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

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Politics & Security

A giant billboard depicts late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (2nd L), and his son Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, with Arabic writing that reads: "Thank you Iran," in Dahiyeh, Beirut's southern suburbs, on June 15, 2026.

Khamenei says Hezbollah's agenda 'strategic mandate' for Iran

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s comments come as Lebanon and Israel move forward with a US-backed plan to disarm Hezbollah in the south, though the Iran-backed group is resisting calls to turn over its weapons.

Trump Netanyahu

On eighth visit, Israel’s Netanyahu seeks to repair ties with Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to focus on Iran in his Tuesday meeting with President Donald Trump, while the US leader is more likely to want to discuss Lebanon and Syria.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi speaks during a meeting with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (not pictured) at the Pentagon on July 14, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia.

Zaidi to meet Erdogan as Turkey-Iraq ties take off, Kurds feel sidelined

The Iraqi prime minister's visits to Ankara and Riyadh underscore Baghdad's push to deepen regional ties as Turkey seeks closer cooperation on energy and security.

Latest News

Trump says Iran seeks talks after strikes halted

US President Donald Trump takes questions from the media during a bilateral meeting with President of Lebanon Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office of the White House on July 21, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Iran summons French ambassador after detaining 2 diplomats: What to know

Iranian security forces stand guard in front of the French Embassy in Tehran in this undated image.

Analysis

Zaidi’s test in Tehran

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

Week in Review

By Week in Review

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

OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images

Since UN vote, aid still sparse in northwest Syria

Since the UN approved six more months of cross-border humanitarian aid to northwest Syria, deliveries remain minimal and millions of people are in need.

ABDULAZIZ KETAZ/AFP via Getty Images

Risks of fire, heat stroke soar as heat wave cooks northwest Syria

Displacement camps in northwest Syria are sweltering as a heat wave sweeps the area.

Hamas

Analysis

Did Hamas win Israel-Islamic Jihad war in Gaza?

Hamas, PIJ stir resistance in West Bank; Egypt steps up, again, as mediator.

Week in Review

By Week in Review

Palestinians hold candles during a rally amid the ruins of houses allegedly destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, Beit Lahia, Gaza City, Gaza Strip, May 25, 2021.

Relatives remember Gaza women, children killed in Israel-Islamic Jihad war

The recent war waged by Israel against Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip claimed the lives of 15 children and four women, in what the international community condemned.

Supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr gather outside the parliament building on the seventh day of protests against the nomination of a rival Shiite faction for the position of prime minister, Green Zone, Baghdad, Iraq, Aug. 5, 2022.

What Iraq's rival Shiite forces want

The Shiite political parties are split into two rival camps, the Sadrists and the Coordination Framework, which is far less than unified.

A school girl walks past the Al-Nkhba School.

Israel revokes licenses of six schools in East Jerusalem

Israel has canceled the permanent licenses of six Palestinian schools in East Jerusalem, alleging that their textbooks contain "incitement" against it and its army.

Russia's governor to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mikhail Ulyanov.

Restoring Iran deal may see trade-off between past, present knowledge

Sticking points to kickstarting the Iran nuclear deal include Iran’s "demand that the IAEA end its investigation of uranium particles found at three sites in 2019."

The Star of David sits atop the choral synagogue in Moscow, Russia, July 28, 2022.

How Moscow's campaign against Israel's Jewish Agency could backfire

Moscow’s recent campaign against a Jewish nonprofit closely affiliated with the Israeli government is likely part of a broader strategy to gain concessions from Israel in ongoing bilateral disputes — yet the plan could backfire.

A bank employee leaves the Federal Bank of Lebanon after being held hostage.

Family of man who held up Beirut bank stages protest

Bassam al-Sheikh Hussein took hostages at gunpoint to get his own money out of the bank. Many Lebanese, who are unable to access their savings amid the economic crisis, called him a hero.

An engineer from the Israeli company Commun.it uses his expertise in social media commercial analysis to identify networks of fake users, Bnei Brak, Israel, Jan. 23, 2019.

Israel asks Russia to prevent interference in elections

The Shin Bet requested recently Russia to help block any hacking attempts of the upcoming general elections in Israel.

Members of Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, stand next to a model of an Iranian Ababil drone during a rally in the Palestinian town of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, July 26, 2022.

Why Hamas stayed out of Gaza battle

This is not the first time that the Hamas movement leaves Islamic Jihad alone in a military confrontation with Israel.

Palestinian children try to cool off a baby in a crib during a heat wave and lengthy power cuts in Nahr al-Bared camp in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip, Aug. 3, 2022.

Power outage adds to 'unbearable' hardships for Palestinians in Gaza

For a week, Gazans have been braving the scorching heat with only a few hours of electricity a day, following the closure of all border crossings with Israel and the suspension of the only power plant.