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July 10, 2026

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Why US strikes on Iran rail bridge signal shift in Hormuz conflict

A US missile strike on the railway bridge linking Iran to Central and East Asia suggests the White House is once again flirting with politically coercive tactics after the June agreement failed to halt Iran's attacks on Hormuz shipping.

Andreas SOLARO / AFP via Getty Images

Lebanon's Aoun to meet Trump in first presidential summit in US since 2009

The visit by the Lebanese head of state will coincide with ongoing US-sponsored Lebanon-Israel talks.

A cargo ship is pictured off coast of the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in Sharjah Emirate, along the Gulf of Oman on June 28, 2026.

Oil soars more than 6% as Trump rules out Iran deal, threatens more strikes

Oil prices had been recovering following a memorandum of understanding signed last month to end the war, but they rose by more than 6% early on Wednesday.

Latest News

Trump declares MoU with Iran 'over' as Hegseth cancels trip to Israel

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (not shown) for bilateral talks at Beştepe Presidential Compound during the NATO Summit on July 08, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

US revokes Iran oil waiver after Hormuz attacks

A picture taken on March 12, 2017, shows an Iranian tanker docking at the platform of the oil facility in the Khark Island, on the shore of the Gulf.

Analysis

Trump's F-35 push for Turkey runs into CAATSA — and Israel

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) welcomes US President Donald Trump (R) upon his arrival on Air Force One at Etimesgut Air Base near Ankara, on July 7, 2026, before attending the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)

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

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

Jared Szuba

Defense and Security Correspondent

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

Joyce Karam

Editor-in-Chief

Rosaleen Carroll

News Reporter and Supporting Editor

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Paul J. Saunders

In Washington, DC, reporting on Russia in the Middle East

Turkey’s military operation turning into diplomatic war

As the military front becomes perceptibly static in Turkey’s Operation Peace Spring, the center of gravity shifts to diplomatic front, seemingly catching Ankara underprepared.

Is US redesigning southern flank?

Amid Turkey’s rapprochement with Russia, the United States has stepped up military cooperation with Greece, Turkey’s traditional regional rival, heralding shifts in geostrategic balances in the Balkans, the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean.

Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) fire rifles at a drone operated by Islamic State militants in Raqqa, Syria, June 16, 2017. Goran Tomasevic: "ISIS uses drones to monitor Kurdish fighters and drop bombs at their positions. On a few occasions I ran into a house with fighters because of drones. On one occasion a bomb from a drone landed near a house where I was hiding with the rest of our team and YPG fighters. The biggest challenge in Raqqa was very limited access and the heat. The te

Pentagon to stay in Islamic State fight from Iraq

The Pentagon expects to fight the Islamic State from Iraq, a senior defense official said today, as American troops are set to leave northern Syria under pressure from a deepening Turkish offensive.

Russian and Syrian national flags flutter on military vehicles near Manbij, Syria October 15, 2019. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki - RC134A208F00

Putin goes for broke to negotiate Turkey cease-fire

US withdrawal created some opportunites for Russia but also had it face new challenges with Turkey.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a joint press conference with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic after their meeting in Belgrade, Serbia, October 7, 2019. REUTERS/Djordje Kojadinovic - RC1C7D7FF7D0

Erdogan defies international outcry over Syria incursion

Turkey has faced a barrage of recrimination for launching a military operation against Syrian Kurdish militants, but its president vows to maintain the “struggle for survival,” even as the death toll mounts and a humanitarian crisis looms.

Majority of Iranians now want to quit nuclear deal

A new poll shows that Iranian public support has decreased significantly for the JCPOA, and three-quarters of those polled indicate that they only support restarting negotiations with the United States if sanctions are lifted first.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council In Yerevan, Armenia October 1, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC125DBD8560

Rouhani calls US sanctions on Iran 'crime against humanity'

Iran's president has slammed the US economic sanctions on food and medical supplies for Iran but promised that Tehran will defeat Washington in the "economic war."

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attends a meeting of†the†Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Yerevan, Armenia October 1, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1BE1385900

Iran, Saudi Arabia and the 'Trump variable'

Relations between Saudi and Iranian leaders seem to sway precariously from week to week, propelled by a host of outside influences.

U.S. and Turkish military forces conduct a joint ground patrol inside the security mechanism area in northeast, Syria, September 8, 2019. Picture taken September 8, 2019. U.S. Army/Spc. Alec Dionne/Handout via REUTERS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1A2BD04270

Some US forces to remain in northeastern Syria, SDF sources say

Residual US forces will remain inside Syria despite President Donald Trump's Monday announcement that an estimated 1,000 US service members would be withdrawn from the Kurdish-controlled zone, Kurdish sources told Al-Monitor.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 14, 2019. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1D85D15B10

In Riyadh, Putin receives czar-like reception

Russia and Saudi Arabia sign a dozen business deals but it is unclear whether Syria disagreements were resolved.

Is Turkey able to handle influx of Islamic State prisoners?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey can take custody of Islamic State prisoners at a time when every other country avoids the repatriation of their own citizens. But there are serious questions as to whether Turkey can handle the situation.

Trump announces sanctions against Turkey

The Treasury Department sanctions Turkey's defense, energy, and interior ministers over Turkey's incursion into northern Syria.