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Politics & Security

Syrian textile employees work in a textile workshop in Gaziantep, Turkey, on Jan. 30, 2025.

Explainer

Turkey eases job rules for 1M+ Syrians under temporary protection: What to know

The move, part of a broader easing of restrictions on Syrians living in Turkey, could allow roughly 1.1 million working-age Syrians to enter registered employment more easily as Ankara seeks to reduce informal labor and address workforce gaps.

Al Sharaa

Breaking | Last Updated: July 1, 2026, 9:33 am

Syria announces Sharaa's parliamentary appointees, SDF Kurds sidelined

The Syrian government has announced the list of 70 members appointed to its transitional parliament.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian listens during a joint press conference alongside Armenia's Prime Minister in Yerevan on August 19, 2025.

Analysis

Why Iran's Pezeshkian is facing an uphill battle in postwar diplomacy

As President Masoud Pezeshkian's administration advances dialogue with Washington, its fiercer contest is in the corridors of power within the Islamic Republic itself.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Latest News

Druze gunmen, Syrian government forces clash in Suwayda: What to know

A Druze fighter stands at a roundabout draped with the Druze flag and a portrait of a local leader in the predominantly Druze city of Suwayda in southern Syria on July 21, 2025.

Analysis

For Israel, Lebanon deal 'historic' despite fears Hezbollah will rebuild

Shia Muslim devotees gather for a mourning ritual near the shrine of Hassan Nasrallah, the slain leader of the Lebanese Shia movement Hezbollah who was killed in a 2024 Israeli-airstrike, in Beirut's southern suburbs on June 26, 2026 at the peak of Ashura, a 10-day period commemorating the seventh century killing of Prophet Mohammed's grandson Imam Hussein. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP via Getty Images)

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

3 IRGC members killed in twin attacks as Iran intensifies Kurdish crackdown

Members of the crowd wave Iranian flags during a funeral procession held for IRGC Navy Chief Alireza Tangsiri.

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

Majid Saeedi/Getty Images

Analysis

'Cannot take our eyes off the ball:' Israel mulls next move as E3 preps Iran nuclear talks

While the Israeli and US strikes on Tehran’s nuclear facilities caused significant damage, they did not fully destroy them.

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

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MAY 16: (EDITOR’S NOTE: This Handout image was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images’ editorial policy.) In this handout image provided by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) are seen as Ukrainian, American and Russian delegates meet for peace talks at the office of Turkish President in Dolmabahce Palace on May 16, 2025 in Istanbul, Turkey. Under pressure from the United States to

‘We will intervene’: Turkey’s Fidan warns against dividing Syria

Ankara threatens action against the Kurdish-led SDF as the US pushes for the group’s integration into a post-regime Damascus.

BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images)

US to withdraw from UNESCO over 'anti-Israel rhetoric'

The State Department slammed the UN organization's “globalist, ideological agenda."

Bedouin fighters are seen on the streets of al-Mazraa village in Syria's southern Suwayda governorate on July 18, 2025, in Suwayda, Syria.

Suwayda violence boosts Kurds’ leverage as US Syria envoy, SDF chief meet

Syria's Kurds remain hesitant about integration with Damascus as interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa struggles with unrest in Suwayda.

This handout photo made available by the Iranian Army Office on March 12, 2025, shows navy personnel saluting aboard a Chinese military ship during a joint Iranian-Russian-Chinese drill in the Gulf of Oman.

Iran, Russia launch naval drills ahead of trilateral nuclear talks with China

Naval forces from Iran and Russia begin joint military drills in the Caspian Sea, reflecting deepening ties between the two countries that come just weeks after Iran’s 12-day war with Israel and the collapse of nuclear talks with the United States.

Citing security threats, Sudan blocks WhatsApp calls: What to know

The restriction comes as Sudan's civil war continues to devastate telecommunications infrastructure.

Hosam Saraya

Family says US citizen killed in Syria’s Suwayda

The US State Department said Monday that an American citizen was killed during the unrest in the southern Syrian city of Suwayda last week.

RAMI AL SAYED/AFP via Getty Images

Ceasefire fragile as Syria evacuates Bedouins in Suwayda, US urges accountability

The Syrian government has moved some Bedouin families out of the southern province after clashes with Druze fighters intensified over the weekend.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa shake hands during a joint press conference following their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, on Feb. 4, 2025. — OZAN KOSE/Getty

Analysis

Suwayda clashes stoke Turkey's fears of Kurdish gains, Syria's fragmentation

Amid Israeli strikes and sectarian violence, Turkey is doubling down on preserving Syrian territorial integrity, hoping to manage refugee returns and prevent Kurdish autonomy.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

A picture taken on Dec. 16, 2020 shows towers under construction in Riyadh.

Analysis

Saudi Arabia bets big on foreign property ownership to power post-oil future

The kingdom’s unprecedented policy shift aims to boost real estate investment while navigating religious and social sensitivities.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Bedouin and tribal fighters deploy as a car burns at the western entrance of Syria's Druze heartland of Suwayda on July 18, 2025.

Analysis

Why Iran is alarmed but vindicated by Syria's Druze crisis

Iran is framing the recent escalation in Syria's south as proof of its long-standing warnings about the post-Assad dynamics while deeply concerned by what it sees as Israeli plots to redraw the regional map.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics