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Politics & Security

A trilateral meeting was held today in Jeddah, bringing together His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 20, 2026.

Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar to deepen security ties amid Iran war: What to know

Gulf states and Jordan are aligning more closely as Iranian attacks persist.

Jalaa MAREY / AFP via Getty Images

Israel pushes deeper into Lebanon as Iran envoy refuses to go: What to know

Israeli forces have reportedly reached the banks of the Litani River as part of a plan to set up a buffer zone between Israel and Lebanon.

Members of the Popular Mobilization Units stand guard along the Iraqi-Syrian border in Al-Qaim, west of Iraq, on Jan. 23, 2026.

Syria sustains drone attack from Iraq, tackles smuggling tunnels on Lebanon border

The incidents on Syria's borders follow threats against the transitional government by Iran and its proxies in Iraq.

German soldiers stand to attention in front of a German Patriot missile launcher at the Gazi barracks in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey on March 25, 2014.

Turkey says NATO defenses intercepted fourth missile from Iran

Turkey said NATO air defenses neutralized a ballistic munition launched from Iran that entered its airspace, marking the fourth such interception since March.

Latest News

Trump renews threat to Iran's energy, oil sites despite 'great progress' in talks

US President Donald Trump boards Air Force One prior to departure from Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, March 29, 2026. US President Donald Trump is returning to the White House after spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago residence. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)

Dermer’s return puts Netanyahu’s 'brain' at center of US-Israel calculus

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) is joined by Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and other officials for a meeting with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (not pictured) at the Pentagon, July 9, 2025.

Analysis

Displacement and dissent: Hezbollah’s war with Israel splits Lebanon’s Shiites

A Hezbollah flag is seen in a destroyed car after an Israeli airstrike in Nabi Chit (Al-Nabi Shayth), Lebanon, on March 26, 2026. In the first week of March, the Israeli army carried out an unsuccessful nighttime commando operation there to recover the remains of Ron Arad, a pilot missing since 1986, triggering airstrikes and destruction in the area that forced residents to flee their homes. (Photo by Fabio Bucciarelli / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

Karim Safieddine

By Karim Safieddine

In Beirut, reporting on politics

Analysis

Iran regime turns sights on UAE as war widens beyond conventional front

Pieces of missiles and drones recovered after Iran's strikes are displayed during a press briefing by the UAE government held in Abu Dhabi on March 3, 2026.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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

Palestinians watch US military ships in the Gaza floating pier on the Mediterranean Sea offshore installed by the US military to deliver aid to Gazans, Gaza Strip, May 17, 2024.

Gaza aid pier breaks down, halting US humanitarian deliveries by sea

The Biden administration's plan to alleviate famine in the Palestinian enclave — and in turn, enable Israel to pursue what remains of Hamas — is falling apart.

EYAD BABA/AFP via Getty Images

Israel looks to revive cease-fire talks even as its tanks enter central Rafah

Israel has reportedly sent Egypt and Qatar a new outline for relaunching talks for a hostage and cease-fire deal in Gaza.

LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi-Syrian normalization takes off with Hajj flights, return of ambassador

Diplomatic relations have resumed between the two countries as Riyadh appointed Faisal al-Mujfel ambassador to Syria — the first since relations were severed in 2012.

Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp for internally displaced people in Rafah on May 27, 2024.

Analysis

As Netanyahu clings to power, Rafah strike spells strategic disaster for Israel

Beyond the horrendous humanitarian toll of the airstrike on Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, the bombing plunges Israel deeper into international pariahdom.

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

Palestinians gather at the site of an Israeli strike on a camp for internally displaced people, amid ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas, Rafah, Gaza Strip, May 27, 2024.

Wave of condemnation follows Israeli strikes on Rafah displacement camp

The attack, which killed dozens and burned many alive as tents quickly caught fire, follows a ruling by the UN top court ordering Israel to immediately stop its offensive in Gaza’s Rafah.

Libya's interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah (R) welcomes Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as she arrives for a meeting in Tripoli on May 7, 2024.

What's behind Italy's growing Libya engagement as Russia influence expands?

Italy is seeking stronger ties with Libya’s rival groups, though this mission may be hindered by several challenges.

Ron Mendel and Peace, volunteers at the Palestine Museum and Cultural Centre in Bristol, southwest England, stand outside the museum in April 2024.

Europe's only Palestine museum sees visitors surge in light of Gaza war

Bristol in southwest England is home to Europe’s only Palestine museum, run by unpaid volunteers.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi attend a joint press conference in Ankara, on Jan. 24, 2024.

How Raisi’s death will impact Turkey-Iran geopolitical rivalry

While leaders and some commentators in Turkey posthumously praised the late Iranian president and foreign minister, many geopolitical challenges await Ankara and Tehran once Iran elects a new president.

Iraqis carry portraits of Iran's late president Ebrahim Raisi outside the Iranian embassy in Baghdad during a condolences service on May 20, 2024 for the president and his entourage, who were killed in a helicopter crash in Iran the previous day.

Iran pledges continued support for regional proxies despite Raisi's death

In a show of defiance to Western adversaries, Iran hosted senior leaders of several regional militant organizations to renew promises that they will continue to have Tehran's blessing despite President Ebrahim Raisi's death.

Kurdish women hold portraits of their missing sons on May 18, 2011, during a demonstration in Istanbul against the recent killing of 12 Kurdish rebels by security forces.

Many faces of motherhood in Turkey: From new Mothers Museum to 1,000th vigil of Saturday mothers

As a new museum in Ankara pays homage to motherhood, the mothers of the country remain a fractured group, divided by political lines and economic woes

Pakistan's prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, writes a condolence note in a book for Iran's late president, Ebrahim Raisi, and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who died in a helicopter crash at the Iran embassy in Islamabad on May 20, 2024.

Where does Raisi’s death leave Pakistan-Iran relations?

The late Iranian president had paid a three-day official visit to neighboring Pakistan just weeks before his death in an effort to boost ties.

An Iranian man reads a prayer over the coffins of late president Ebrahim Raisi (portrait top L) and late governor of Iran's East Azerbaijan Province Malik Rahmati (portrait top R) during a funeral ceremony at the Imam Reza shrine, in the city of Mashhad, on May 23, 2024.

Analysis

Trump looms over Iranian presidential election

Ali Hashem reports from Tehran that relations with the United States may be a defining issue for next Iranian president.

Week in Review

Andrew Parasiliti

Ali Hashem

By Week in Review , Andrew Parasiliti , Ali Hashem