United States - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

White House, Washington DC, United States of America

United States

April 27, 2026

Washington D.C. 7:24 pm

19°C

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to journalists as he arrives for an informal meeting of the European Council in Nicosia, Cyprus, April 24, 2026.

Why US, Israel are freezing France out of Lebanon talks

With talks between Israel and Lebanon being held in Washington, Paris still insists that it must be involved to balance possible American bias and to protect Beirut’s interests.

A person walks past the closed Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center on Jan. 7, 2021, in New York City.

Why did the Met Opera lose its Saudi funding deal?

The deal, announced as a nonbinding memorandum of understanding last September, would have seen the PIF inject up to $200 million into the opera institution over the next eight years.

US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa (R) holds a signed "Make America Great Again" hat while (L-R) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Lebanon Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad listen to US President Donald Trump speak during a meeting with Lebanon Ambassador to the US and Israel Ambassador to the US, at the White House in Washington, DC on April 23, 2026. US President Donald Trump met Lebanese and Israeli envoys at a new round of peace talks Thursday, with Beirut seeking a one-month extension of a

Analysis

Israel fears Trump angling for Lebanon deal to offset Iran missteps

Some Israelis worry the US president might force them to accept an unsatisfactory agreement driven by his inability to secure a tangible achievement in Iran.

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

BAY ISMOYO / AFP via Getty Images

How are Iran-linked tankers still moving through Hormuz blockade?

At least 19 Iran-linked tankers have passed through the US blockade on the strait to exit the Gulf while at least 15 have entered, according to the cargo-tracking group Vortexa.

Latest News

Analysis

Israel sees chance of US-Iran deal as almost 'non-existent,' readies for war

ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images

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

US boards Iran-linked tanker in Indian Ocean, vows pursuit of 'ghost fleet'

TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 14: A US Navy Seahawk helicopter takes off from the deck of the USS Ronald Reagan on July 14, 2017 in Townsville, Australia. USS Ronald Reagan is a 1,092- foot aircraft carrier which carries a crew of 4,539 around 60 aircraft. Exercise Talisman Sabre is the largest combined military exercise undertaken in Australia. The biennial exercise is the principal Australian and U.S. military training activity. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Interview

Olmert: Only Israel-Lebanon deal can curb Hezbollah, occupation 'unviable'

Olmert

Trump says Iran deal could happen 'quickly' as Pakistan readies talks: What to know

US Vice President JD Vance (C) walks with Pakistan's Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshall Asim Munir (L), and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar after arriving for talks with Iranian officials on April 11, 2026, in Islamabad, Pakistan.

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

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

Paul J. Saunders

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

Smoke rises from the smouldering rubble at the scene of Israeli air strikes in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood of Beirut's southern suburbs on September 27, 2024. A source close to Hezbollah said the massive Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs flattened six buildings. (Photo by Ibrahim AMRO / AFP) (Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel kept Pentagon in the dark about Beirut strikes, Austin says

The White House ordered the US military to adjust force posture in the Middle East ‘as necessary’ after Israel defied Washington in a bid to kill Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, risking war with Iran.

A US Patriot missile defense system is exposed during a joint Israeli-US military exercise, "Juniper Cobra," at the Hatzor Airbase in Israel on March 8, 2018.

Israel: Pentagon finalizes $8.7B arms package as strikes on Lebanon continue

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brushed aside the Biden administration's call for a cease-fire just days after Washington quietly released $3.5 billion in additional funds for the Israeli military.

Mayor Eric Adams arrives for a press conference at 1 Police Plaza on April 18, 2023, in New York City.

What we know about Turkey-related charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams

The indictment against Adams is largely based on his dealings with Turkish nationals and includes illegal travel benefits worth over $100,000.

US President Joe Biden greets Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates at the White House, on Monday, September 23, 2024 in Washington, District of Columbia. World leaders including President Biden and President Nahyan will travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by AARON SCHWARTZ/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Why UAE's upgrade to US 'major defense partner' will not deter China

While the designation comes with many benefits for the UAE, placing it on par with India, it lacks the formal security guarantees provided to other nations, including South Korea and Japan.

Joyce Karam

Russian S-400 missile air defense systems parade through Red Square during the rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade, central Moscow, May 7, 2022.

No shift in US position on Turkey's acquisition of Russian S-400s: Official

A Turkish Defense Ministry official rebuffed claims that Turkey and the United States were close to a compromise on the impasse over Turkey having the Russian air defense systems.

Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli strike that targeted the Jabal Al-Rehan area in the southern Lebanese Jezzine district on September 21, 2024.

US, UK militaries deploy troops to Cyprus in case of Lebanon evacuation

Washington has not yet authorized an evacuation, but President Joe Biden acknowledged "all-out war is possible" as Israel mobilizes two reserve brigades amid threats of a potential ground incursion to root out Hezbollah.

ETIENNE TORBEY/AFP via Getty Images

US, UK send troops to Cyprus in response to Lebanon crisis: What we know

Western countries have been calling on citizens to depart Lebanon while some Lebanese residents are fleeing to Syria.

Uber, China's WeRide to launch self-driving robotaxis in UAE

WeRide already operates the largest robotaxi fleet in the UAE, where residents can access its robotaxi services through the TXAI app.

United Arab Emirates

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 31: U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, in the Oval Office on January 31, 2022 in Washington, DC. The two leaders were expected to discuss a range of issues, including global energy security as concerns about Russian natural gas supplies continue. (Photo by Tom Brenner-Pool/New York Times/Getty Images)

Qatar to join US visa-free travel list in first for Arab country

Qatar is set to become the second Middle Eastern country, behind Israel, to join the US Visa Waiver Program.

Smoke billows from the site of Israeli airstrikes in Aramti, near the Lebanon-Israel border, on Sept. 23, 2024.

On UN summit sidelines, US seeks off-ramp to Israel-Hezbollah conflict

A senior State Department official said Washington had "concrete ideas" to de-escalate the mounting crisis in Lebanon and warned against an Israeli ground offensive.

US President Joe Biden and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan walk to the Oval Office for a meeting at the White House on Sept. 23, 2024 in Washington, DC.

US declares UAE 'major defense partner,' seeking to outbid China

The move put the US-UAE military relationship on the same footing as that between the United States and India.

United Arab Emirates

MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

In White House visit, UAE leader seeks cooperation on Gaza and AI

UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan will meet with President Joe Biden in his first official visit to Washington since 2017.

United Arab Emirates