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Politics & Security

AFP via Getty Images

China presses Iran, US to reopen Hormuz as disruptions threaten oil supply

Conflicts in the region are disrupting two key routes for oil bound for China, with Iranian crude affected by the Strait of Hormuz and Saudi shipments facing growing risks in the Red Sea.

UN peacekeepers stand next to an armored vehicle during a patrol in southern Lebanon, Feb. 22, 2026.

Explainer

Why France is pushing to keep UNIFIL in Lebanon beyond 2026

Showing its support for Lebanon, Paris is backing Beirut’s request at the UN for a short-term extension of UNIFIL’s mandate, although French sources acknowledge that the chances of the request being approved are slim.

Sky News

Algeria pulls Sky News Arabia accreditation amid UAE rift: What to know

Algeria severed diplomatic ties with the UAE, which owns Sky News Arabia through Abu Dhabi-based International Media Investments, last Thursday.

People and pilgrims walk at the Grand Mosque Complex in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca on Sept. 16, 2026.

Saudi Arabia says attempted Mecca drone attack ‘red line’ as Houthis deny claim

The escalation between Yemen’s Houthis and Saudi Arabia comes as the Iranian-backed group reportedly met with US officials in Oman to discuss maritime security.

Latest News

Exclusive

Lacking deterrence, Israel’s security establishment opposes attacks on Houthis

Fighters loyal to the Houthi authorities, brandish their weapons during a rally to recruit more fighters, in Sanaa on September 10, 2026. The country relapsed into war in July after years of calm, drawn into the regional conflict triggered by the US-Israeli offensive against Iran that began at the end of February. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP via Getty Images)

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

Analysis

How far will Iran push Houthis against Saudi Arabia amid raging conflict?

Houthi fighters marching

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Analysis

Why Saudi Arabia's balancing act with US, Iran, Houthis risks collapse

Fighters loyal to the Houthi authorities shout slogans during a rally to recruit more fighters, in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sept. 10, 2026.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

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

A picture taken on Nov. 10, 2019, shows an Iranian flag in Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, during an official ceremony to kick-start works on a second reactor at the facility.

No indication Iran has softened position on nuclear probes, US says

As those involved in the stalled nuclear talks converge at the UN General Assembly, a senior US official says Tehran is 'doubling down' on its position.

Lebanons caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati addresses the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York City on Sept. 21, 2022.

Interview

Lebanese prime minister praises US mediation toward gas deal with Israel

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Najib Mikati also says Lebanon should sign IMF agreement ‘as soon as possible.’

Najib Mitaki

Najib Mitaki

Prime Minister of Lebanon

A picture obtained by AFP outside Iran on September 21, 2022, shows Iranian demonstrators taking to the streets of the capital Tehran during a protest for Mahsa Amini, days after she died in police custody.

Iran imposes internet blackout in attempt to quell protests

State media raised the death toll to 26, as protesters engaged in street battles with armed riot police.

Kurdish-run al-Hol camp, which holds relatives of suspected Islamic State (IS) group fighters.

Syria’s Kurdish forces thwart major attack on Islamic State prison camp

Botched suicide bombings came less than two weeks after the top US general in the Middle East sounded the alarm over security and humanitarian conditions at al-Hol camp.

Jared Szuba

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

Iraqi-Kurdish peshmerga officers.

US extends military support for Iraq’s Kurdistan Region

The renewed agreement entails further steps to reform peshmerga forces as Pentagon aims to prepare Iraq’s forces for long-term self-sufficiency.

Iraqi-Kurdistan

A worker sorts out plastic waste collected at a plastic recycling factory in Kartepe, district of Kocaelion, Turkey, May 11, 2022.

Health of Turkey’s plastic waste workers under threat as European imports grow

A report by Human Rights Watch finds Turkish authorities are not enforcing a law to protect vulnerable workers and local residents from toxic fumes.

A picture obtained by AFP outside Iran on Sept. 21, 2022, shows Iranian demonstrators burning a rubbish bin in the capital Tehran during a protest for Mahsa Amini, days after she died in police custody.

Iran’s morality police hit with US sanctions as nationwide protests rage

The sanctions come less than a week after Mahsa Amini's death in custody of the morality police.

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi during an official visit to France, Defense Ministry headquarters, Paris, France, Sept. 21 2022.

Israeli army chief discusses Lebanon, Iran with French counterparts

The visit of IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi to Paris offered Jerusalem the possibility to discuss the security situation in Lebanon, and how France can play a constructive role against the Hezbollah threat.

Syrians gather in front of the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey on Sept. 12, 2022.

Syrian jihadist group HTS blocks civilians from reaching Turkish border

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham used violence to break up a caravan that was heading toward Syria's Bab al-Hawa border to cross into Turkey.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh delivers a speech after Friday prayers at Al-Azhar Mosqu, where he hailed the "heroic" Syrian struggle for democracy, Cairo, Egypt, Feb. 24, 2012.

Hamas normalizes ties with Syria under Iranian mediation

Hamas officially announced the resumption of relations with the Syrian government after a decadelong hiatus caused by the 2011 Syrian uprising, raising questions about the gains Hamas might achieve and why Iran sought to mediate the reconciliation.

US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking takes part in a conference on Yemen's devastating war hosted by the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council in the Saudi capital Riyadh on March 30, 2022, hours after the Riyadh-led coalition announced a ceasefire for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Analysis

The Takeaway: Biden’s Yemen envoy wants more than ‘nice words’ from Iran

Al-Monitor spoke to Timothy Lenderking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly about Iran's role in Yemen.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

Andrew Parasiliti

By Elizabeth Hagedorn , Andrew Parasiliti

Turkey drone

UAE receives first batch of Turkish armed drones

Turkey’s delivery of 20 armed drones to the United Arab Emirates showcases the rapid advance in Ankara’s regional fence-mending.