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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

Laura

Turkish man rapes Dutch cow; Islamophobes have a field day

The incident is likely to serve as ammunition for the swelling number of Islamophobes in the country.

Members of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) cheer as they carry upside-down a black flag of the Islamic State (ISIS) group in the Old City of Mosul on July 2, 2017.

Iraq says it killed prominent ISIS leader as group resurfaces

The Islamic State remains active in Iraq as Baghdad and Washington discuss winding down the US presence in the country, though the group is relatively weak at present.

A display of photos of protesters killed during a candlelight vigil on the first anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death in Iranian custody, Washington, DC, Sept. 16, 2023

Iran continues crackdown on women as executions approach 100 for the year

Iran handed prison sentences to 11 activists defending women’s rights and has executed 98 people this year.

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas (R) receives German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah on March 25, 2024. (Photo by Nasser Nasser / POOL / AFP) (Photo by NASSER NASSER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

US welcomes new Palestinian cabinet, pushes for reforms

The Palestinian Authority has been under US pressure to undertake various reforms amid proposals that it take the reins in the Gaza Strip after the war ends.

Palestinians check the rubble of buildings that were destroyed following overnight Israeli bombardment in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on March 27, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

White House: No Rafah invasion until Israeli delegation talks alternatives

"We don’t support a major ground operation," White House NSC coordinator John Kirby emphasized on Thursday, as an Israeli delegation is expected to discuss alternatives with top officials in Washington next week.

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Biden-Netanyahu spat more play to electorates than showdown over Gaza

The dispute won't shake 'ironclad' US support for Israel.

A picture taken from Rafah shows smoke billowing after Israeli bombardment on Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on March 21, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

State Department staffer resigns over Biden's handling of Gaza

Annelle Sheline is the second State Department official to publicly resign since Oct. 7, citing the erosion of US credibility on human rights in the Middle East as a result of the war.

Washington Pulse

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (not pictured) speak to the media following talks at the Chancellery on March 16, 2023 in Berlin, Germany.

In latest about-face, Netanyahu agrees to resend canceled US delegation to discuss Rafah

The White House said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed for his top aides to travel to Washington to discuss the situation in Rafah after the Israeli leader canceled the delegation Monday.

RABIH DAHER/AFP via Getty Images

Fresh Hezbollah-Israel escalation kills 8, raising fears of Lebanon open front

Wednesday’s escalation renewed fears that Lebanon could be dragged into a wider war with Israel as Gaza negotiations collapse.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (R) receives Hamas' Doha-based political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh.

Iran reassures Hamas of continued support as Haniyeh visits Tehran

The meetings in Tehran were held as Iranian officials celebrated a moment of triumph for Hamas after the United States allowed the UN Security Council to pass a Gaza cease-fire resolution.

A motorcyclist rides past a high school at Panjgur district in Balochistan province on Jan. 17, 2024. Pakistan recalled its ambassador from Iran on Jan. 17, and blocked Tehran's envoy from returning to Islamabad after an Iranian air strike killed two children in the west of the country on Jan. 16.

More attacks in Baluchistan regions of Iran, Pakistan following border dustup

Iran and Pakistan reconciled after their border conflict earlier this year, but clashes involving Baluchi separatists and unidentified armed groups remain an issue.

People pass by a building covered with photos of hostages who have been released or are still being held in the Gaza Strip, on March 26, 2024 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

US rebuts Netanyahu’s ‘inaccurate’ claim UN abstention scuttled hostage talks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the US of a shift in policy, saying its failure to veto a UN Security Council resolution on a Gaza cease-fire encouraged Hamas to reject a proposed hostage-release deal.