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September 13, 2026

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US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Analysis

Why Trump is in no rush to join Yemen war as Houthis seize Bab al-Mandeb

The Houthis' capture of Mokha and Perim Island has dealt a major credibility blow to Yemen's Saudi-backed forces while granting the rebels a clear line-of-sight to launch missiles into one of the Middle East's most important shipping lanes. As long as they don't interfere with international commerce, Washington is likely to withhold its fire.

Jared Szuba

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

Admiral Charles Bradford "Brad" Cooper II, Commander of US Central Command speaks during a joint press conference with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, at US Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, on March 5, 2026. (Photo by Octavio JONES / AFP via Getty Images)

CENTCOM chief in Saudi Arabia as Yemen's Houthis seize Bab al-Mandeb

The Houthis' seizure of Mocha and Perim Island effectively puts them in a position to close the Bab al-Mandeb.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a meeting with Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Richard Marles at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on September 2, 2026. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Iran’s Pickaxe mountain tests limits of Trump’s military options

A secretive Pentagon innovation agency has hastened to test munitions that may penetrate deeper than the GBU-57 bombs dropped on Iran’s two main enrichment facilities.

Jared Szuba

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

Chaim Goldberg / AFP via Getty Images

Netanyahu threatens to sue Haaretz for reporting UAE warned Israel of Oct. 7 attack

The Emirati president reportedly warned that a planned attack could cause bloodshed, destabilize the region and threaten the Abraham Accords.

Latest News

Brent crude sails past $100 as Middle East war intensifies

AFPTV / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Israel braces for Iran attack as Trump’s economic squeeze on Tehran intensifies

TOPSHOT - Explosions from projectile interceptions by Israel's Iron Dome missile defence system are pictured over Tel Aviv on February 28, 2026. The United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, with Israel's public broadcaster reporting that the Iranian supreme leader had been targeted, as the Islamic republic retaliated with barrages of missiles at Gulf states and Israel. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP via Getty Images)

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

Lebanon says at least 12 killed in Israeli strikes as tensions rise in south

An excavator digs as rescuers search for survivors amid the rubble following an overnight Israeli airstrike on the village of Kfar Roummane, southern Lebanon, Sept. 7, 2026.

Analysis

Could Trump’s oil push in Venezuela upend OPEC’s energy order?

A man walks past a mural depicting oil pumps and the Venezuelan flag, with portraits of Venezuelan independence leader Simon Bolivar (L) and former late President Hugo Chavez (R), in Caracas, Venezuela, on Sept. 3, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

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

Javad Zarif, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran attends the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, January 18, 2017. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich - RTSW1N5

Iran's Zarif criticizes hard-liners for leaks on nuclear talks

In an exclusive interview, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator criticized those attacking the nuclear deal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Jordan's King Abdullah at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia January 25, 2017. REUTERS/Alexander Nemenov/Pool - RTSXBNR

Why is Jordan shifting its Syria strategy?

Jordan has joined the Astana process and is signaling a change in its position toward Damascus.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem February 12, 2017. REUTERS/Gali Tibbon/Pool - RTSY99P

What will Netanyahu tell Trump?

With combative coalition partners watching his every move, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might focus on the Iranian issue when meeting US President Donald Trump, as this will serve him well in the Israeli public opinion.

Rebel fighters gather around a pick-up truck carrying food on the outskirts of the northern Syrian town of al-Bab, Syria February 8, 2017. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi - RTX306A0

Turkey’s Euphrates Shield reaches critical juncture

Will Turkish army advance to Raqqa, try to hold on to al-Bab or end the operation and go back to Turkey?

Turkish army tanks and military personal are stationed in Karkamis on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 25, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX2MYWR

Turkey walks fine line in dealing with 'frenemy' jihadis

Turkey’s mixed messages in crackdown terrorist groups; Ankara on sidelines, again, in Syria; Syrian Kurds consider federalism, view Turkish attack on al-Bab as "fiasco."

A Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighter watches a convoy of his forces advancing in the north of Raqqa city, Syria February 5, 2017. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RTX2ZOUT

How close are we to a solution in Syria?

As the Syrian Democratic Forces launch a new phase in the operation to liberate the city of Raqqa from Islamic State control, many questions remain about the military and political situation on the ground.

Behnam Partopour, a Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) student from Iran, is greeted by his sister Bahar (L) at Logan Airport after he cleared U.S. customs and immigration on an F1 student visa in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. February 3, 2017. Partopour was originally turned away from a flight to the U.S. following U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order travel ban. REUTERS/Brian Snyder TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2ZKDO

Iranian academics hit hard by Trump's travel ban

Beyond impacting travelers and their families around the world, the US president's move to ban citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from the United States has crushed academics at home and abroad.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the law enforcement at the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) Winter Conference in Washington, U.S., February 8, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - RTX305LF

How Trump's economic policies could hurt Egypt

In a time of global economic uncertainty, Egypt is worried about how US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement will affect the Suez Canal.

FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for a welcoming ceremony during the Group of 20 (G20) leaders summit in the Mediterranean resort city of Antalya, Turkey, November 15, 2015. REUTERS/Murad Sezer/File Photo - RTX30909

What is Merkel's Mideast role in Trump-Putin era?

Against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s nationalistic policies, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is being viewed by many as the new leader of the free world and a future key player in the Middle East.

U.S. President Donald Trump salutes as he arrives aboard Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S. January 26, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTSXJL3

The colonels shaping Trump's Middle East policy

Who’s who in the Trump NSC: The retired military intelligence officers who helped David Petraeus with the surge in Iraq are now shaping policies for a president who says the United States should have never invaded Iraq.

Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami waits to make a keynote speech to an audience at a university in Melbourne March 26, 2009. REUTERS/Mick Tsikas (AUSTRALIA POLITICS) - RTXD85S

How Trump could spark 'national reconciliation' in Iran

Former President Mohammad Khatami, sensing that the threat from US President Donald Trump is real, called for national reconciliation.

Mike Pompeo waits to be sworn in as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's ceremonial office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House in Washington, U.S. January 23, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTSX1LZ

All eyes on Pompeo as CIA chief arrives in Ankara

Though Turkish hopes for a closer US alliance are soaring as CIA Director Mike Pompeo meets with top Ankara officials, it's unlikely that the US administration will agree to weaken its ties to the Kurdish groups it depends on badly in Syria.