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Politics & Security

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Quake hits Turkey’s Malatya, reviving fear in 2023 disaster zone

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake has struck Turkey’s southeast, an area devastated by the February 2023 twin quakes.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets with the head of the Hikmah Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, in Baghdad on May 19, 2026.

Iraqi PM Zaidi holds talks as cabinet deadlock leaves nine posts unfilled

Political disputes caused parliament to fail to agree on a number of ministerial nominees, including those of defense and the interior.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 14, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Senate advances resolution to limit Trump's Iran war powers

The measure marks a symbolic win for Democrats and a small but growing number of Republicans who have questioned the Trump administration's war with Iran.

Latest News

UAE, France renew defense pact after Rafale jets controversy

A rafale fighter jet prepares for take off on the deck of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle during the NATO military exercise Neptune Strike 26-2, off the coast of the Greek island of Crete, on April 27, 2026.

United Arab Emirates

Analysis

Iran tightens wartime crackdown across Kurdish, Baluch ethnic regions

Baluch Iranian youths cross a street in Zahedan, in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan bordering Afghanistan, on Dec. 18, 2025.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Vance says transfer of Iran's enriched uranium to Russia 'not currently our plan'

US Vice President JD Vance speaks during a press conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on May 19, 2026, in Washington, DC.

Jared Szuba

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

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

Jordan's King Abdullah II (R) escorts Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (C) and Iraq's Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani (L) along with other dignitaries at the start of the "Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership" in Sweimeh by the Dead Sea shore in central-west Jordan on December 20, 2022. (Photo by KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP via Getty Images)

Trilateral Biden-Abdullah-Sudani call reiterated support for Iraq

The Iraqi prime minister also discussed Iraq’s economic situation with the president as the dinar continues to slide against the dollar. Jordan's King Abdullah II was also on the call.

Giza zoo

Overhaul plan for Giza Zoo stirs controversy in Egypt

The historic zoo is in need of renovation, but critics fear that the government's announced plan may make things worse.

LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images

Israel's Netanyahu echoes 'shared estimate' with France on Iran, 'serious concerns' on Ukraine

"I must note that we share concerns and we share the estimates on the nature of the Tehran regime," Netanyahu said following his meeting with Macron

US Central Command supported maritime operations

France's seizure of Iranian weapons to Yemen is a win for Pentagon

French forces seized some 3,000 assault rifles, 23 anti-tank rockets and more than half a million rounds of ammunition bound for Yemen's Houthi rebels.

Iran's nuclear chief, Mohammad Eslami.

Iran rejects latest IAEA report, claims it is 'not up to date'

Despite Tehran's outright rejection, the UN watchdog's report on alleged secrecy at a leading Iranian facility has once again highlighted concerns that the Islamic Republic could be inching closer to developing a nuclear bomb.

Israeli PM Netanyahu and Macron

Netanyahu meets Macron as Iran threatens retaliation against Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Thursday with French President Emmanuel Macron in a bid to bring their positions closer on Iran.

US President Joe Biden meets with King Abdullah II of Jordan.

Jordan's King Abdullah in Washington as Israeli-Palestinian tensions soar

The visit came days after Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the region and urged both Israelis and Palestinians to de-escalate.

U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) leaves her office at the Longworth House Office Building on February 02, 2023 in Washington, DC. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has announced he plans to hold a vote on a resolution to remove Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Muslim congresswoman, Israel critic Ilhan Omar, removed from House committee

The Minnesota congresswoman has received criticism from Republicans and pro-Israel groups over the years for her statements on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but many Democrats and pro-Palestine organizations support her.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

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

Swedish consulate in Istanbul

Turkey denounces 'psychological war' as Western consulates close

Turkey has summoned ambassadors from nine countries after a number of diplomatic missions temporarily shut their doors amid a growing terror threat level.

Photo of Sudan military leader Abdul Fattah al-Burhan from his meeting today in Khartoum with Israeli FM Eli Cohen

Israel's foreign minister flies to Sudan ahead of signing Abraham Accords

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen has returned from Sudan's capital Khartoum, ahead of signing the Abraham Accords with the country's military leaders.

Blinken Abbas

The Takeaway: Blinken's call for two-state solution met with Israeli-Palestinian pessimism

Plus, the US denies involvement in the Isfahan drone attack and Jordan's king returns to Washington.

An Israeli Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter jet performs during a graduation ceremony of Israeli Air Force pilots, at the Hatzerim base in the Negev desert, near the southern city of Beer Sheva, on December 28, 2022. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

US CENTCOM pulls closer to Israeli military as Mossad tests Iran

Training exercise represents the tightest collaboration ever, but CENTCOM's deputy commander told Al-Monitor the US had no involvement in recent strikes attributed to Israel in Isfahan, Iran and eastern Syria.