Politics & Security - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

politics and security cover image

Politics & Security

Tump

Can Trump turn midterm defeat into Iran breakthrough?

Although Iran may have contributed to Republican losses in midterms, the Trump administration still has a historic opportunity in the Middle East.

Manon Roca / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Lebanon files charges against 2 Hezbollah members as UNIFIL prepares to withdraw

The move comes amid growing security concerns in the south less than two months before the UNIFIL mandate expires.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses Turkish members of parliament during the opening of the parliamentary session at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara, on Oct. 1, 2026.

Breaking | Last Updated: November 5, 2026, 3:56 pm

Turkey’s parliament ratifies Mecca pact in boost to Saudi Arabia

Turkey will now decide the scope of military support for Saudi Arabia amid ongoing Iran-backed Houthi attacks on the kingdom.

Tomer Neuberg / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Explainer

Arab parties' backing gives Eisenkot edge over Netanyahu for PM: What to know

With 67 Knesset members backing his candidacy, Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot could win the mandate to form the next government.

Latest News

Massie renews Hegseth impeachment push as GOP blames Iran war for midterm losses

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testifies during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, on July 21, 2026, in Washington.

Jared Szuba

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

Can Erdogan’s Baku visit fix Turkey-Azerbaijan rift?

TOFIK BABAYEV/AFP via Getty Images

Russia to provide Iran with 90 missile launchers as military ties grow: Reports

Russian Mil Mi-8 military helicopters fly over a joint Russian and Turkish convoy, northeastern Hasakeh province, Syria, Feb. 4, 2021.

Turkey says soldier killed by gunfire from Iran at border: What to know

A sign marking the border of Turkey in Van, Turkey, on March 14, 2026.

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

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, and Foreign Affairs Minister of the United Arab Emirates Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

UAE says Israel’s West Bank annexation push a ‘red line': What to know

There are growing indications that the Israeli government is seeking to annex the Palestinian territory, but the UAE is becoming increasingly critical of the plan.

STEPHANE YAS/AFP via Getty Images)

Iraq announces ISIS network busted in West Africa: What to know

Activity by the Islamic State’s West Africa branch is increasing, according to some observers, and Iraq is looking to strengthen counterterrorism coordination with other states.

An Edge 130 Blue small, unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing takes off to perform flight demonstrations to partner nations during BRIGHT STAR 2025 at Talet Al Keif, Egypt.

Pentagon kicks off Bright Star war games in Egypt with 1,500 US troops

US Central Command is seeking to firm up Washington’s sway with Egypt's leaders amid signs of instability, as China expands its own leverage over the strategic state that controls the Suez Canal.

People walk and drive past a billboard depicting as postage stamps the disputed Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunb islands in Tehran on Oct. 26, 2024.

Iran-GCC clash over islands, nuclear talks underscores Tehran’s growing isolation

The Gulf Cooperation Council's renewed territorial claims on three Iran-controlled Persian Gulf islands come as Tehran is struggling under mounting international pressure and scrambling to rise from the ashes of its recent war with Israel.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives in the Chinese city of Tianjin to attend the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Aug. 31, 2025.

Turkey’s Erdogan holds hands with Iran’s Pezeshkian, sparks online buzz

A short video of Erdogan holding hands with Iran’s Pezeshkian at the SCO summit in China has captured global attention and stirred heated online reactions.

People inspect the debris following a landslide that devastated the village of Tarasin, in Sudan's Jebel Marra area, on Sept. 2, 2025.

Over 1,000 dead in Darfur landslide as Sudan war hinders relief efforts

A devastating landslide in the Marrah Mountains of Darfur has killed over 1,000 people, prompting appeals for international aid amid escalating violence in the region.

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey: CHP Istanbul head ousted as court escalates pressure on Ozel

The court’s ruling has raised further challenges to the leadership of CHP chairman Ozgur Ozel, who led the party to victory in last year’s local elections.

PARKER SONG/AFP via Getty Images

Iran’s Pezeshkian meets Xi in Beijing as China, Russia try to stall E3 sanctions

Iran’s president met China's in Beijing after the SCO summit, which backed Iran’s against international sanctions and condemned US-Israeli strikes on the country earlier this summer.

Representatives of prominent families in Hebron attend a gathering.

Israel arrests Hebron mayor, launches West Bank crackdown: What to know

Israeli forces carried out a series of raids across the West Bank, arresting several Palestinians, including the mayor of Hebron, amid reports of the possible dissolution of the Palestinian Authority.

MAZEN MAHDI/AFP via Getty Images

Bahraini protesters clash with police over new Israeli ambassador: What to know

Bahrain normalized ties with Israel in 2020 and has sought to balance friendly relations and maintaining calm among its pro-Palestinian population amid the Gaza war.

Israeli army soldiers stand atop the turret of a Merkava main battle tank positioned near armoured military bulldozers along the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on Sept. 2, 2025.

Israel calls up 60,000 reservists for Gaza City op, but how many will show up?

The mobilization of 60,000 reservists for Gaza City could be undermined if significant numbers decline to serve.

Al Drago/Getty Images

US sanctions network smuggling Iranian oil diguised as Iraqi: What to know

The move come on the heels of the E3’s push to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran.