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Politics & Security

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on March 31, 2026.

Hegseth slams allies for reluctance to join Iran war, says coming days 'decisive'

The comments come as Washington questions NATO support after allies restrict aircraft access in the US-Israeli war with Iran.

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.

Latest News

Turkey says NATO defenses intercepted fourth missile from Iran

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.

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

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

DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images

What we know: ICC seeks arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Sinwar

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan announced Monday that his office has applied for arrest warrants against three Hamas leaders over the Oct. 7 attack on Israel as well as for Israel's prime minister and defense chief over the subsequent Gaza war.

SHARM EL SHEIKH, EGYPT - FEBRUARY 24: King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia during talks with UK Prime Minister Theresa May while they attend the first Arab-European Summit on February 24, 2019 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Leaders from European and Arab nations are meeting for the two-day summit to discuss topics including security, trade and migration. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Saudi crown prince cancels Japan trip over King Salman's health concerns

The Saudi Press Agency reported Sunday that the crown prince’s 88-year-old father, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz, was suffering from lung inflammation and will be treated at the Al Salam Palace in Jeddah.

Ebrahim Raisi, the president of Iran participate in the 12th term parliamentary elections and the 6th term Assembly of Leadership Experts' voting at a Tehran polling station on March 01, 2024. The elections encompass both parliamentary and Assembly of Experts' ballots, crucial for Iran's leadership selection and oversight. (Photo by Hossein Beris / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by HOSSEIN BERIS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Who was Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s president killed in helicopter crash?

Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash near the border with Azerbaijan, was a hard-line cleric under US sanctions whose term was marked by domestic turmoil and mounting tensions with the West.

TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/AFP via Getty Images

Three main disagreements constrain Turkey-Greece ties following Mitsotakis visit

The Greek prime minister's visit to Turkey inspired both optimistic and pessimistic outlooks for the future of the two NATO allies.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrives at presidential Elysee Palace to meet France's President in Paris on July 28, 2022. French President Emmanuel Macron host Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for talks in Paris on July 28, 2022, outraging rights groups and the fiancee of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Photo by Bertrand GUAY / AFP) (Photo by BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images)

In Japan, Saudi Arabia's crown prince eyes expansion of energy, defense ties

In an upcoming visit to Tokyo, the Saudi crown prince will have an audience with the Japanese prime minister, among others, to discuss a "broad range" of issues.

Displaced Palestinians practice their hobbies at the beach in southern Gaza's Rafah near the border with Egypt on April 11, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant group. (Photo by MOHAMMED ABED / AFP) (Photo by MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images)

As Gaza rift deepens, will Egypt abandon 1979 peace deal with Israel?

Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace agreement with Israel and has been a key mediator in negotiations to reach a cease-fire in Gaza.

Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, looks on during a joint statement to the media in Baghdad on April 22, 2024.

What’s behind Erdogan’s pardoning of generals jailed over Turkey’s 1997 coup?

The move comes after a landmark meeting between the Turkish president and the main opposition leader that sparked hopes for political reforms in the country.

NICK GAMMON/AFP via Getty Images

Israel accuses South Africa of aligning with Hamas, distorting facts in ICJ case

The Israeli legal team accused South Africa of distorting the truth and ignoring facts in an effort to help Hamas.

Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Israel recovers bodies of 3 hostages from Gaza as Sullivan heads to region

Israel has recovered from Gaza the bodies of three people kidnapped and killed by Hamas on Oct. 7.

Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant speaks to reporters ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting, Jerusalem, September 10, 2023.

Analysis

Can Israel’s Gallant torpedo Netanyahu as Gaza 'day after' gap widens?

The Israeli prime minister believes the Biden administration is coordinating an axis in his war cabinet to influence planning on postwar Gaza.

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

TOPSHOT - A picture shows a fire as a result of rockets launched from Lebanon, next to the northern Israel city of Kiryat Shmona, near the near the Lebanon border on May 10, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border clashes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP) (Photo by JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images)

Hezbollah claims use of new drone with S-5 missiles against Israel

The Iran-backed group said it used a drone equipped with S-5 missiles in an attack against military sites in northern Israel, a first since hostilities erupted last October.

Men sleep outside their homes because of the intense heat, in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeida on July 21, 2023.

Anger, clashes in Yemen’s Aden over electricity cuts

The city, which is run by the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, is reeling from power cuts amid scorching temperatures.