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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

A Cham Wings Airlines Airbus A320-211 is pictured at the Aleppo airport after flights were diverted from Damascus aiport following an airstrike that damaged the airport, Syria, June 15, 2022.

Russia reportedly drafts UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel over Syria

Reports yesterday claimed that Russia is preparing a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel over its alleged attack last week on the Damascus airport.

Burak Kara/Getty Images

Turkish court bans Erdogan rival from own party

The ruling appears to be a pattern of similar events befalling political rivals of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of the 2023 elections.

A woman uses her phone to livestream a traditional "hakawati" storyteller performing late after midnight during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, at the historic Dar Halabia Hotel in the Bab Antakya area of the Old City of Aleppo, Syria, April 12, 2022.

Women in Idlib face online harassment

Many women in Idlib have been subjected to online harassment and blackmail, where their personal data posted on social media have been exploited for financial or moral gain, or for sexual exploitation purposes.

Bedouin village

Hamas’ use of excessive force to displace Bedouins angers Gazans

Public and official anger could be felt in Gaza after Hamas security forces attacked the residents of the Bedouin village of Umm al-Nasr, north of Gaza, to forcibly displace them and demolish their homes under the pretext that they do not own these houses.

Iraq counterterror

Counterterror ops rake in 'high-value targets' in Iraq, Syria

Multiple counterterrorism operations against Islamic State hideouts in both Iraq and Syria in recent weeks have taken out men whom officials claim were leaders within the international terrorist organization.

A woman takes a photograph of another standing in front of a wall of cement blocks, set up by Lebanese security forces to bar a street leading to the parliament building, Beirut, Lebanon, Jan. 24, 2020.

Lebanon elects record number of women to parliament

Lebanon has one of the highest overall gender gaps in the world, ranking 145 out of 153 countries.

Hamas drone

Hamas bets on locally made drones for next confrontation with Israel

Hamas’ armed wing has revealed some new information about its drone production, a move that some experts see as a show of force for Israel.

Astana

Russia, Iran won't endorse Turkish military operation in Syria

At the latest Astana Group meeting on Syria, Russia and Iran tried to soothe Turkey by rejecting the Kurdish-led self-rule in northern Syria in a joint declaration this week.

Biden

Analysis

Biden approach to Saudi Arabia echoes Bush’s China policy after Tiananmen Square

Also: Washington and Riyadh seek to break Sudan deadlock; Syrian factions unite against Turkey.

Week in Review

By Week in Review

A Turkish-backed Syrian rebel fighter holds a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

Kurdish, Syrian, Iranian forces coordinate ahead of Turkish operation

Kurdish units and Iranian-affiliated factions in Syria have formed a joint operations room under Russian supervision to counter a possible Turkish military operation in northern Syria.

Uriel Sinai/Getty Images

First woman to command Israeli Defense Force brigade

A newly promoted colonel will be the first woman to command a brigade in the Israel Defense Forces.

Palestinian laborers work at the construction site of a new housing project in the Israeli settlement of Ariel near Nablus, the West Bank, Jan. 25, 2017.

Israel adds 2,000 work permits for Gaza Palestinians

Israeli authorities increased by 2,000 the number of work permits for Gaza Palestinians, to a total of 14,000, and intends to add 20,000 work permits for West Bank Palestinians.