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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.

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

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Rubio links Iran's economic fate to nuke deal as Trump vows sanctions

The top US diplomat's comments come amid a delay in the fourth round of Oman-mediated talks between Washington and Tehran over a potential deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for international sanctions relief.

OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images

Syria Druze leader decries 'genocidal attack' as clashes leave 101 dead

The Syrian government rejected calls for foreign intervention after a Druze leader slammed Damascus over the latest bout of sectarian violence in the country.

Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Hussein al-Sheikh attends a meeting with the US Secretary of State and other foreign ministers, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in the Jordanian capital Amman on Nov. 4, 2023.

Analysis

For Israel, al-Sheikh appointment as Palestinian VP signals continuity, pragmatism

The appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as vice president of the Palestinian Authority is unlikely to bring dramatic changes to its policies on Israel.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Hussein al-Sheikh

Hussein al-Sheikh, Abbas protege named Palestinian VP, draws mixed reactions

Sheikh’s rise to vice-chair of the PLO and vice president of the State of Palestine signals a potential shift in leadership, but his controversial past and complex political alliances leave the future of his role uncertain.

US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz speaks during the Hill & Valley Forum at the US Capitol Visitor Center Auditorium in Washington, DC, on April 30, 2025.

Trump taps Mike Waltz as UN ambassador

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will serve as interim national security adviser.

UAE/LEBANON

UAE lifts Lebanon travel ban, signals support for $11B reconstruction in sign of thaw

The United Arab Emirates and Lebanon will establish a joint business council and explore joint projects, suggesting the UAE could play a role in Lebanon’s economic recovery.

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Over 400 detained in Istanbul’s May Day protest as Turkey restricts transit

The demonstrations, which marked the first major opposition rally since mass protests roiled the country last month over the Istanbul mayor’s arrest, were met with tight restrictions.

ORI AVIRAM/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Jerusalem wildfires rage for second day as environmental groups blame Netanyahu

According to Israeli environmental groups, the government has repeatedly ignored calls to prepare for the threat of fires and to take more decisive action on climate change goals.

A Kuwaiti reporter gets a close up look at a Patriot missile launcher March 23, 2003, manned by the Kuwait army during a tour in the desert north of Kuwait City.

US signs off $425 million sale to upgrade Kuwait’s Patriot air defenses

Washington's second Patriot upgrade for Kuwait in a month comes amid fears of a potential regional conflict should the US and Israel strike Iran's nuclear sites if diplomatic overtures fail.

Jared Szuba

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

This photograph taken on April 3, 2024, shows the House of Swiss Parliament under heavy clouds in Swiss capital Bern.

Switzerland to ban Hamas on May 15, allowing expulsions: What we know

Historically neutral Switzerland moved to ban Hamas after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, mirroring actions taken by others on the continent.

Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, April 20, 2025.

On first state visit, Aoun lauds UAE-Lebanon ties, says 'past behind us'

The Lebanese president’s visit to the UAE is the first by a head of state in years, as ties between the two countries became increasingly strained during Hezbollah’s growing influence in Lebanon.

Omer Siddig

Meet Omer Siddig, Sudan's new foreign minister, former ambassador to China

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has appointed veteran diplomat Omer Siddig as Sudan's new minister of foreign affairs, filling the role following the dismissal of his predecessor, Ali Youssif, in mid-April.