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

politics and security cover image

Politics & Security

Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM) Navy Adm. Brad Cooper testifies during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 14, 2026, in Washington.

CENTCOM commander heads to Israel, Gulf as Lebanon talks stall

Israel's top defense official said his country would not withdraw from Lebanon despite diplomatic pressure from Washington as it seeks rapprochement with Iran.

Jared Szuba

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

Congressional candidate Claire Valdez, Congressional candidate Brad Lander, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and Congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier raise their hands during a Get Out the Vote (GOTV) rally at King's Theater on June 18, 2026 in New York City.

Explainer

Pro-Palestine Democrats win in NYC elections: What it means

According to a recent survey, 80% of Democrats expressed an unfavorable view of Israel, yet party leadership in the House and Senate has remained largely aligned with longstanding US support for Israel.

Defendant Wassim al-Assad appears before the Fourth Criminal Court during the opening session of his trial in Damascus on June 24, 2026.

Syria opens trial of Wassim al-Assad, cousin of ousted president: What we know

The trial follows another session in the case against Atef Najib, also a cousin of former President Bashar al-Assad, as Syrian authorities continue prosecuting figures linked to the former regime and its remnants.

Latest News

Trump insists no Hormuz tolls as Iran, US make conflicting claims

Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Why Iran's generals are intensifying anti-US rhetoric amid negotiations

An Iranian man rides his motorbike past a billboard on May 28, 2026.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Turkey detains 233 ahead of NATO summit, including LGBTQ+ activist Yildiz Tar

Demonstrators take part in a rally against the upcoming NATO Summit early July in Ankara, on June 13, 2026.

Iran's Ghalibaf holds talks in Oman on Strait of Hormuz: What to know

Speaker of the parliament of Iran, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (R), arrives at the Burgenstock resort in Obbuergen, near Lucerne, Switzerland, on June 21, 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

People drink and chat in a bar in the old town in Damascus on June 19, 2025 in Damascus, Syria.

Syrian authorities restrict alcohol sales in Damascus: What to know

The new rule has added to concern over the socially conservative Islamist underpinnings of Syria's new leadership.

A flag of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah flutters above the rubble of a building that was hit in January by an Israeli strike in the southern Lebanese village of Qannarit, on Feb. 16, 2026.

Kuwait arrests 16 over alleged Hezbollah links, including 14 nationals

Lebanon pledged its full cooperation with Kuwait after the arrests and praised the Gulf state's actions.

Ali Larijani, former Iranian parliament speaker, addresses the media following his registration at the elections registration office, ahead of the country's election of a new president next month, Tehran, Iran, May 31, 2024.

Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani killed in Israeli strike: Katz

Israel announced that it killed Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, in an overnight strike in Tehran.

A smoke plume rises from an ongoing fire near Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 16, 2026.

Analysis

Why Iran sees UAE as attractive target in war against US, Israel

As the war enters its third week, the Gulf state has come under heavier Iranian missile and drone fire than its neighbors — and even more than Israel.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Black smoke rises following an airstrike, as Iranians take part in the Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day rally, a commemoration in support of the Palestinian people on the last Friday of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in Tehran on March 13, 2026.

No ceasefire in sight as Trump claims Iran wants a deal

President Donald Trump continues to offer mixed messages about how long the war, now in its third week, might continue.

A cargo ship is pictured off coast city of Fujairah, in the Strait of Hormuz in the northern Emirate, on Feb. 25, 2026.

As Trump presses allies on Hormuz support, reopening hurdles mount

Key European allies have balked at Trump’s request to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, raising doubts about how quickly the US can secure the waterway from Iranian missile and drone threats.

An Iraqi oil tanker waits at the Khawr Abd Allah canal leading up to Al-Faw port in southern Iraq, on June 6, 2024.

Desperate to sell its oil, Iraq turns to Turkey amid standoff with Kurds

As Iraq looks to reroute oil to Turkey, Baghdad is also using the plan to push the Iraqi Kurds to greenlight exports through their territory.

An Israeli self-propelled howitzer artillery gun fires rounds toward southern Lebanon from a position in the upper Galilee in northern Israel near the border on March 15, 2026.

Is Israel planning a buffer zone in Lebanon or will it go beyond Litani?

A primary Israeli concern, per reports, is that Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force commando units could infiltrate the border to attack northern Israeli communities.

Funerals are held for members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and other military figures at Enghelab Square on March 11, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Iran detains over 500 accused of spying for Israel, US: What to know

Iranian authorities have arrested more than 500 people accused of helping facilitate strikes against Iran by sharing information with foreign intelligence agencies and media outlets.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) listens to a speech by his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, Jerusalem, Feb. 25, 2026.

Could Israel-US war on Iran save Netanyahu’s political future?

It remains unclear whether the Israeli prime minister will get a "victory photo" to rescue his image after the security debacle and Hamas attack in October 2023.

Ali IHSAN OZTURK / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

No strangers to turmoil, Turkey-Iran to maintain ties under Mojtaba Khamenei

Even as war heighten tensions between Ankara and Tehran, the mix of rivalry and pragmatic cooperation that has long defined Turkey–Iran relations is likely to endure.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

AFP via Getty Images

Oil fires, toxic air and water risks: Environmental cost of Iran war expands to region

The bombing of oil facilities in Iran and critical water infrastructure in the Gulf threatens the Middle East with long-lasting environmental destruction, as have similar tactics employed in previous conflicts.