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Politics & Security

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

CENTCOM

CENTCOM chief in Lebanon as Israel prepares partial withdrawal steps

The Lebanese military is expected to move into Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh after Israeli forces withdraw.

PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images

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

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan’s visit to Beijing comes as commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains unstable.

Latest News

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.

Analysis

Why the UAE wants Indian missiles and a deeper strategic partnership

Brahmos replicas are displayed during India's 60th Republic Day parade, Jan. 26, 2009, New Delhi.

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Analysis

Why Turkey and Egypt are deepening military ties amid regional turmoil

From (L-R) Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attend a meeting in Cairo on June 21, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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

An election poster of Henry Hamra, a Syrian-American parliamentary candidate who is the son of the country's last rabbi and who if elected will be the first Jewish representative in the Syrian parliament since the late 1940s, is displayed on the entrance of the closed Jewish Maimonides School of Damascus, in the Jewish quarter of the old city of Damascus on Oct. 3, 2025, ahead of the upcoming vote on Oct. 5.

Syria's parliamentary elections: First Jewish candidate in 58 years enters race

Syria is holding its first parliamentary elections since the fall of the Assad regime, with a Jewish candidate running for the first time in decades in a vote conducted largely through indirect selection rather than a direct public ballot.

ABDEL MAJID BZIOUAT/AFP via Getty Images

Morocco arrests 400+ as youth protesters demand government steps down

The group leading the protests, known as GenZ 212, posted a list of demands on social media Friday, including the dismissal of the current government led by Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.

Lebanese army soldiers and security forces deploy near a vehicle that was hit by a reported drone-strike at the entrance of the village of Barja, about 30 kilometres south of Beirut, on Sept. 9, 2025.

US approves $230M for Lebanon’s push to disarm Hezbollah

New US funds for Beirut signal rare bipartisan approval for progress by Lebanon's security forces as they dismantle Hezbollah weapons caches, but significant risks remain as the militant faction resists full disarmament.

People who fled the Zamzam camp for the internally displaced after it fell under RSF control walk in a makeshift encampment in an open field near the town of Tawila in war-torn Sudan's western Darfur region on April 13, 2025.

Sudan army steps up airstrikes as Darfur siege tightens: What to know

In September, a top Sudanese general announced an offensive to take back the Darfur region from the RSF, and the army is following through.

JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Netanyahu hamstrung by far right, Trump as Hamas drags feet on Gaza plan

The Hamas commanders in Gaza remain the main obstacle to advancement of the Trump plan and are expected to seek amendments even as Israel’s military steps up its offensive on Gaza City.

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

A resident stands by belongings to salvage in a pool of water due to the flooding of the Nile river in the Sudanese village of Wad Ramli north of Khartoum on Oct. 1, 2025.

Egypt steps up alarm on Ethiopia megadam as Sudan battles floods: What to know

Sudan’s government earlier this week warned of high risk of floods across six of the country’s 18 states.

People look at police vehicles set on fire during a youth-led demonstration demanding reforms in the healthcare and education sectors in Sale on Oct. 1, 2025.

Two killed by police as Morocco’s anti-government protests enter day 5

Two protesters were killed in Morocco on Wednesday as demonstrations continue.

This aerial photograph shows scaffolds installed on the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul on April 14, 2025.

Turkey: Istanbul jolted by 5.3 magnitude earthquake, no casualties reported

Turkey’s disaster management body said no casualties or significant damage were reported after the quake, which was felt in surrounding provinces.

Iran's defense minister, Aziz Nasirzadeh, attends a meeting in eastern China's Shandong province on June 26, 2025.

Iran defense chief visits Turkey to boost military ties: What to know

The Iranian defense chief met with his Turkish counterpart as Tehran seeks to enhance its defense ties with Ankara.

A woman walks past a deactivated Kheibar Shekan ballistic missile in front of a picture of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran's Bahrestan Square on Sept. 27, 2025, as part of an exhibit to mark the "Sacred Defense Week" commemorating the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

US targets Iran's military tech with sanctions after allies trigger snapback

New sanctions aim to increase pressure on Iran to restrict the IRGC’s relentless development of ballistic missiles and military aircraft, but risk pushing Tehran further into the orbits of Russia and China.