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

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Politics & Security

Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos Hessebon meets with Marco Rubio in Washington on May 11, 2026.

Rubio hosts Ethiopia’s FM amid push to boost security ties: What to know

In response to heightening regional volatility, Ethiopia is prioritizing a strategic partnership with the Washington to secure its geopolitical standing.

A picture taken on March 12, 2017, shows an Panamanian tanker docking at the platform of the oil facility in the Khark Island, on the shore of the Gulf.

Breaking | Last Updated: May 11, 2026, 4:31 pm

US hits China-linked Iran oil trade with sanctions ahead of Trump trip

The sanctions come after the United States rejected Iran's latest proposal to end the war.

French Deputy Armed Forces Minister Alice Rufo

After year away, France returns ambassador to Algeria: What to know

France and Algeria have made efforts to improve ties recently, with the strain resulting from disagreements over Western Sahara and their shared colonial past.

Turkish Red Crescent's cars and trucks cross the Turkish border as they leave the Syrian city of Tel Abyad on Oct. 19, 2019, in Akcakale, Turkey.

Turkey's border reopening unlocks new sphere of influence in Syria

Turkey reopened the Akcakale-Tell Abyad crossing on Monday, ending an 11-year closure along the Syria border.

Latest News

Trump calls Iran response 'piece of garbage,' set to meet military advisers

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MAY 2: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to journalists before boarding Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport on May 2, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump is spending the weekend at his Mar-A-Lago resort. (Photo by Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)

EU ministers agree to sanction violent West Bank settlers: What to know

Two men stand next to the burned remains of a Palestinian vehicle in the Wadi al-Rakhim area of Susya village in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on May 1, 2026.

Upcoming Lebanon-Israel talks will see higher-level participation, discuss security ‘framework’

Anwar AMRO / AFP via 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

Israel's Prime Minsiter Benjamin Netanyahu presents the new government to parliament at the Knesset in Jerusalem on Dec. 29, 2022.

Day 72 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Sunday, Dec. 17

Relatives of Israeli-Bedouins kidnapped in Gaza call on world leader to assist the campaign for their release, Dec. 14, 2023.

Relatives of Israeli Bedouins kidnapped by Hamas plead for France's help

Relatives of Israeli Bedouins kidnapped by Hamas Oct. 7 are hoping to raise international awareness of their plight.

TOPSHOT - German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (R) gestures after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a guest book during his visit at Bellevue presidential palace in Berlin on November 17, 2023. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP) (Photo by ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)

In balancing Turkey's interests, Erdogan walks tightrope between West, Hamas

Despite his high-pitched criticism of Israel, Erdogan is expected to tread cautiously on ties with Hamas, unwilling to add further strain on Turkey’s relations with the West and jeopardize trade with Israel.

Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant (R) and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin deliver a statement to the press at the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) headquarters near the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, on March 9, 2023.

Pentagon dispatches top officials as concerns grow over Israel’s conduct in Gaza war

US officials are expected to advise their Israeli counterparts on methods to shift the campaign from wide-scale ground-clearance operations to more focused strikes against Hamas leadership.

Yakov Argamani, father of 26-year-old Israeli hostage Noa Argamani, speaks to media outside the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, now informally called the "Hostages Square", in Tel Aviv on Dec. 16, 2023, amid continuing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The Israeli army was on December 16 investigating the killing of three hostages which it said had been mistakenly identified as a threat by soldiers, an incident that sparked protests in Tel Aviv.

Day 71 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Saturday, Dec. 16

Can 'night of shame' turn a page in Turkey's violent soccer culture?

The punch delivered by a former ally of Erdogan to an elite referee opens Pandora’s box on violence in sports, but despite condemnations, few expect lasting change.

Bethlehem nativity

In Bethlehem, despair dulls Christmas as nativity scene depicts Gaza

The war in the Gaza Strip has left an impact in Bethlehem, where Christmas celebrations have been canceled in sorrow for the Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel's Prime Minsiter Benjamin Netanyahu presents the new government to parliament at the Knesset in Jerusalem on Dec. 29, 2022.

Analysis

Even with Israel at war, Netanyahu is already campaigning for next elections

Signs indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might not step down after the war is over, but rather will run again for the position of Israel’s leader.

Mazal Mualem

By Mazal Mualem

In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics

hostage families rally

Breaking | Last Updated: December 15, 2023, 1:56 pm

IDF troops kill 3 Israeli hostages by mistake

In a dramatic announcement, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said IDF troops have accidentally shot and killed three Israeli hostages in Gaza.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

US chases breakthrough in Gaza hostage impasse

A senior Hamas official claimed the group has been holding four female soldiers since the truce collapsed, when Biden administration says the militants recategorized civilian women set for release as soldiers.

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Netanyahu, Biden at loggerheads over war, Gaza's future

While the Americans pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lean on the Palestinian Authority, the Israeli leader continues to scapegoat Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

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

BERLIN, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 18: A child attends a demonstration in support of Palestine amidst the ongoing war in Gaza, which the Israeli government says targets Hamas, the Palestinian Sunni Islamist political and military organization governing the Gaza Strip, on November 18, 2023 in Berlin, Germany. According to Hamas' health ministry, over 11,500 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel began retaliation for the group's deadly attack on October 7, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 240 other

Analysis

In midst of Gaza carnage, could outside solidarity spur Hamas to go global?

Even if Hamas as a military threat remains largely confined to the region, the ideology it promotes has an opportunity to capitalize on Gaza's grievances, gain more traction than at any point in recent memory.

Colin P. Clarke

By Colin P. Clarke

In Pittsburgh, US, reporting on counterterrorism, militancy