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

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Politics & Security

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Explainer

Iran war pushes up coal use, complicating Turkey’s COP31 pledge

Turkey is asking world leaders at COP31 to back a global push to use more electricity, even as the Iran war has driven up natural gas prices and pushed some power producers back to coal.

Ahmed al-Alwani in an undated photo

Ex-Iraqi MP Ahmed Alwani found dead in Lebanon: What to know

Ahmed al-Alwani was a prominent leader of anti-government protests by Iraqi Sunnis in 2013, and was released from prison last year.

Iranian-made Zolfaghar missiles

Iran unveils new underground 'missile city': What to know

Iran has moved much of its missile stockpile underground as the threat of a new war looms.

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey bars MP’s wife from travel after his fund scandal criticism: What to know

Opposition politicians and rights advocates described Yonca Verdioglu Sik’s brief detention as an attempt to intimidate her husband, opposition lawmaker Ahmet Sik, over his criticism of the government.

Latest News

GCC to build military command center in Kuwait as region simmers: What to know

ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP via Getty Images

Hegseth strikes defiant tone, calls House impeachment process 'farce'

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Jared Szuba

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

Explainer

From Oct. 7 inquiry to blocking Netanyahu: Eisenkot's bloc maps out Knesset agenda

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) casts his ballot, next to his wife Sara

Slotkin, Van Hollen emerge as potential challengers to Schumer’s Senate leadership

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 23: U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) speaks at a press conference on China AI export controls at the U.S. Capitol on September 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. Slotkin, joined by fellow Senate Democrats, urged Senate Republican's and the Trump administration to enact stronger export controls on AI technology and computer chips to China. The Democrats also call for a vote on bipartisan export control legislation, including the AI OVERWATCH Act, the MATCH Act, and the Chip Security Act. (

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

Dogan

AKP municipalities tone down the volume on Kurd-Pop in Turkey

Cultural events, from Kurdish-language concerts to performances of daring female stars in mini dresses, become the targets of a proxy war between the nationalist-conservatives and liberals.

Mourners at the funeral of Quds Force Col. Hassan Sayyad Khodaee in Tehran, May 24, 2022.

Iran urges UN to condemn colonel's 'terrorist assassination'

In a letter, Iran obliquely blamed Israel for the killing, the last in a chain of similar attacks that Tehran has vowed to avenge.

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

New Islamic State leader reportedly caught in Turkey

Islamic State leader Abu Hasan al-Hashemi al-Qurashi has been reportedly arrested in Istanbul, but the news has not yet been independently confirmed.

AMIT SHABI/AFP via Getty Images

Despite rumors of alternative coalition, no Gantz-Netanyahu deal yet in Israel

Though communication has warmed between opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, a new government under their partnership is still a distant possibility.

Sandstorm

Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria embark on sand diplomacy

Regional countries have decided to cooperate in an attempt to reduce the severity of sandstorms.

Sudanese demonstrators barricade Al-Sahafa street during ongoing protests against a military coup, Khartoum, Sudan, Jan. 18, 2022.

Can Egyptian civil society contribute to solving Sudanese crisis?

An Egyptian civil society delegation visited Khartoum where it met with various political parties, as part of efforts to boost relations and dialogue at the popular level.

Iran nuclear

Analysis

The Takeaway: Are protests an incentive for Iran to close nuclear deal?

Israel’s shadow war with Iran; Gulf shifts to mass transportation; Turkey and Egypt reset ties; Israel targets Jenin camp; Hamas takes student council elections in West Bank.

Andrew Parasiliti

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Andrew Parasiliti , Elizabeth Hagedorn

A picture taken on Feb. 14, 2019, shows Kurdistan's regional parliament in Erbil.

Iraq’s Kurdish parties struggle to unite amid deep divisions

The main parties in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have met at a high level amidst divisions and difficulties to form the government many months after the elections.

Iraqi-Kurdistan

captagon

Jordanian official says Captagon seizures on track to double this year

The drug is being smuggled from Syria.

Shooting

Middle East states share condolences after Texas mass shooting

Turkey, Israel and others refrained from commenting on the American gun debate in their statements.

AL-MONITOR Staff

By AL-MONITOR Staff

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (R) in joint statements with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu (L).

Visiting Israel, Turkish foreign minister rehabilitates bilateral ties

After two years of Turkish courtship, and with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu now on a historic visit to Israel, Jerusalem is willing to rehabilitate bilateral relations.

Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

Turkey’s opposition claims millions funneled to US through foundations close to president

CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu claims President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to leave Turkey in event of election defeat.