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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

(L to R) Director-General of Syria's General Petroleum Corporation Nabih Khrestin.

Egypt-Lebanon gas deal awaits US decision on Syria sanctions

A State Department spokesperson said the administration will review the final contracts and financing terms to address any sanctions concerns.

Shaked

Israeli minister backs Moroccan claims to Western Sahara sovereignty

On a first official visit to Morocco, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked said Israel recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara, and stated Israel’s intention to enable Moroccans to work in Israel in the construction and nursing sectors.

Bermuda-flagged luxury yacht "My Solaris" belonging to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

US deputy treasury secretary in Turkey to warn against evading Russian sanctions

In a visit to Ankara Wednesday, US Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo plans to remind Turkey that anyone evading US sanctions against Russia will be held accountable.

Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.

In race against time, Israeli government passes first test to dissolve

Today’s procedural step in the Knesset moves the Israeli coalition government closer to dissolution and elections in the fall.

Erdogan

Analysis

How Turkey's opposition to Sweden, Finland joining NATO could backfire

It seems Turkey will continue to block Finland and Sweden’s memberships at the upcoming NATO summit, but Ankara is now signaling its lack of interest in strengthening the alliance.

Cengiz Candar

By Cengiz Candar

Syrian rebel fighters for the National Liberation Front advance in a trench.

Idlib sees new escalation between Syrian government, opposition forces

Government forces escalated tensions on the battlefronts in Idlib in response to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham targeting the town of Kassab in the Latakia countryside after installing a statue of former Syrian President Hafez al-Assad.

Soldiers loyal to the Aden-based Yemeni government stand guard.

Yemen's new leadership seeks regional help with sweeping reforms at home

The recent overseas tours by Yemen's new leadership intend to garner support for implementing diverse national reforms.

Turkey protest

Turkish journalists, free speech advocates protest draft bill

Turkish press unions organized nationwide rallies Tuesday to protest the likely passage of a so-called disinformation bill. They worry that jail sentences of up to three years for spreading fake news could be applied to any news the government disapproves of.

People pay their respects by the grave of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, an Iranian scientist linked to the country's nuclear program who was killed months before.

Iran claims it arrested Israeli spies plotting to kill nuclear scientists

The arrests come at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and Israel, as the latter has been linked to a recent wave of attacks targeting Iran's nuclear and missile programs.

Israel's former premier Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the press at the Knesset in Jerusalem on June 20, 2022.

Process of dispersing Israel's Knesset set to start Wednesday

The government is now trying to expedite the disbanding of the Knesset and conclude the process within a week to avoid a situation in which the opposition could establish an alternative Cabinet.

In this photo made available by the US Navy, a boat of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy operates in close proximity to patrol coastal ship USS Sirocco.

Iran’s IRGC harasses US Navy in Persian Gulf as nuclear talks stall

The "unsafe and unprofessional" encounter was at least the second in just a few months, a Navy official confirmed.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian looks on during his meeting with his Pakistani counterpart at the Foreign Ministry headquarters, Tehran, Iran, June 14, 2022.

Iranian FM travels to India to upgrade ties

During a visit to New Delhi, Iran's foreign minister discussed with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi upgrading bilateral relations, including on energy trade, the Chabahar port and regional connectivity.