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

politics and security cover image

Politics & Security

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is welcomed to the Saadabad Palace in Tehran by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, July 23, 2026.

Analysis

Zaidi’s test in Tehran

Week in Review

By Week in Review

YASIN AKGUL/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Iran war puts Turkey’s inflation fight, lira under fresh pressure

A prolonged Iran war is leaving Turkey's economy management caught between maintaining painful monetary tightening and cutting rates before the economy is ready.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

moke rises from a high-rise building following a drone attack in Kuwait City on March 8, 2026.

Analysis

Can Kuwait secure a Saudi-style defense pact with Pakistan?

Kuwait and other GCC states are looking to Pakistan, among other countries, for alternate security arrangements and multilayered deterrence.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump makes an announcement on American nuclear innovation in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 24, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

US halts strikes on Iran, sees opening for talks: What to know

A four-day lull in Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the strait of Hormuz was seen as an opportunity to resume diplomatic talks and dial down the war, Al-Monitor’s source said.

Jared Szuba

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

Latest News

Analysis

What Iran's warning to Britain reveals about broader escalation strategy

Muntions near a B1 Bomber are seen at RAF Fairford on July 24, 2026, in Fairford, England.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Analysis

What challenges await Erdogan’s new rival and Turkey’s new opposition party?

Ozgur Ozel

Halil Karaveli

By Halil Karaveli

Analysis

Saudi nuclear deal adds new wrinkle if Iran talks resume

US President Donald Trump (L) and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia pause for photographs along the West Wing Colonnade at the White House on Nov. 18, 2025, in Washington.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Iran signs 25 deals at SCO meeting: What to know

AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / 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

An Ethiopian national flag is seen at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Guba, Ethiopia, on Feb. 19, 2022.

Egypt, Sudan joint committee resume talks on Nile waters

The Permanent Joint Technical Commission for Nile Waters between Egypt and Sudan has convened after a four-year hiatus amid the stalled negotiations over Ethiopia’s controversial Nile dam.

Syrians take part in the funeral of 10 fighters with the Turkey-backed Faylaq al-Sham rebel faction in Syria, in the northwestern city of Idlib, following their death in a Russian airstrike, Syria, Oct. 26, 2020.

Russian warplanes hit targets in northwest Syria

Russian warplanes escalated their shelling of Idlib amid field clashes between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Syrian government forces in the countryside of Aleppo.

CIS summit

Middle Eastern leaders converge on Kazakhstan

The Central Asian nation hosted the annual Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States summits this week.

Blinken Iran

Analysis

Iran nuclear talks on hold for now as US, EU focus on protests

MENA region is expected to suffer more than most from the global slowdown partly caused by the Ukraine war.

Week in Review

By Week in Review

Iran protest

Ayatollah criticizes ‘British Shia’ as protests continue

The tweet from the Iranian Supreme Leader follows the Islamic Republic's complaints about London-based Persian language media outlets’ coverage of ongoing anti-government protests in Iran.

Turkey mine blast

Turkish coal mine explosion kills 22, traps dozens

The accident in northern Turkey killed 22 people, injured more than 20 and trapped dozens of miners waiting to be rescued from underground.

ROSH HANIKRA, ISRAEL - OCTOBER 11: Wind surfers surf by an Israeli navy boat in the mediterranean sea at the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon on October 11, 2022 in Rosh Hanikra, Israel. The agreement should resolve a territorial dispute in the eastern Mediterranean sea, where Lebanon wants to explore for natural gas. Israel is already extracting natural gas at nearby fields. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)

Israel-Lebanon maritime agreement to prompt working relations

Gerald Kepes

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional energy trends

Ahmed Abu Markhiya

Palestinian man decapitated over sexual orientation in the West Bank

Palestinians were shocked at the gruesome killing of a young Palestinian gay man, whose body was found decapitated near the city of Hebron in the West Bank.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gave a speech at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Cemevleri

Erdogan’s pre-election gesture to Alevis met with suspicion

Many leaders of Turkey’s Alevi community question the motives behind Erdogan’s plan to create a public authority in charge of Alevi houses of worship.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked (L).

Israel's interior minister calls to expel family of Palestinian assailant

On the backdrop of growing tensions in the West Bank, and riding on Israelis’ fears over personal security, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked is campaigning for the family of Palestinian assailant Fadi Kunbar to be expelled from Jerusalem.

European flags fly at half-mast during a meeting of European Union energy ministers to find solutions to rising energy prices at the EU headquarters, one day after the death of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, Brussels, Belgium, Sept. 9, 2022.

Report: Iran warns EU over sanctions threat

Some European diplomats have been advocating for sanctions against the Islamic Republic over its violent response to protests.

Jewish men, wearing traditional Jewish prayer shawls, gather to perform the annual Cohanim prayer during the holiday of Sukkot at the Western Wall (R), while above are seen the Muslim Dome of the Rock mosque (2nd-L) and its minaret (L), in the Old City of Jerusalem, Oct. 12, 2022.

Israel challenged by West Bank 'Lion’s Den' assailants

Prime Minister Yair Lapid struggles now with Palestinian unrest in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, fueled by provocations on the part of ultranationalist legislator Itamar Ben-Gvir and opposition head Benjamin Netanyahu.