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Politics & Security

Members of Houthi security forces stand guard while supporters of Yemen's Houthi movement attend an event commemorating the ninth anniversary of the Saudi-led intervention in their country, in the capital, Sanaa, on March 26, 2026.

Exclusive

Senior Houthi official says Bab el Mandab closure an option if any Gulf states join war

Houthi Deputy Information Minister Mohammed Mansour also said the strait could be closed “should the aggression against Iran and Lebanon escalate.”

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

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

US journalist Shelly Kittleson poses for a picture in Baghdad on March 31, 2026.

Shelly Kittleson's kidnapping by suspected Iran-backed militia exposes Iraq government weakness

The abduction of US journalist Shelly Kittleson highlights the outsized influence of Iran-aligned armed groups operating beyond Baghdad’s control.

Sharaa, King Charles

In UK visit, Syria’s Sharaa doubles down on Western ties amid Iran war, refugee pressures

After talks with UK leaders on Tuesday, Syria's president said the country would remain neutral in the Iran conflict unless it was targeted.

A view of the platform of the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea is pictured from the Israeli northern coastal beach of Nasholim, on Aug. 29, 2022.

Israel energy minister says gas flowing to Egypt, Jordan despite shutdown reports

Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen told Al-Monitor that despite security concerns and partial shut down of marine gas platforms, Israel continues to supply gas to Egypt, Jordan and Israeli consumers.

Latest News

Turkey in talks with Iran to clear 11 ships stuck in Hormuz: What to know

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

UAE accuses Iran of 'extortion' in Strait of Hormuz: What to know

AFP via Getty Images

United Arab Emirates

Analysis

Iran executes alleged MEK members in bid to signal wartime control

A member of the Iranian security forces stands guard next to a banner honoring Iran's slain supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran on March 31, 2026.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Analysis

Why Germany may struggle to meet Merz’s 80% Syria repatriation goal

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (R) and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa depart after speaking to the media following talks at the Chancellery on March 30, 2026, in Berlin, Germany.

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

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

An Israeli soldier checks a mobile atop a tank in a army camp near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip on April 8, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas. (Photo by Menahem Kahana / AFP) (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

What Netanyahu's abrupt Gaza withdrawal means for Israel, Rafah op

While negotiations continue for a hostage release and cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is busy currying favor with his far-right ministers, promising them a military operation in Rafah.

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

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa (L) meets Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, April 9, 2024.

Saudi Arabia hosts Palestinian PM as Gaza cease-fire talks advance

Mohammed Mustafa’s visit to Saudi Arabia comes after he stopped in Jordan and Egypt in the past days as mediators are pushing for a Gaza cease-fire.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks to supporters at his party’s Istanbul mayoral candidate Murat Kurum's campaign rally, Istanbul, Turkey, March 29, 2024.

Turkey restricts exports of 54 products to Israel until Gaza cease-fire

As Israel pledged to retaliate, analysts believe the move is aiming to allay growing dismay among Turkey's Islamists for the government’s refusal to sever trade ties with the Middle Eastern country over the Gaza conflict.

Citizens inspect the effects of the destruction of Al-Farouq Mosque and the buildings destroyed by the Israeli raids on Feb. 22, 2024 in Rafah, Gaza.

Netanuyahu says date set for Rafah operation as Cairo talks enter new round

The Israeli prime minister's announcement came as the US dialed up pressure on Hamas to accept a cease-fire proposal tabled by CIA Director Bill Burns in Cairo over the weekend.

Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan speaks during a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela in Caracas on Feb. 24, 2024.

Turkey to take ‘series of measures’ against Israel after Gaza aid drop denied

The Turkish foreign minister said the measures would be "implemented step by step, without delay," but did not specify the actions to be taken.

(L-R) Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi wave hands during the group photo session, a head of the Dialogue of Emerging Market and Developing Countries, on the sideline of the 2017 BRICS Summit in Xiamen, southeastern China's Fujian Province on Sept. 5, 2017.

Al-Monitor/Premise poll finds Biden's unpopularity in Mideast makes room for China, Russia to outshine US

Washington’s influence remains potent despite its perceived disengagement from the Middle East, but Russia and China are eagerly finding gaps to fill.

Elizabeth Tsurkov

Lawmakers urge Biden to help free Princeton researcher kidnapped in Iraq

The State Department says it has urged senior Iraqi officials to locate and secure the release of Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli-Russian researcher believed to be held by Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah.

Syria's Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad (R) and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, talk to reporters at the Foreign Ministry in Damascus on Feb. 11, 2024.

In Syria, Iran FM says Israel ‘will be punished’ for consulate strike

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is on a regional tour, visiting Oman and Syria after the suspected Israeli strike that killed several IRGC officers near the Iranian Embassy in Damascus.

Pascal Sleiman, a Lebanese Forces official, kidnapped in Lebanon on April 7, 2024.

After kidnapping, senior Lebanese Forces official found dead in Syria

The abduction of a local official of the Christian Lebanese Forces party risked causing sectarian strife in Lebanon, which is already reeling under the consequences of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict in the south.

An undated image of the Kaan.

The long road ahead for Kaan, Turkey’s nascent fifth-generation fighter jet

Turkey’s aspiring ruler of the skies will need to overcome various challenges before it can truly become a fifth-generation fighter, analysts say.

Iranians attend the funeral of seven Revolutionary Guard Corps members killed in a strike on the country's consular annex in Damascus.

Iran buries officers killed in suspected Israeli strike but seems in no rush to retaliate

Despite the harsh slogans in the state-organized funerals for the slain officers, Iran appeared to be exercising "patience" and calibrating any potential reprisal against Israel.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Abul Gheit, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir attend the 8th Ministerial Meeting of China-Arab States Cooperation Forum at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 10, 2018.

Will China-Arab States Cooperation Forum summit help boost Beijing’s ties with Mideast?

The 10th session of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum is due to be held on May 30 in Beijing — will it result in even stronger China-Arab relations?

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran