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Politics & Security

US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, speaks during a press conference

Explainer

Who will lead Congress? Democrats weigh Schumer alternatives, Jeffries bid

A number of contenders have emerged as challengers to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, including strong critics of the Iran war and US support to Israel.

Tump

Can Trump turn midterm defeat into Iran breakthrough?

Although Iran may have contributed to Republican losses in midterms, the Trump administration still has a historic opportunity in the Middle East.

Manon Roca / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Lebanon files charges against 2 Hezbollah members as UNIFIL prepares to withdraw

The move comes amid growing security concerns in the south less than two months before the UNIFIL mandate expires.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses Turkish members of parliament during the opening of the parliamentary session at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara, on Oct. 1, 2026.

Turkey’s parliament ratifies Mecca pact in boost to Saudi Arabia

Turkey will now decide the scope of military support for Saudi Arabia amid ongoing Iran-backed Houthi attacks on the kingdom.

Latest News

Explainer

Arab parties' backing gives Eisenkot edge over Netanyahu for PM: What to know

Tomer Neuberg / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Massie renews Hegseth impeachment push as GOP blames Iran war for midterm losses

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, on July 21, 2026, in Washington.

Jared Szuba

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

Can Erdogan’s Baku visit fix Turkey-Azerbaijan rift?

TOFIK BABAYEV/AFP via Getty Images

Russia to provide Iran with 90 missile launchers as military ties grow: Reports

Russian Mil Mi-8 military helicopters fly over a joint Russian and Turkish convoy, northeastern Hasakeh province, Syria, Feb. 4, 2021.

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

MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images

What Gallant's nixing of Israeli disengagement law means for West Bank

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has greenlit settlers to enter the evacuated and demolished West Bank outposts of Sa-Nur, Ganim and Kadim.

Syrian first lady Asma al-Assad on a state visit to the United Arab Emirates on March 19، 2023

Syrian first lady Asma al-Assad’s leukemia diagnosis: What we know

Assad is facing a relatively difficult path to recovery due to her history of breast cancer, a leukemia expert told Al-Monitor, with sanctions on Damascus further complicating her treatment options.

An Iranian woman in Tehran passes by a poster of Iran's late president Ebrahim Raisi two days after his death on May 21, 2024.

Iran: 8 key contenders to watch as potential successors to Raisi

Facing the key issue of turnout of a disfranchised, apathetic public, Iranian authorities will be holding an early election next month to replace Ebrahim Raisi, whose tenure was cut short due to a deadly chopper crash.

Kent Nishimura/Getty Images

Blinken: Israel 'may not be willing' to accept Palestinian statehood for Saudi normalization

Blinken's comments came as Israeli President Isaac Herzog has revealed that a deal with Saudi Arabia for normalization of ties is on the table.

Passengers getting off a Turkish airline plane after it landed at the Kabul International Airport in Kabul on May 21, 2024.

Turkey's flag carrier resumes flights to Afghanistan after 3-year pause

The Turkish envoy hailed the resumption of flights as a “new era.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) greets National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, during a media briefing ahead of a vote on the national budget, on May 23, 2023, at the parliament in Jerusalem. (Photo by GIL COHEN-MAGEN / AFP) (Photo by GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images)

Ben-Gvir: 'I will be very happy to live' in Israeli-occupied Gaza after war

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has reiterated his call for residents to leave the Gaza Strip voluntarily and for Israeli Jews to settle there in their stead.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian gestures during a session at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos on January 17, 2024. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Why Israel is more concerned over Iran's FM replacement than Raisi's

Israel estimates that the death of Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi will not significantly change Tehran’s policies on the region, but the death of Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian could have some consequences.

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

A Turkish Bayraktar TB2 combat drone is on view during a presentation at the Lithuanian Air Force Base in Siauliai, Lithuania, on July 6, 2022.

Turkey's fastest drone plays key role locating Iran helicopter crash site

The location of the helicopter crash site was identified by Turkey’s Akinci drone, according to Turkish officials, after Ankara sent teams to help Iran's search mission.

AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images)

As Iran heads to elections after Raisi’s death, hard-liners face legitimacy crisis

While the Iranian president's death in a helicopter crash may pose immediate questions about the country's future trajectory, little significant change is expected, as the ruling establishment's key workings remain strictly in the supreme leader's tight controls.

VIENNA, AUSTRIA - MAY 17: Human rights activist and lawyer Amal Clooney attends the international digital festival 4Gamechangers 2023 at Marx Halle Wien on May 17, 2023 in Vienna, Austria. (Photo by Heinz-Peter Bader/Getty Images)

What is Amal Clooney’s role in ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Sinwar?

Having Amal Clooney's public name behind the case is already granting it a publicity boost, adding to a record of cases she championed from Iraq to Sudan.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani leaves after talks at the Coburg Palais, the venue of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in Vienna on August 4, 2022. - The United States and the European Union's Iran nuclear envoys on August 3, 2022 said they were travelling to Vienna for talks with Tehran's delegation as they seek to salvage the agreement on its atomic ambitions. (Photo by Alex HALADA / AFP) (Photo by ALEX HALADA/AFP via Getty Images)

Meet Iran's Mokhber and Bagheri Kani, interim president and FM after crash

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian died in a helicopter crash on Sunday along with a number of other officials.

Russian sign Raisi

From China to Houthis, leaders and groups react to death of Iran's Raisi

Regional and world leaders' condolences have poured in for the death of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and other officials, including the foreign minister, in a helicopter crash.