jailed, pressure mounts on opposition-aligned media to soften their criticism, analysts say.

An aerial view shows smoke billowing from a forest fire in the coastal Syrian province of Latakia on July 5, 2025. Syrian emergency workers were battling forest fires raging in the coastal province of Latakia on Saturday for a third day in tough conditions as neighbouring Turkey sent assistance. Syria's ministry for emergencies and disaster management said teams from Turkey began helping on Saturday morning "as part of regional coordination to face the fires", with the assistance including two aircrafts and

As wildfires ravage Latakia, Syria seeks EU support: What to know

Syria has been combating massive wildfires in coastal Latakia province for six days.