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

politics and security cover image

Politics & Security

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets Libyan National Army Deputy Commander Saddam Haftar in Washington on June 29, 2026.

Rubio hosts Libya’s Saddam Hifter as US pushes unity plan: What to know

The pair discussed "possible avenues for cooperation" to advance Libya's unification.

KAREN MINASYAN / AFP via Getty Images

Turkey, Azerbaijan slam Israel’s Armenian genocide recognition as Yerevan mum

Ankara accused Israel of weaponizing history as Armenia avoided public comment amid delicate regional diplomacy.

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tarik pose during a meeting with business leaders in Paris on June 29, 2026.

Oman's sultan meets Macron in first France visit since 1989: What to know

French President Emmanuel Macron has been pushing against any form of toll for the Strait of Hormuz.

aqi security personnel patrol in a vehicle along a street in Baghdad on June 28, 2026.

Analysis

Iraqi PM’s anti-corruption drive comes as US pressure mounts on Iran-backed militias

Iraq’s new prime minister has launched a sweeping anti-corruption campaign ahead of key talks in Washington, but analysts say the real test will be whether it reaches Iraq’s most powerful Iran-backed actors.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Latest News

CENTCOM chief in Lebanon as Israel prepares partial withdrawal steps

CENTCOM

Saudi Arabia's FM heads to China amid differences with US on Iran war

PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images

Syria slams Israeli 'violations' in south as ground clashes intensify: What to know

A car drives past an United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) outpost in the village of Khan Arnabah, Quneitra, southern Syria, April 29, 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

This image grab taken from AFPTV video footage on April 20, 2023, shows an aerial view of black smoke rising above the Khartoum International Airport amid ongoing battles between the forces of two rival generals.

Drone attack hits Sudan's Khartoum airport on eve of reopening: What to know

The airport had been shut down since the civil war in Sudan erupted in more than two years ago.

US Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance greet US Ambassador

Analysis

As Trump envoys seek ceasefire progress, Netanyahu pins hopes on Hamas scuttling deal

"The ceasefire is still holding, but not thanks to Israel," a senior Israeli military source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity as US envoys work to keep the deal alive.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

US Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance disembark Air Force Two on arrival to Ben Gurion airport on Oct. 21, 2025, in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Vance arrives in Israel to bolster fragile Gaza ceasefire

His visit comes a week after President Donald Trump flew to Israel to celebrate the hard-won deal.

A Syrian reads the state-run daily newspaper al-Thawra outside his shop in downtown Damascus on Sept. 3, 2004.

Feature

Former Assad mouthpiece Al-Thawra to test limits of Syria's new rulers

Despite the fall of Assad, Al-Thawra struggles to shed its propaganda legacy, as new editor Nour al-Din al-Ismail works to professionalize the state-owned paper amid a culture of fear and entrenched habits.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Mark Savaya

Who is Mark Savaya, Chaldean-American businessman named Trump’s Iraq envoy?

Mark Savaya supported Trump in the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections and was credited by the president with helping to secure votes in the battleground state of Michigan.

ALEXANDER KAZAKOV/AFP via Getty Images

Russia, Iran to boost ties in ‘all areas’ as Tehran claims nuclear restrictions expired

The cooperation pledges follow the weekend's joint letter from Russia, Iran and China to the UN, disputing the validity of reimposing sanctions on Iran.

ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

Leaked video shows Khamenei aide's daughter in Western wedding gown amid Iran's hijab crackdown

Senior Iranian official Ali Shamkhani faced criticism online after video surfaced of his daughter’s extravagant wedding.

Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yasser Barniyeh

Syria finance chief meets US, World Bank officials as Trump admin pushes more sanction relief

Less than two weeks ago, the US Senate approved a measure to repeal the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act sanctions on Syria as part of its 2026 defense budget.

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Witkoff, Kushner in Israel to salvage Gaza ceasefire after series of flare-ups

The Trump administration is stepping up pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to maintain the ceasefire with Hamas and begin implementing the second phase of the US president's Gaza peace plan.

US army soldiers, part of the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group, walk around at the K1 Air Base northwest of Kirkuk in northern Iraq before a planned US pullout on March 29, 2020.

Iraq to keep some US military advisers despite troop pivot to Kurdistan region

Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said some 300 US military advisers would remain at a key base in the country's Anbar province to keep eyes-on ISIS activities in the Anbar desert and prevent the jihadist group's resurgence in the Euphrates River valley.

SAFIN HAMID/AFP via Getty Images

Erdogan heads to Gulf as Turkey looks to ease energy dependence on Russia

The Turkish president will visit Kuwait, Oman and Qatar to strengthen economic ties, boost regional diplomacy and sign a series of agreements.