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June 17, 2026

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Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa is welcomed by Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia on April 24, 2026, on the sidelines of a European summit.

Analysis

Why Trump’s push for Syria to confront Hezbollah is an unlikely bid

Trump’s proposal faces resistance from Damascus, skepticism from experts and opposition across Lebanon’s political spectrum.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Orthodox Patriarch of Bartholomew at the presidential complex, Ankara, Turkey, June 16, 2026.

Culture

Turkey’s Erdogan meets Orthodox patriarch amid push for reopening Halki Seminary

The meeting comes ahead of US President Trump’s expected attendance at next month's NATO leaders’ summit in Turkey, after Trump personally urged his Turkish counterpart to reopen the Halki Seminary.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE - JUNE 16: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a bilateral meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the G7 summit, on June 16, 2026 in Evian-les-Bains, France. Leaders from the Group of 7 (G7) countries convened in Evian, France, near the Swiss border, for their annual summit to discuss challenges to peace and security for Ukraine and Europe, the situation in the Middle East, and other geopolitical issues. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Get

'Let Syria take care of Hezbollah': Trump criticizes Israel, leans on Sharaa to help in Lebanon

President Donald Trump insisted he has a great relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but criticized the scale of Israel’s strikes in Lebanon.

Latest News

Analysis

'He knew it was over': Inside Netanyahu’s response to Trump’s Iran deal as Israel recalibrates

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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

Analysis

Squeezed by Trump and Iran war, how vulnerable is Netanyahu in polls?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted by President Donald Trump at the White House, Washington, DC, July 7, 2025.

Mazal Mualem

By Mazal Mualem

In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics

US strikes on Indian-crewed tankers spark tensions with New Delhi

Punit PARANJPE / AFP via Getty Images

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

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu attend a news conference in Ankara, Turkey, March 30, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX33DCF

Did the US, Turkey reach understanding on Assad?

Turkey declares an end to Syrian military intervention; alarm over possible US military support to Gulf coalition in Yemen war.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson leaves after a wreath-laying ceremony at Anitkabir, the mausoleum of modern Turkey's founder Ataturk, in Ankara, Turkey, March 30, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX33DNV

Did Tillerson's visit to Turkey relieve tensions?

It is still unclear whether US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s highly anticipated visit to Ankara had a positive impact on Turkey-US relations.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif makes a pledge during the second makes a pledge during the second 'Thematic Pledging Session' at the donors Conference for Syria in London, Britain February 4, 2016. REUTERS/Matt Dunham/pool - RTX25FTG

Iran in crosshairs as Syrian war winds down

As a resolution to the Syrian conflict grows closer, it is becoming clear that Iran is increasingly in the crosshairs of the Damascus regime's opponents and their backers.

A man walks on the rubble of houses at the site of a Saudi-led air strike in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, Yemen September 22, 2016. REUTERS/Abduljabbar Zeyad - RTSOWXB

Critics say operation to take port could spell more catastrophe for Yemen

As the Trump administration considers providing support for a UAE/Saudi operation to take a Yemeni port, some UN, former US officials warn it could tip Yemen into famine.

Houthi rebels parade during a rally held to mobilize fighters for battles against government forces, in Sanaa, Yemen December 1, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi - RTSU7TC

Congress raises alarm over US confrontation with Yemen's Houthis

House members want the legislative branch to sign off before any escalation against the Iran-backed group.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas shake hands after a statement in Berlin, Germany, March 24, 2017. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski - RTX32ITH

Will EU take the lead on two-state solution?

The European Union is developing a new Middle East policy, which will not depend on the Trump administration.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson meets with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara, Turkey, March 30, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX33CKX

Tillerson leaves Ankara with no new enemies — or friends

The US secretary of state seems to have made little progress on his first official trip to Turkey, where Rex Tillerson is believed to have confirmed the administration’s decision to press ahead with plans to capture Raqqa with the help of the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces.

An American soldier is seen at the U.S. army base in Qayyara, south of Mosul October 25, 2016. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani - RTX2QEMR

Will US keep military bases in Iraq after IS?

The Iraqi prime minister's recent visit to the United States indicates both parties are interested in maintaining a US presence in Iraq after the Islamic State is forced out. However, Iran-backed militias strongly oppose the idea.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 26: Sen. Robert 'Bob' Menendez (D-NJ) questions witnesses during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing concerning cartels and the U.S. heroin epidemic, on Capitol Hill, May 26, 2016, in Washington, DC. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2002 to 2013 the rate of heroin-related deaths quadrupled in the United States, with most of the increase coming after 2010. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Congress cautiously takes on Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

A bipartisan Senate bill to slap terrorism sanctions on the Iranian military raises questions about its practical impact.

A customer (C) uses an automated teller machine at a branch of Halkbank in Istanbul August 15, 2014. Turkey's state-run lender Halkbank said on Friday it has offer to buy a 76.76 percent stake in Serbian lender Cacanska Banka for an undisclosed sum. Halkbank offered no further details on the potential acquisition in a statement to the Istanbul stock exchange. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: BUSINESS) - RTR42JV5

Turkey shocked over banker's arrest in New York

The arrest of the vice president for Turkey’s state-owned Halkbank in New York has stunned Ankara and when the shock wears off, it will likely have complex implications for US-Turkish relations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad enter a hall during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, October 20, 2015. Alexei Druzhinin/RIA Novosti/Kremlin/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. SEARCH "ALEPPO TIMELINE" FOR THIS STORY - RTX2UYYY

Israel keeps tabs on Putin-Assad alliance

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reinforces the latter and might lead him to adopt a stronger approach vis-a-vis Israel.

How Egypt plans to boost tech partnerships with US companies

A delegation from Egypt's Communications and Information Technology Ministry has returned from a successful US tour to promote cooperation and investment in information technology.