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. Iran
Analysis Why Turkey and Egypt are deepening military ties amid regional turmoil Turkey and Egypt are expanding military cooperation as overlapping security challenges, from Libya and Sudan to Gaza and the Red Sea, bring the former rivals closer together. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis Vance turning us into 'punching bag': Israel fumes over alleged IRGC-CENTCOM channel in Doha The US-Iran decision to launch direct talks between the IRGC and CENTCOM in Qatar deepens the rift between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while heightening Israeli fears that Washington is shifting toward Doha and Tehran. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Iran attacks cargo ship off Oman, testing Trump’s Hormuz Strait deal The first Iranian attack on a cargo vessel since the ceasefire comes as top US diplomat Marco Rubio huddled with Gulf Cooperation Council ministers in Manama to reject Iran's claims to control the Strait of Hormuz. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
CENTCOM commander heads to Israel, Gulf as Lebanon talks stall By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Analysis As US reshapes Lebanon strategy, Israel finds itself sidelined By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Analysis Why Gulf defense firms are betting on Europe in wake of Iran war By Francesco Schiavi In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance
The Aramco attack and the rise of nonstate actors The attack against Saudi Arabia's Aramco facility points to a crucial change on how one traditionally understands armed conflict in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia
How does Washington see Russia's Gulf security concept? Washington ignores Moscow's initiative for the Gulf security architecture and there are some good reasons why. Legacy: Gulf
What to expect from Putin's visit to Saudi Arabia Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit Saudi Arabia on Oct. 14 with a set of economic and security issues on the agenda. Saudi Arabia
Confusion reigns as Trump authorizes troop withdrawal from Turkish-Syrian border towns US President Donald Trump's announcement catches Pentagon, State Department and Syrian Kurds off guard as Turkey assumes a primacy of sorts in the president's thinking despite the S-400 fiasco. Syria
Egypt tries to get new Sudan government to its side Egypt has recently hosted a meeting of Sudan’s revolutionary forces and armed opposition to help advance negotiations and peace talks, as Cairo believes security in Sudan is linked to its own internal stability. Egypt
US pushes Iraq to integrate Iran-backed PMU militias after strikes The Donald Trump administration is calling on Iraq to demobilize Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Units after renewed rocket strikes hit near the US Embassy in Baghdad. Saudi Arabia
Trump faces skepticism from allies amid troop deployment The Donald Trump administration will deploy a fresh detachment of US troops to Saudi Arabia after blaming Iran for an attack against a major oil production facility just days ago. Saudi Arabia
Iraq steps up search for advanced air defense system Regional conflicts and international tensions, along with money, are roadblocks to Iraq's pressing interest in upgrading its missile defense system. Iraq
Intel: How Syria is driving a wedge between Russia and Israel The show of unity during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Russia on Sept. 12 can’t paper over the sharp differences between the two countries over Syria. Israel
Congress wants answers after 10 bomb-sniffing dogs die in Jordan Congress is demanding answers after an inspector general report showed that a number of bomb-sniffing dogs from the United States have died from neglect in Jordan. Jordan
Intel: What’s behind Putin’s arms sale proposal to Saudis Putin's offer of defense missile systems for the Saudis was political but there's more to this in the runup to his visit to Riyadh. Saudi Arabia
How latest Astana talks between Turkey, Russia, Iran went beyond Syria What the Astana guarantors agreed upon in Ankara will have implications for Syria but the way the leaders communicated past each other each is even more telling. Saudi Arabia
