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

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Politics & Security

A view shows a Lebanese flag positioned among shattered concrete and twisted rebar, remnants of a destroyed building, in Sidon, Lebanon, on May 3, 2026.

US gave Israel 'tacit agreement' to target senior Hezbollah figures

While there is no explicit agreement, sources say Washington has offered quiet approval despite a ceasefire reached April 16.

A man checks old banknotes in the Grand Bazaar in Tehran on March 3, 2025.

Analysis

Cash as leverage: How Iran's push for frozen billions is reshaping diplomacy

The frozen assets debate is a test of whether the postwar diplomatic track can move toward a durable framework — or whether financial mistrust will evolve into yet another breaking point.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian listens during a joint press conference alongside Armenia's prime minister in Yerevan on Aug. 19, 2025.

Iran’s Pezeshkian calls Iraqi leaders as Khamenei praises militias: What to know

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian invited Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and President Nizar Amedi to Tehran as Iraq grapples with the fallout from the regional conflict.

A woman walks past an anti-US and anti-Israel mural depicting missiles hitting an aircraft carrier in Tehran on May 26, 2026.

US-Iran tit-for-tat strikes over Hormuz expose risks of prolonged standoff

If the Trump administration does not reach an agreement with Iran soon, the specter of long-term, low-grade conflict over the strait may set in.

Jared Szuba

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

Latest News

Iran partially restores internet after 88-day blackout: What to know

An Iranian woman walks past a mobile phone shop at the Valiasr Square in Tehran on April 19, 2026.

Turkey: Thousands defy police to rally for ousted CHP leader Ozel

Turkish riot police use water cannon to disperse protesters during a rally called by ousted opposition leader Ozgur Ozel, days after a court dismissed him from office, in Izmir on May 26, 2026.

Israel’s Shin Bet chief meets Mohammed Dahlan in UAE: What to know

JOSEPH EID/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

Syrian Kurdish and Arab families are pictured fleeing in the countryside of the town of Darbasiyah.

Clashes turn tribal between Turkish-backed opposition factions

The Turkish-backed opposition factions are trying to portray their conflicts as tribal in a bid to absolve themselves of the violations committed in the area.

A man stands on the bank of the Shatt al-Arab waterway, formed at the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, in Iraq's southern city of Basra on May 23, 2022, during a sandstorm sweeping the country.

Iran, Iraq, Syria to cooperate on sandstorms

Sandstorms have pummeled the region this year, particularly Iraq.

Biden Bennett

Ahead of Biden visit, Israel redoubles efforts to isolate Iran

While continuing its creative campaign to isolate Iran, Israel’s leadership also puts efforts into constructing relations with Saudi Arabia and advancing an aerial-intelligence alliance in the region.

In this photo illustration taken on April 21, 2022, the icon of a video-sharing mobile phone application TikTok is pictured on a mobile phone.

Turkish-backed Syrian factions target TikTok influencers in Aleppo

TikTok content creators in the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib face a spate of arrests over accusations of corrupting the public morality of the local Syrian community.

Erdogan

Analysis

Erdogan: Sweden, Finland need to ‘act accordingly’ toward Kurdish groups for approval on NATO bids

The Turkish president repeated these points while announcing another military operation into Syria.

Week in Review

By Week in Review

Secretary of State Antony Blinken (2L) and Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak (2R).

US welcomes 2-month extension of Yemen truce

Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Yemen's warring parties to "seize this pivotal moment."

Iranian Basij paramilitary forces.

Tehran denounces GCC over missile comments

The GCC enumerated worries about Iran and its "destabilizing behavior," triggering typically strong rhetoric from Tehran.

Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu and Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu's poster.

Cases against opposition politicians mount ahead of Turkish elections

Critics claim the government has weaponized the judiciary to neutralize leading figures in the Republican People’s Party.

Amir Levy/Getty Images

Netanyahu celebrates as corruption case falters

Opposition head Benjamin Netanyahu scored political points after the judges in his trial rejected the prosecution's request to amend the charges against him.

A boy listens to Live Go-Go music playing at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, DC, on June 19, 2021.

Iran calls exodus of Black staffers from Biden White House 'systematic racial discrimination'

Iran has criticized the treatment of Black Americans before, but the Islamic Republic has its own issues with discrimination against Kurds, Arabs, Jews and others.

MAZEN MAHDI/AFP via Getty Images

OPEC+ alliance agrees to production increase

Pressure on Saudi Arabia, Russia and other major oil producers has boosted production amid high prices.

AL-MONITOR Staff

By AL-MONITOR Staff

MBS

Saudi crown prince balances Turkey visit with stops in Greece and Cyprus

Mohammed bin Salman’s plan to visit Turkey as part of a regional tour shows that the kingdom has no intention to upset Greece and Cyprus while mending fences with Turkey.