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Politics & Security

Iranians walk past a billboard bearing a picture of Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei ahead of his funeral in Tehran on July 3, 2026. Iranian leaders began paying their respects on July 3 before the coffin of the country's late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, killed in the US-Israeli strikes that triggered the Middle East war, as Tehran prepared for a vast funeral. Khamenei's body arrived at Tehran's Grand Mosalla on July 3 ahead of ceremonies which are expected to draw millions. (Photo by AFP via Getty

Analysis

Iran set to bury Khamenei, but his hard-line legacy may endure

The elaborate funeral for the late supreme leader is becoming more than a farewell; it serves as a carefully staged test of regime continuity after his decades-long rule.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Volunteers of the Druze-led National Guard manage traffic at a checkpoint, Suwayda, Syria, Jan. 22, 2026.

Clashes between Druze fighters, Syrian forces raise fears of renewed violence

The episodes in Druze-majority Suwayda escalated amid kidnappings, various disputes, and absent movement on integrating Druze into state institutions.

Motorists drive past a billboard bearing a picture of Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei, ahead of his funeral in Tehran on July 3, 2026. Iranian leaders began paying their respects on July 3 before the coffin of the country's late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, killed in the US-Israeli strikes that triggered the Middle East war, as Tehran prepared for a vast funeral. Khamenei's body arrived at Tehran's Grand Mosalla on July 3 ahead of ceremonies which are expected to draw millions. (Photo by AFP via Ge

Analysis

As US-Iran talks falter, Israel views war outcome as 'total strategic failure’

Israeli officials believe the US failure to attain the kind of agreement with Iran that it originally sought stems from the strategic mistakes made during and after the recent war.

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

The court stands at the start of the first hearing at the International Court of Justice in which Myanmar is accused of committing genocide against the country's Muslim minority, the Rohingya, in the Hague on January 12, 2026. The Gambia filed the genocide case in cooperation with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 2019. Myanmar's military deliberately targeted the Rohingya minority in a bid to destroy the community, Gambia's Justice Minister Dawda Jallow told the International Court of Justice Mond

Explainer

Does provision 13 of Lebanon-Israel deal bar Beirut from pursuing war crimes claims?

Part of the Israeli-Lebanese agreement has led to calls for Beirut to grant the International Criminal Court jurisdiction in Lebanon or sign the Rome Treaty to allow prosecutions.

Latest News

Syria, Lebanon stress noninterference as Damascus mulls Hezbollah talks

Nawaf Salam and Asaad al-Shibani shake hands in Beirut on July 2, 2026.

As Trump touts nuclear progress, US-Iran talks show little momentum

Nathan Howard / AFP via Getty Images

At least 6 killed, 22 wounded in Damascus cafe explosion: What to know

Syrian security forces and people gather at the site of an explosion at a cafe in the capital, Damascus, on July 2, 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

Fidan and Araghchi

Iran, Turkey summon diplomats as tensions soar over Syria, Kurds: What to know

Turkish and Iranian tensions have intensified after the top Turkish diplomat criticized Tehran's use of proxy forces in an interview with Al-Jazeera Arabic last week.

Ultraorthodox Jewish men speak to soldiers standing on an armored personnel carrier in the buffer zone that separates the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights and Syria, near the Druze village of Majdal Shams, Feb. 27, 2025.

Analysis

As it courts Syria's Druze, will Israel counter Turkey or get cold shoulder?

Concerned over the growing influence of Turkey in Syria, Israel seeks ways to increase its own influence there, including renewing its partnership with the Druze.

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

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends the extended format meeting of the BRICS summit in Kazan on October 23, 2024. (Photo by Alexander NEMENOV / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ALEXANDER NEMENOV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Live Updates

Arab summit adopts Egypt’s alternative plan to Trump’s Gaza takeover: What to know

Arab states adopted an Egyptian plan calling for a “technocratic" committee to administer the Gaza Strip under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority as part of a broader two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israeli tanks take position near the fence with the buffer zone that separates the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights from the rest of Syria near the Druze village of Majdal Shams on Dec. 8, 2024.

Israel carries out fresh strikes in northwest Syria: What to know

Following last week’s strikes just south of Damascus, Israel’s military said it conducted another round of strikes on Monday on military targets in northwestern Syria.

Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (L) is welcomed by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) upon his arrival in at al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, on March 3, 2025.

Lebanon’s Aoun in Saudi Arabia seeking army support, $3 billion grant

Saudi Arabia is pleased with recent political developments in Lebanon, said one expert, and the president wants the kingdom to bolster aid to the Lebanese army amid the implementation of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

Lebanese army soldiers stand on an earthen barrier constructed by Israeli forces in the town of Yaroun, Lebanon, on Feb. 2, 2025.

France says Israel-Lebanon deconfliction holding — but for how long?

The mechanism charged with controlling the implementation of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah proves efficient, say French senior officials.

Iran's Vice-President for strategic affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif gestures as he addresses the audience during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 22, 2025. (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP) (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran Reformists scramble as Zarif resigns, Hemmati impeached: What to know

This is the second time Mohammad Javad Zarif has submitted his resignation under Iran’s current president, Masoud Pezeshkian.

A general view shows the Milad Tower in Iran's capital, Tehran, on Feb. 23, 2025.

Analysis

Iran steps up crackdown on Sunni militancy: How far could it go?

The question of Sunni militancy, which stems from decades-long systematic marginalization of Iran's Sunni minority, has added to an array of challenges Tehran's radical Shiite government is currently grappling with.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrives at the BRICS summit in Kazan on October 23, 2024. (Photo by Maxim Shemetov / POOL / AFP) (Photo by MAXIM SHEMETOV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Inside Egypt's Arab summit plan to use leverage to thwart Trump’s Gaza plan

Cairo is coordinating with Arab League member states to forge a united front and support for its plan to counter the US president's vision of taking over Gaza.

Shahira Amin

By Shahira Amin

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands after attending a joint press conference at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Feb. 18, 2025.

Analysis

After Istanbul meeting, what role for Turkey in a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire?

Turkey may be open to providing security guarantees for Ukraine but remains hesitant about deploying peacekeeping troops in Ukraine.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during a joint press conference with Syria's Foreign Minister during a joint press conference, in Ankara on January 15, 2025. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

In rare rebuke of Iran, Turkey's Fidan calls its proxy strategy 'heavy burden'

The top Turkish diplomat criticized Iran's regional strategy and warned against aligning with Kurdish-led forces in Syria.

A gathering on Feb. 15, 2025 blocks the road to the airport in Beirut, Lebanon. The protests were organized by Hezbollah against the Lebanese government's refusal to allow planes from Iran to land on its territory.

Lebanon seizes $2.5M in cash intended for Hezbollah at Beirut airport

Lebanese officials say a traveler from Turkey was detained and $2.5 million in cash was confiscated at the Beirut airport.