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July 13, 2026

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US President Donald Trump gestures as he steps off Air Force One to board the new Qatari-gifted Boeing plane, en route to the United States following his participation in the NATO Summit at Royal Air Force Mildenhall on July 8, 2026, in Mildenhall, England.

Trump says US to strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site

Satellite imagery has detected recent construction at the underground facility.

A man holds a Syrian flag across the street from the White House after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with President Donald Trump at White House in Washington, on Nov. 10, 2025.

Syria, US hold first business forum since sanctions relief: What to know

The one-day forum in Damascus was organized by Syria’s Ministry of Economy and Industry and the US-Syria Business Council, which was established in Washington last June to advance trade and investment between the two nations.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at a Council of Ministers meeting in Baghdad on July 11, 2026.

Analysis

On first foreign trip, Iraqi PM Zaidi woos Trump but Iran casts long shadow

Iraq's new prime minister is in Washington promising business deals and closer ties with the United States, but convincing the Trump administration he can rein in Iran-backed militias may prove his toughest challenge.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Oil climbs after US strikes Iran, Trump vows to control Strait of Hormuz

US Central Command said in a statement early on Monday that it struck dozens of Iranian targets overnight as Iran targeted American bases across the Gulf.

Latest News

Trump says US to resume naval blockade of Iran's ports

U.S. President Donald Trump returns to Joint Base Andrews on July 09, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump, switched from the old Air Force One to the new Air Force One while stopping in the U.K. at RAF Mildenhall Air Force Base was returning from his visit to Ankara, Turkey where he attended the NATO summit. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Analysis

From S-400s to SAMP/T: Turkey’s defense pivot gathers pace after NATO summit

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose after signing a defense partnership agreement on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, July 8, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan attend Russia-Turkey talks in an expanded format at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia January 23, 2019. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1489354BE0

Erdogan-Putin summit highlights differences over Syria

Ankara gets little out of Moscow regarding its plans for northern Syria.

Varying head counts of US forces in Iraq stir controversy

It's hard to nail down how many US troops are in Iraq, but some Iraqi political factions say any number is too high.

Will the US renege on its promises to protect SDF in Syria?

Turkey is pushing ahead with the idea of a safe zone along its border with Syria.

Qatar sinks into Gaza quagmire

Qatar wanted to please the United States and help Gaza residents with aid money, but has found itself trapped in a standoff between Hamas and Israel.

Members of Saudi security forces take part in a military parade in preparation for the annual Haj pilgrimage in the holy city of Mecca September 5, 2016. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah - S1AETZPDJXAA

Congress poised to put Saudi Arabia on the hook for millions in military training

Lawmakers estimate ending security assistance could cost Riyadh up to $30 million.

An Israeli man looks on as an Iron Dome launcher fires an interceptor rocket in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon July 14, 2018 REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RC1E436675A0

Pentagon’s Iron Dome buy raises questions on US troop protection

The Pentagon has agreed to acquire Israel’s Iron Dome to intercept cruise missiles, but experts are questioning whether the system can effectively defend US troops.

Brian Hook, U.S. Special Representative for Iran, speaks about potential threats posed by the Iranian regime to the international community, during a news conference at a military base in Washington, U.S., November 29, 2018. REUTERS/Al Drago - RC11738D3C90

US allies try to dilute anti-Iran agenda for Warsaw summit

Wary European allies are trying to dilute and broaden the agenda and lower their diplomatic representation for a US-backed ministerial meeting on Middle East peace and security to be held Feb. 13-14 in Warsaw, Poland.

U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) speaks during a news conference to discuss the FBI background investigation into the assault allegations against U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., October 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas - RC19A2D8E130

Congress in no hurry to act as Palestinians reject security aid

A new law has unintentionally ended security assistance for the Palestinian Authority, and Congress is in no rush to fix it.

U.S. Consulate is pictured in Istanbul, Turkey, October 11, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC1FF67FFBE0

Turkey seeks life sentence against US Consulate employee

A Turkish national and liaison officer for the DEA at the US Consulate in Istanbul has been indicted for espionage.

Polish Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Maciej Lang speaks during an interview with AFP at the Polish Embassy in the Iranian capital Tehran on January 21, 2019. - Lang met in Tehran today with his Iranian counterpart in an effort to solve a dispute over a conference his country is to host. He described as "constructive" his talks with Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi over the jointly organised conference with the United States on peace and security in the Middle East. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP

Senior Polish diplomat in Iran to mend ties amid Warsaw conference row

Poland's deputy foreign minister visited Tehran to assure Iranians that an upcoming controversial conference in Warsaw will not turn into an anti-Iran event.

Netanyahu forsakes multilateralism in favor of bilateral alliances

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted President Donald Trump’s negative approach against UN agencies and international groups.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad meets with Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Damascus, Syria September 3, 2018. SANA/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE. - RC1F08842BC0

Drivers and barriers to Iran-US compromise in Syria

The best option for Iran in post-war Syria would be to bargain over a regional compromise aimed at establishing limited policy cooperation with all influential actors; however, to realize such a scenario it is necessary for the barriers to a compromise to be removed.