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Politics & Security

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US nears full withdrawal from Iraq as bases in Kurdistan region face attacks from Iran, proxies

Patriot air defense systems that detect and shoot down incoming missiles, drones and other airborne enemy equipment have already been removed, sources told Al-Monitor.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

A demonstrator carries a CHP flag during a protest in Izmir, Turkey, on May 24, 2026.

Explainer

What’s behind Turkey’s latest wave of arrests against opposition mayors?

The operations come as Ozgur Ozel’s newly formed party gains momentum.

A woman stands next to Iranian-made Zolfaghar missiles displayed at Azadi Square in Tehran on July 24, 2026.

Iran’s new calculus: Strike first, talk later

An increasingly emboldened Tehran has put President Donald Trump in a bind.

A Saudi navy ship is pictured docked at King Faisal navy base in Jeddah before the departure of a team to Port Sudan to help with the evacuation efforts of people fleeing Sudan, on April 29, 2023.

Turkey, Pakistan among 14 countries backing Saudi Arabia's anti-Houthi Red Sea alliance

Riyadh won political backing from 14 countries for its proposed maritime defense coalition, but members have yet to commit to joining as Washington weighs its position.

Latest News

Turkey ready to participate in post-UNIFIL force in Lebanon, Erdogan tells Aoun

Erdogan and Aoun

Houthis deny responsibility for drone attack hitting Egypt's Damietta Port

A ship transits the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea on Jan. 10, 2024 in Ismailia, Egypt.

US carries out strikes in southern Iran after IRGC attack on Jordan airbase

In this handout photo provided by the US Navy, Two F/A-18 Super Hornets launch from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 3, 2026 in the Mediterranean Sea.

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

Khamenei

Khamenei urges Iranians to prepare for 'new world order'

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told university students that there is a new multipolar world order emerging.

Syria refugees

Turkey may 'lock' borders with Syria and Iraq to deal with Kurdish militants

There is speculation about a secret deal between Ankara and Baghdad eyeing a contiguous, 30-kilometer-deep buffer from Syria to Iraq.

RONEN ZVULUN/AFP via Getty Images

Israeli premier scrambles to contain rebels in own party

The ouster of Yamina legislator Amichai Chikli will do little to calm the storm Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is facing.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog speaks to press at the Ankara airport.

Israel warms to Turkey’s charm offensive

The decision by Tel Aviv University to establish academic bridges with three Turkish institutions reflects Jerusalem’s growing interest in Ankara’s policy of rapprochement.

A police officer stands guard at the Palestinian Authority side of the Erez crossing in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.

Gaza rocket won't stop Israel's policy efforts

Defense Minister Benny Gantz has for several months been advancing policies to better the lives of Palestinians, and last Friday's rocket won't derail them.

Members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham parade with their flags and those of the Taliban's declared "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" at the Clock Square in the center of the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib, Syria, Aug. 20, 2021.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham hands over Islamic State jihadists to Turkey

The Idlib-based group's decision to hand over several jihadis to Turkey, including two men affiliated with the Islamic State, come as part of HTS's attempt to present itself as more moderate.

Taliban members of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice.

Iran confirms Taliban diplomats stationed in Tehran Embassy

Tehran said the move to allow Taliban-appointed diplomats was not a step toward recognizing the current establishment in neighboring Afghanistan.

The Yerablur cemetery, where Armenian soldiers from both Karabakh wars are buried, overlooks Yerevan in this photo taken April 12, 2022.

As Armenia pushes for reconciliation, Turkey plays hard to get

Armenia's prime minister is willing to establish ties with Turkey without any preconditions, but many in the Armenian diaspora find accepting Ankara’s continued denial of the 1915 genocide unthinkable.

RAMI AL SAYED/AFP via Getty Images

Standoff between rival groups locks down north Syria crossing

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has arrested several members of the Sham Legion affiliated with the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army and the crossing point between north Syrian areas held by the two groups remains closed.

YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images

Military minds gather in Israel as war in Ukraine resets strategies

As it closely follows the changing battlefield in Ukraine, Israel will soon need to take a definitive stance on the Russian invasion.

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey’s Kavala conviction earns sharp rebuke from US

The State Department expressed concern over Turkey's "continued judicial harassment" after a court in Istanbul sentenced philanthropist Osman Kavala to life in prison.

ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

Iran says nuclear talks not suspended

Though progress has been halted for weeks, Iran says the talks with the United States have not been suspended.