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

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Politics & Security

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Former Assad official sentenced to 60 years in US for torture

Samir Ousman Alsheikh was convicted by a jury in March of three counts of torture, one count of conspiracy to commit torture, visa fraud and attempted naturalization fraud.

Yemenis gather during a rally to show their support for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) in the coastal port city of Aden, on December 14, 2025. (Saleh Al-OBEIDI / AFP via Getty Images)

Interview

Yemen separatists urge US not to let Saudi Arabia ‘call the shots’

As Houthi fighters steamroll Yemen’s Red Sea coast, the country's southern separatists say an independent South Yemen is the best check on the group’s expansion.

A US Air Force F-35 fifth-generation jet fighter takes off during the NATO's Ramsteign Flag 2025 exercise at Leeuwarden Air Base on April 8, 2025.

Trump administration approves $24B sale of F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia

Trump first announced the planned sale in November 2025, ahead of hosting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House.

A pedestrian passes by the Treasury Building in Washington, DC on Jan. 18, 2023.

US sanctions Iranian crypto exchange BitBank over Hormuz payments

The US government says the exchange was used to channel payments from an Iranian maritime-insurance scheme to the regime.

Latest News

Turkey's Erdogan to run for 'final' third term in 2028, adviser says

Vyacheslav PROKOFYEV / AFP via Getty Images

Israel, Morocco agree to exchange ambassadors, open embassies

Royal Air Maroc Boeing 787-9 'Dreamliner' aircraft

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

AFP via Getty Images

Explainer

Why France is pushing to keep UNIFIL in Lebanon beyond 2026

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

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

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L), NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (C) and Sweden's Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson.

Deal with Sweden, Finland over NATO membership sees Turkey’s Erdogan hailed at home

Pro-government voices see agreement as Nordic countries bowing to Turkish demands, but opponents remain critical.

Amir Levy/Getty Images

Just before Knesset disperses, Israeli opposition blocks bipartisan bills

Despite the agreement to disband the Knesset tonight, the opposition has blocked widely supported legislation.

Palestine university

Hamas arrests university president in Gaza, provoking outrage from Palestinians

The arrest of Salem al-Sabah, head of the University of Palestine in the Gaza Strip, sparked widespread condemnation among academics.

Local security forces inspect the scene of a car bomb explosion in the Turkish-held Syrian city of al-Bab.

Syrian armed groups clash outside Aleppo

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham entered the areas under the control of Turkish-backed factions in the countryside of Aleppo.

A handout picture provided by the Saudi Media Ministry on March 8, 2022.

Saudis side with Egypt on Nile dam

Saudi Arabia has explicitly and officially voiced its support for Egypt in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis.

Syria airport

Syrian airline operates flights from Russian-controlled airports

Flights are being operated to the Qamishli Airport after the Damascus International Airport went out of service due to Israeli air strikes.

Sweden Finland

Turkey lifts objection to Sweden, Finland joining NATO at last minute

Following the signing of a memorandum between Turkey, Sweden, and Finland, Erdogan lifted his veto against the Nordic expansion of NATO hours before the Madrid summit started.

Migrants hold placards during an anti-racism demonstration in the Moroccan capital Rabat on June 28, 2022.

23 migrants dead at Morocco-Spain border

Spain’s enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta in North Africa have long been a flashpoint for people seeking to enter the European Union from Africa, resulting in tensions between Morocco, Algeria and Spain.

Lt. Gen. Michael E. Kurilla testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Conflicting reports on Islamic State leader arrested in US operation in north Syria

The US-led coalition has revealed the identity of the Islamic State leader it arrested during an airdrop operation in northern Syria, saying he was a prominent bombmaker. But some Syrian opposition sources say they got the wrong man.

ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

Iran negotiator in Doha for indirect nuclear talks with US

The new round is starting at a critical moment for Iran, where lingering sanctions and soaring prices have intensified public discontent.

ABDULAZIZ KETAZ/AFP via Getty Images

US drone strike kills al-Qaeda affiliate in northwest Syria

The rare drone strike in Idlib province was aimed to disrupt Huras al-Din's ability to stage terror attacks outside Syria, according to the Pentagon.

PAUL WHITE/AFP via Getty Images

Israel awaits Biden message on Iran deal amidst political uncertainty

Israel's political landscape will shift dramatically over the next few weeks, as the US president is set to visit.