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Politics & Security

A woman stands next to Iranian-made Zolfaghar missiles displayed at Azadi Square in Tehran on July 24, 2026.

Iran’s new calculus: Strike first, talk later

An increasingly emboldened Tehran has put President Donald Trump in a bind.

A Saudi navy ship is pictured docked at King Faisal navy base in Jeddah before the departure of a team to Port Sudan to help with the evacuation efforts of people fleeing Sudan, on April 29, 2023.

Turkey, Pakistan among 14 countries backing Saudi Arabia's anti-Houthi Red Sea alliance

Riyadh won political backing from 14 countries for its proposed maritime defense coalition, but members have yet to commit to joining as Washington weighs its position.

Erdogan and Aoun

Turkey ready to participate in post-UNIFIL force in Lebanon, Erdogan tells Aoun

Aoun paid a one-day visit to Ankara amid Lebanon's push to secure an Israeli withdrawal and end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

A ship transits the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea on Jan. 10, 2024 in Ismailia, Egypt.

Houthis deny responsibility for drone attack hitting Egypt's Damietta Port

The attack is the first on Egyptian territory since the Iran war erupted in February, raising the risk of further widening the Middle East conflict.

Latest News

US carries out strikes in southern Iran after IRGC attack on Jordan airbase

In this handout photo provided by the US Navy, Two F/A-18 Super Hornets launch from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 3, 2026 in the Mediterranean Sea.

Exclusive

Saudi Arabia to announce Red Sea coalition to counter Houthi threats

Houthi soldiers stand guard on a missile carrier during an official military parade marking the ninth anniversary of the Houthi takeover of the capital, Sanaa, on Sept. 21, 2023.

Amberin Zaman

Jared Szuba

By Amberin Zaman , Jared Szuba

Meet Khalida Boufedech, the first woman to lead Algeria’s parliament

Speaker of the National People's Assembly, Dr. Khalida Boufedech, is pictured in this undated image.

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

Women and children extend their arms with empty pots in Jabalia Refugee Camp, Gaza City, Gaza, on May 19, 2025.

UN decries ‘astonishing’ Gaza hunger crisis as truce talks stall

As aid groups sound the alarm on Gaza's hunger crisis, President Donald Trump said Hamas “didn’t want to make a deal" to end the war.

BAKR ALKASEM/AFP via Getty Images

US raid on Syria ISIS cell signals deepening coordination with Sharaa

A suspected ISIS leader and his sons were killed in what appeared to be the a coordinated operation between US special operations forces and Syrian government-aligned militias.

Suwayda

Feature

‘We've been living with the dead’: Al-Monitor's dispatch from Syria's Suwayda

Despite a ceasefire, Suwayda residents remain traumatized by the clashes and revenge killings that destroyed long-standing trust between the Druze minority and Damascus.

Danny Makki

Angela Alsahwi

By Danny Makki , Angela Alsahwi

TOPSHOT - France's President Emmanuel Macron (2nd-R) and Lebanon's Prime Minister Nawaf Salam (2nd-L) pose ahead of their working lunch at the presidential Elysee Palace in Paris, on July 24, 2025. (Photo by GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT / AFP) (Photo by GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP via Getty Images)

On first visit to Paris, Lebanon's Salam secures $88M reconstruction pledge

During discussions with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that Beirut must implement economic reforms before an aid conference can be organized to support Lebanon's reconstruction.

US Syria envoy Tom Barrack, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani meet in Paris on July 25, 2025.

US envoy, Syria FM meet in Paris, seek Kurdish integration deal

The Paris talks come amid stalled efforts to integrate Kurdish-led forces into a unified Syrian army and rising tensions in Suwayda.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pose for the media at a hotel prior to an E3 meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 NATO summit on June 24, 2025, in The Hague, Netherlands.

Analysis

Iran maneuvers to avert E3's snapback sanctions as deadline looms

France, Britain and Germany have warned that unless significant progress is made on curbing Iran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, they will move to reinstate UN sanctions by the end of August.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

A NASAMS surface-to-air missile launcher is seen in production at the assembly line of the Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace weapons factory in Kongsberg, Norway on Jan. 30, 2023.

US approves $4.67B NASAMS air defense package for Egypt

The State Department announced the massive arms sale after Trump suggested the US may re-engage diplomatically with Egypt and Ethiopia, resurrecting a bid to resolve a yearslong dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

BERLIN, GERMANY - JULY 23: French President Emmanuel Macron talks to media prior to talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at Villa Borsig on July 23, 2025 in Berlin, Germany. The two leaders are meeting as Germany, France and the United Kingdom forge a stronger European alliance following U.S. President Donald Trump's disruption of transatlantic ties. (Photo by Christian Mang/Getty Images)

Macron: France to recognize Palestine as a state

French President Emmanuel Macron said he will formalize the decision at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - MAY 16: U.S. President Donald J. Trump talks to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as he departs the Al Bateen Executive Airport on May 15, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Trump is on the fourth and final day of his visit to the Gulf to underscore the strategic partnership between the United States and regional allies including the UAE, focusing on security and economic collaboration. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Analysis

AI pivot: Trump loosens export rules, opening path for Gulf tech surge

Gulf states have been lobbying the Trump administration to loosen export restrictions on AI technology, although concerns have lingered among some within the current administration over security risks regarding China.

Jared Szuba

Samuel Wendel

By Jared Szuba , Samuel Wendel

Syrian security forces stand guard in front of the heavily damaged Syrian army and defense ministry headquarters complex in Damascus, following Israeli strikes on July 16, 2025.

Syria turns to Turkey for military support as US envoy urges strategy rethink

The move deepens Ankara’s influence with the new government as Kurdish forces in Syria's northeast face new pressure to integrate with Syrian army.

Turkish Defense Minister Yasaar Guler met with Saddam Hifter, Libyan National Army’s ground forces commander, on the sidelines of IDEF25 defense fair, July 23, 2025

Turkey defense chief meets Saddam Hifter as thaw with Libya continues

Turkey's defense chief met with the ground forces commander of the Libyan Armed Forces as Ankara reaches out to Libya’s eastern administration.