Politics & Security - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

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Politics & Security

This picture taken on Oct. 19, 2020 in Istanbul shows Turkey's third drilling ship 'Kanuni' as it enters the bosphorus near Haydarpasa port.

Turkey launches first overseas drilling mission in Somalia: What to know

A drilling ship has reached Somalia to start Turkey's first overseas drilling mission as regional rivalry heats up in the Horn of Africa.

Israeli military vehicles drive along a road in southern Lebanon, near the Israeli border on April 8, 2026. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military had carried out a surprise attack on April 8 targeting hundreds of Hezbollah members across Lebanon. (Photo by Jalaa MAREY / AFP via Getty Images) /

Breaking | Last Updated: April 9, 2026, 2:42 pm

US to host Lebanon-Israel talks next week, Israeli official says

A senior Lebanese official told Al-Monitor that the Trump administration relayed to Beirut on Wednesday its support for Lebanon to handle its negotiations with Israel, separate from talks taking place with Iran this weekend in Pakistan.

TOPSHOT - People watch from a street as a tall smoke plume billows following an explosion in the Fujairah industrial zone on March 3, 2026. Iran's strikes on Gulf neighbours since February 28, following the US-Israeli attack, forced the UAE to shut its airspace, blindsiding travellers who thought they were headed to one of the region's safest holiday destinations. (Photo by Fadel SENNA / AFP via Getty Images)

UAE says no more 'niceties' with Iran, seeks clarity on fragile truce terms

The UAE said Iran must pay “compensation” for damages incurred during the conflict.

United Arab Emirates

This picture taken on April 9, 2026, shows the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Basta neighbourhood of Beirut the day before. Calls were mounting for the ceasefire between the US and Iran to be extended to Israel's war with Hezbollah, after a massive wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed more than 200 people. (Photo by FADEL itani / AFP via Getty Images)

Lebanon rejects Iran negotiating on its behalf, PM says only Beirut handles talks

Israel launched its largest attack against Lebanon in the war, firing over 160 munitions across the country. At least 203 people were killed and 1,072 injured, while 33 remain missing, authorities said.

Latest News

Analysis

Ceasefire or strategic pause? How Iran is framing war narrative amid deep mistrust

Iranians hold national flags as they gather in Tehran's Revolution Square after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, on April 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Exclusive

'King of Iraq': Top judge Zaidan played key role in Shelly Kittleson's release

An undated image of Shelly Kittleson.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Iran hits Gulf, threatens truce as Israel escalates in Lebanon: What to know

Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire following an Israeli strike at the Corniche al-Mazraa neighbourhood of Beirut on April 8, 2026.

Turkey detains 11 over ISIS-linked attack on Israeli Consulate: What to know

Yasin AKGUL / AFP via Getty Images

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

US Deputy Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood (2nd R) raises his hand during a United Nations Security Council after the vote about a ceasefire in Gaza at UN headquarters in New York on Dec. 8, 2023.

UN push for Gaza aid stalls amid US objections

The United States is weighing whether to use its UN Security Council veto for a third time since the Gaza war began.

Sara Massoumi in an undated photo

Iranian journalist Sara Massoumi sentenced to prison over tweet: lawyer

Sara Massoumi criticized the Islamic Republic over the death of teenage girl Armita Geravand, who some allege was beaten for not wearing the hijab.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visits the USS Gerald Ford in the eastern Mediterranean on Dec. 20, 2023.

Pentagon chief visits aircraft carrier based off Israel amid Gaza war

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during a visit to the USS Gerald R. Ford that if Israel were to shift to more precise tactics in Gaza, it would reduce the threat of attack by Iran's proxies in the region.

Members of the UN Security Council hold sideline meetings as they take a break at the United Nations headquarters on Dec. 19, 2023, in New York City.

Day 75 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Wednesday, Dec. 20

Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen (R) and his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos give a press conference in Larnaca on December 20, 2023 talking about a humanitarian aid corridor from the Mediterranean island to war-torn Gaza. (Photo by Elisa AMOURET / AFP) (Photo by ELISA AMOURET/AFP via Getty Images)

In Cyprus, Israel's FM says Gaza maritime corridor deal is imminent

A plan for a humanitarian maritime corridor from Cyprus to Gaza could take shape in a matter of weeks.

Jared and Joyce webinar

The Israel-Hamas war: Live Q&A with Pentagon Correspondent Jared Szuba

Become a Pro member today to attend this webinar on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 12 pm ET.

MAHMOUD ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images

Why is Hamas chief Haniyeh visiting Egypt after Iran meeting in Qatar?

Pressure is building on Israel to halt the fighting to allow access to humanitarian aid and the release of hostages.

Yemeni coastguard members loyal to the internationally-recognised government ride in boats in the Red Sea off of the government-held town of Mokha in the western Taiz province, close to the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, on December 12, 2023. (Photo by Khaled Ziad / AFP) (Photo by KHALED ZIAD/AFP via Getty Images)

As US rallies new Red Sea task force, Arab states remain silent

The US is opting for a collective defensive approach after Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted a dozen commercial ships with drones and missiles in the Red Sea during recent weeks in response to Israel's war in Gaza.

Third Nile Cataract, Sudan, 29 Dec. 29, 2022.

What failure of Nile dam talks means for Egypt and Ethiopia

Years of negotiations on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam have failed to yield an agreement, leading to tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia amid water issues related to climate change.

Assyrian Christians from Iraq, Syria and Lebanon attend a Christmas mass at Saint Georges church in an eastern Beirut suburb on Dec. 25, 2014.

Assyrian Christmas message raises tensions in Turkey’s parliament

The tensions are a snippet of the larger conflict regarding citizens’ rights to speak their mother tongues in the public and official sphere in multiethnic Turkey.

Yemeni coastguard members loyal to the internationally-recognised government ride in a patrol boat cruising in the Red Sea off of the government-held town of Mokha in the western Taiz province, close to the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, on December 12, 2023. (Photo by Khaled Ziad / AFP) (Photo by KHALED ZIAD/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran launches new naval unit as Red Sea attacks intensify

Equipped with rocket-launching vessels, the additional force is introduced amid increasing encounters between Iranian and American vessels in the Persian Gulf.

Egyptian school children stand on a pier in the port town of Ismalia, 120 kilometers northeast of Cairo, as the US guided-missile destroyer USS Mahan transits the Suez from the Red Sea towards the Mediterranean on its way back home after a six-month counter-piracy operation around the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Gulf, Indian Ocean and Red Sea.

Day 74 of Hamas-Israel war blog: Tuesday, Dec. 19