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

politics and security cover image

Politics & Security

A billboard with the image of the late Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wraps the front of a building in Tehran on May 5, 2026.

Analysis

Iran's Gulf gambit: Attacking the UAE to shift US calculations

Tehran is escalating pressure on the United Arab Emirates through strikes and rhetoric, signaling a strategy to widen the conflict and indirectly force Washington to ease its blockade on Iranian ports.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Parker Song / Getty Images

Iran’s Araghchi heads to China as US presses Beijing over Hormuz: What to know

The visit comes ahead of President Donald Trump's long-awaited trip to Beijing next week.

A picture taken near Kars on Feb. 28, 2024 shows the ruins of a bridge over Arpacay river, the natural border between Turkey and Armenia.

Turkey, Armenia agree to restore medieval bridge in normalization push

Ankara is pursuing normalization with Armenia ahead of June parliamentary elections in a thaw also positioned to advance its broader Middle Corridor ambitions.

Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP via Getty Images)

EU says energy costs tied to Hormuz crisis have surged past $35B

Global energy price increases tied to the Hormuz disruption are driving higher import costs in Europe, despite limited reliance on gas flowing through the strait.

Latest News

Ethiopia rejects Sudan's strike claims, accuses Khartoum of backing Tigray rebels

The charred remains of a tank from clashes between the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) lie on a road near Gereb Agew, Southern Tigray, on March 3, 2026.

Analysis

Israel fears Trump seeking Hormuz win while sidestepping Iran nuclear issue

Amirhossein KHORGOOEI / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images

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

Pentagon says Iran ceasefire continues despite UAE attack

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on April 24, 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

Denizbank

Turkey prosecutors indict bank CEO in $44 million Ponzi scheme

The latest indictment seeks lengthy prison sentences for the bank executives over a scheme targeting soccer stars.

Waddani Party presidential candidate Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, also known as Irro, (C) casts his vote at a polling station.

Opposition wins election in Somaliland, signals dialogue with Somalia: What we know

Somaliland's opposition leader, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, has won the presidential election, unseating the incumbent president who held office for seven years.

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi speaks during the International Conference on Nuclear Science and Technology in Isfahan, on May 7, 2024.

Iran offers few concessions ahead of likely censure at IAEA meeting

The E3, with the support of the US, is set to introduce a resolution to censure Iran claiming that Iran has not complied with requirements outlined by the international community regarding its nuclear program.

A photo taken from the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre shows smoke billowing following an Israeli airstrike which targeted the area of al-Hosh on the outskirts of Tyre, on November 19, 2024. (Photo by KAWNAT HAJU / AFP) (Photo by KAWNAT HAJU/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

As Netanyahu warms to Israel-Lebanon deal, US role comes into play

Sources are saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is willing to reach a deal with Hezbollah, while realizing that the "rise or fall" of any arrangement will hinge on the enforcement mechanism.

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

Amos Hochstein

Hochstein in Beirut, says 'significant progress' on Lebanon-Israel cease-fire as Hezbollah accepts proposal

US envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in Beirut in a bid to secure a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hezbollah, as the Lebanese group reportedly approved a new proposal to halt the hostilities, with some comments.

NUSA DUA, INDONESIA - JULY 08: The Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi (R) greets the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luigi Di Maio (L) during arrival of the G20 Foreign Ministers and Head of Department at the Grand Ballroom Mulia Hotel on July 08, 2022 in Nusa Dua, Indonesia. (Photo by Robertus Pudyanto/Getty Images)

Interview

EU escorted over 200 ships in Red Sea amid Gulf maritime threats, envoy says

The Gulf states are supporting the EU's Operation Aspides to counter the Houthi threat in the Red Sea region, as both seek greater cooperation on maritime security, said Luigi di Maio.

Luigi di Maio

Luigi di Maio

EU Special Representative for the Gulf

People carry the picture of late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh as they march during a protest to express support for Palestinians in Gaza on the eve of the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks, on Oct. 06, 2024, in Istanbul, Turkey.

US warns Turkey against hosting Hamas' political leaders

The State Department said several Hamas leaders have been indicted in the United States and "should be turned over."

Mike Huckabee

Huckabee, Trump's ambassador pick to Israel, says two-state solution not legitimate

Trump tapped Mike Huckabee, an evangelical Christian and fervent Israel supporter, as his soon-to-be nominee for ambassador to the country.

Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant-General Herzi Halevi (C), Director the Security Agency Ronen Bar (C-R) and Israel's Chief of the Mossad David Barnea (R).

Shin Bet chief discusses Gaza truce in Turkey: What we know

The Israeli official's travel to Turkey marks a dramatic development considering that Ankara has not played a part in these negotiations over the past year and Israel-Turkey relations have significantly deteriorated amid the Gaza war.

Israeli settlers walk through a street in Hebron's old city. Security is reinforced for the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, West Bank, on Oct. 22, 2024.

US unveils new West Bank sanctions amid calls to target Israeli ministers

The latest sanctions come after nearly 90 Democratic lawmakers urged the administration to penalize Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Irwin Cotler

Canada foils Iranian plot to kill Jewish human rights leader: What we know

The target of the alleged assassination plot, Irwin Cotler, is a fierce critic of the Iranian regime and a staunch supporter of Israel.

Hamas's chief representative in Lebanon Osama Hamdan (L), Hamas Arab relations chief Khalil al-Hayya (C) and Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command Talal Naji arrive for a press conference during a visit to Damascus, Syria, Oct. 19, 2022.

Reports Hamas' political bureau relocated to Turkey false, Turkish sources say

Turkish diplomatic sources refutes claims of Hamas political leaders relocating from Qatar to Turkey, following media reports.