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July 14, 2026

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Analysis

As Trump prioritizes Hormuz, Israel fears Iran rebuilding nuclear program while preserving ballistic missile threat

Israel is worried that the United States is centering the Strait of Hormuz, deprioritizing the threat of a nuclear Iran.

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

US President Donald Trump gestures as he steps off Air Force One to board the new Qatari-gifted Boeing plane, en route to the United States following his participation in the NATO Summit at Royal Air Force Mildenhall on July 8, 2026, in Mildenhall, England.

Trump says US to strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site

Satellite imagery has detected recent construction at the underground facility.

A man holds a Syrian flag across the street from the White House after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with President Donald Trump at White House in Washington, on Nov. 10, 2025.

Syria, US hold first business forum since sanctions relief: What to know

The one-day forum in Damascus was organized by Syria’s Ministry of Economy and Industry and the US-Syria Business Council, which was established in Washington last June to advance trade and investment between the two nations.

Latest News

Analysis

On first foreign trip, Iraqi PM Zaidi woos Trump but Iran casts long shadow

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at a Council of Ministers meeting in Baghdad on July 11, 2026.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Oil climbs after US strikes Iran, Trump vows to control Strait of Hormuz

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Trump says US to resume naval blockade of Iran's ports

U.S. President Donald Trump returns to Joint Base Andrews on July 09, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump, switched from the old Air Force One to the new Air Force One while stopping in the U.K. at RAF Mildenhall Air Force Base was returning from his visit to Ankara, Turkey where he attended the NATO summit. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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

Jared Szuba

Defense and Security Correspondent

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

Joyce Karam

Editor-in-Chief

Rosaleen Carroll

News Reporter and Supporting Editor

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Paul J. Saunders

In Washington, DC, reporting on Russia in the Middle East

Men mourn during a funeral of the victims of assault that killed 25 people, in the streets of the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz, Iran September 24, 2018. Tasnim News Agency/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1503357B50

Iran launches missile, drone attacks on militants in Syria

Using missiles and armed drones, Iran said it sought to send a message to terrorist groups and their sponsors.

U.S. President Donald Trump departs at the conclusion of a lengthy news conference on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Barria - RC1C42C60770

Is Trump shifting toward Abbas?

According to statements by President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly, it seems that the solution he envisions is closer to the one Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas favors than to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s status quo.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif leaves the EU council headquarters in Brussels, Belgium May 15, 2018. REUTERS/Yves Herman - RC1AA84B0120

Zarif: US 'obsession' with Iran is backfiring everywhere

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif discussed several topics from this week's UN General Assembly session.

People carry food aid delivered by the International Committee of the Red Cross to internally displaced people in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, Yemen, July 21, 2018. REUTERS/Abduljabbar Zeyad - RC1233D23F30

UN warns of famine after Yemen talks sputter

In an interview with Al-Monitor, the top UN aid official in Yemen warned that 10 million more people are at risk of starving if fighting in the war-torn country doesn’t stop.

U.S. special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey (R) attends a meeting during the consultations on Syria, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland September 14, 2018. Xu Jinquan/Pool via REUTERS - RC1F7A552520

Intel: Here’s why the US fears a ‘larger conflict’ in Syria if UN talks fail

Head of PMU faction talks Iraqi politics, US relations

The head of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Qais al-Khazali, spoke to Al-Monitor about the Iraqi organization's history with the United States and current political positions.

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu arrives during the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S., September 27, 2018. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri - RC1D3310C070

What’s behind Netanyahu’s absence from UNESCO conference?

The announcement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting the invitation to a UNESCO conference sends a clear message: Israel will indeed quit the agency by the end of 2018.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 27, 2018. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs - RC19094D1360

Palestinians try to move peace process forward without Trump

Palestinians look to the United Nations to move peace process forward, bypassing the Donald Trump administration.

Members of Iraq's Shi'ite militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq, who are supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, take part in a parade in Karbala March 21, 2014.REUTERS/Mushtaq Muhammed (IRAQ - Tags: CIVIL UNREST MILITARY POLITICS CONFLICT) - GM1EA3M0DPL01

Intel: Congress wants to sanction Iran’s allies in Iraq. Here’s why the State Department thinks it’s a bad idea.

A road sign that shows the direction to Manbij city is seen in the northern Syrian town of al-Bab, Syria March 1, 2017. Picture taken March 1, 2017. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi - RC15D78AB000

Manbij government denies Turkish patrol as Ankara pushes for access

The local council of Manbij has denied Ankara's claim that Turkish forces will enter the city and conduct joint patrols with US forces, saying Turkey is looking for an excuse to keep a presence there.

Egypt’s stock market faces fluctuations over manipulation case

A move to charge prominent investors, including sons of former President Hosni Mubarak, with stock market violations, has rattled the Egyptian Exchange, which was already on edge due to US trade policies and rising interest rates.

U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 25, 2018. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri - HP1EE9P152YZW

Why Trump’s UN speech should worry Netanyahu

For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump is the be-all and end-all of Israel’s security.