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Politics & Security

An undated image of Foza Yusif.

Interview

Top Syrian Kurdish official slams parliamentary vote in northeast as 'undemocratic'

Foza Yusuf, a senior figure in Syria’s Kurdish-led autonomous administration, said the May 24 parliamentary vote was structured to disadvantage Kurdish parties.

Foza Yusuf

Foza Yusuf

Top Syrian Kurdish official

Vehicles drive past a billboard on the facade of a building depicting the Strait of Hormuz with a caption in Persian reading, "Forever in Iran's Hand," at Vanak Square, Tehran, Iran, May 25, 2026.

US, Iran signal progress toward war deal, but no breakthrough imminent

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson described the document under discussion as a 14-point framework agreement rather than a final deal.

Janti Soeripto helps at a community kitchen serving hot meals to displaced families arriving from El-Fasher.

Interview

As Sudan war drags on, US-Iran conflict compounds humanitarian crisis in Darfur

Save the Children US President and CEO Janti Soeripto said delivering aid in Sudan remains extremely difficult, with supply trucks often delayed for weeks or months even after entering the country.

Janti Soeripto

President and CEO of Save the Children US

SAHA EXPO 2024

Analysis

Cheap drones, costly threats: Why Gulf states are looking to Turkey for defense deals

Iran’s drone and missile attacks have exposed gaps in Gulf and Iraqi air defenses, giving Turkey an opening for Turkish defense sales, but Ankara has a narrow window before South Korean and European competitors gain ground.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Latest News

Explainer

Why Sunni frustration is growing over Lebanon’s amnesty law

Women hold portraits of jailed Islamist cleric Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir during a protest calling for his release in Beirut on April 24, 2025.

Analysis

US, Turkey boost Libya coordination, but unity push faces political hurdles

Abdullah DOMA / AFP via Getty Images

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Analysis

How far will Iran bend in ceasefire talks with US?

An Iranian police office stands on patrol near a poster depicting Iranian soldiers holding a net in the shape of the Strait of Hormuz, with US military aircraft ensnared in a fishing net, on May 9, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Tulsi Gabbard resigns as top US intelligence official: What to know

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testifies during a House Select Intelligence Committee hearing on March 19, 2026, in Washington, DC.

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

Karim Souaid

Meet Karim Souaid, Lebanon’s new central bank chief with daunting mission

The appointment of a new central bank governor comes nearly two years after the term of embattled governor Riad Salameh ended in July 2023.

Rep. Elise Stefanik speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center on Feb. 22, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

Trump withdraws Elise Stefanik’s nomination for UN ambassador: What to know

Stefanik is a strong supporter of the president and has been highly critical of the United Nations on Israel-related issues.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth participates in a TV interview outside of the White House on March 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. Hegseth visited the White House to join U.S. President Donald Trump in announcing the Next Generation of Air Dominance (NGDA) program, the F-47, the sixth-generation high-tech Air Force fighter to succeed the F-22 Raptor. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

What the Signal chat leak reveals about Trump’s Middle East policy

Washington is reeling from an unprecedented leak of the military’s operational plans to strike Yemen’s Houthis, which were shared on a Signal group chat that included a high-profile journalist.

A US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber refuels from a KC-135 Stratotanker 06 April 1999 during an air strike mission in support of NATO Operation Allied Force in an undisclosed location.

US B-2 bombers deployed to Indian Ocean amid Trump-Iran escalation

The stealth bombers are some of the only warplanes in the US arsenal capable of delivering the massive conventional bombs thought to be needed to effectively damage Iran's underground nuclear facilities.

Ballot papers are counted after members of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipal Council cast their votes to elect an interim deputy mayor.

Turkey deports BBC reporter as detentions near 1,880 amid protest crackdown

A BBC journalist was deported as Turkish authorities widened their media crackdown, with around 250 people having been detained pending trial during protests.

A composite image shows Lebanese Minister of Defense Michel Menassa (L) and Syrian Minister of Defense Murhaf Abu Qasra.

Saudi Arabia hosts defense chiefs of Syria, Lebanon as border heats up: What to know

The Syrian and Lebanese defense ministers will meet soon as the border between the two countries remains volatile following clashes between Lebanese tribal members and Syrian security forces.

An MQ-9 Reaper drone with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) awaits a mission over the U.S.-Mexico border on Nov. 4, 2022, at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.

US plans to sell $1.96 billion of MQ-9 drones to Qatar

Qatar could become the first Gulf state to receive the drones, the sale of which the Pentagon has supported for years despite concerns within the State Department during the Biden administration.

Sudan’s army commander in chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, arrives with his supporters to the presidential palace in Khartoum on March 26, 2025.

'Khartoum is free,' Sudan's Burhan declares from presidential palace as RSF retreats

On Wednesday, the chief of Sudan’s army and the country’s de facto leader arrived at the presidential palace, by way of Khartoum International Airport, for the first time in nearly two years.

Newly elected interim mayor of Istanbul, Nuri Aslan of CHP, waits to speak to the media on March 26, 2025, in Istanbul, Turkey.

Turkey's opposition elects acting mayor as Imamoglu remains detained, protests persist

The Turkish president accuses opposition of sabotaging the economy amid ongoing detentions against protestors over the arrest of the Istanbul mayor.

A pickup truck is carrying two Iranian missile mockups during a rally that marks the 46th anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 10, 2025.

Iran's IRGC unveils underground facility housing thousands of ballistic missiles

As it navigates crises at home and abroad, Iran has released video footage of an underground “missile city” in an attempt to flex its military might.

Fidan and Rubio

US, Turkey to begin technical talks on CAATSA sanctions, F-35 acquisition

The Turkish and US sides aim to initiate interagency talks on sanctions removal as soon as possible, a Turkish official told Al-Monitor.

Palestinians attend a rally calling for an end to the war, in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on March 25, 2025.

Rare protests against Hamas erupt in Gaza: What to know

The rare protests come after Israel resumed its war in Gaza on March 18, ending a nearly two-month ceasefire.