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

politics and security cover image

Politics & Security

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets with the head of the Hikmah Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, in Baghdad on May 19, 2026.

Iraqi PM Zaidi holds talks as cabinet deadlock leaves nine posts unfilled

Political disputes caused parliament to fail to agree on a number of ministerial nominees, including those of defense and the interior.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 14, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Senate advances resolution to limit Trump's Iran war powers

The measure marks a symbolic win for Democrats and a growing number of Republicans who have questioned the Trump administration's war with Iran.

A rafale fighter jet prepares for take off on the deck of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle during the NATO military exercise Neptune Strike 26-2, off the coast of the Greek island of Crete, on April 27, 2026.

UAE, France renew defense pact after Rafale jets controversy

Last month, French newspaper La Tribune reported that the UAE had withdrawn from a proposal to jointly fund development of the Rafale F5 fighter jet.

United Arab Emirates

Baluch Iranian youths cross a street in Zahedan, in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan bordering Afghanistan, on Dec. 18, 2025.

Analysis

Iran tightens wartime crackdown across Kurdish, Baluch ethnic regions

Arrests in Baluchistan and Kurdistan highlight widening wartime security operations that are deepening mistrust between the state and disadvantaged minorities.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Latest News

Vance says transfer of Iran's enriched uranium to Russia 'not currently our plan'

US Vice President JD Vance speaks during a press conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on May 19, 2026, in Washington, DC.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Three victims identified in San Diego mosque attack: What to know

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl speaks at a press conference following a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego in Southern California, on May 18, 2026.

Car bomb in Syrian capital leaves 1 dead, 23 injured: What to know

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

Fahad

Meet Fahad Al-Saif, PIF exec and Saudi Arabia's new investment minister

Saif previously led investment strategy at the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund and has held senior roles at the Saudi Awwal Bank and HSBC Saudi Arabia.

DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images

US military pulls out of Syria’s Al-Tanf garrison in major shift

Initially established as an outpost for US special operators to disrupt the Islamic State's control of the Syria-Iraq border, the base evolved into a key node for the Pentagon's efforts to monitor Iran's expanding military activity in the Levant.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (L) gestures as he addresses the media during a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on Feb. 11, 2026.

Greek PM Mitsotakis offers rare nod to Ataturk in Turkey amid maritime row

In a rare reference to Ataturk, a divisive figure in Greece, the Greek premier reaffirmed his commitment to dialogue.

A handout photo made available by Iran's Supreme National Security Council office shows Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani (C) arriving in Muscat, Oman, on Feb. 10, 2026.

Iran’s Larijani in Qatar, meets Hamas leadership: What to know

Qatar and Oman have played a vital role in mediating between Iran and the United States to avoid military confrontation that would spill over to the rest of the region.

A campfire burns inside al-Hol camp on Jan. 26, 2026 in Al Hasakah, Syria.

Exclusive

Syrian Kurdish officials say 66 Turkish ISIS fighters transferred for relocation to Iraq

The detainees were handed over from SDF custody to the US-led coalition for transfer to Iraqi prisons.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago club on Dec. 29, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida.

Trump says Iran talks to continue after meeting Israel’s Netanyahu

President Donald Trump said he insisted that talks with Iran continue, but acknowledged that “nothing definitive” was reached during his meeting with the Israeli leader.

SDF commander in chief, Mazlum Kobane, meets with Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, on Feb. 5, 2026.

Exclusive

100 non-Syrian Kurds return to PKK’s Qandil stronghold under SDF-Damascus deal

The transfer of non-Syrian PKK fighters to Iraq’s Qandil Mountains follows a US-brokered SDF-Damascus deal aimed at easing tensions and preserving Kurdish forces under national army oversight.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Israeli state aircraft Wing of Zion, which flew to Greece from Ben Gurion Airport, is seen at International Airport in Athens on June 13, 2025, in Athens, Greece.

Israeli-Russian journalist removed from Netanyahu’s US flight: What to know

Israeli-Russian journalist Nick Kolyohin was removed from the official Israeli Wing of Zion plane just before its departure for Washington, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump.

A screen grab of a video from Turkish Aerospace Industries shows a Gobkey helicopter in flight.

Turkey, Saudi Arabia ink deal for production of Gokbey helicopters

The deal comes amid advanced talks on Riyadh joining Ankara’s KAAN fighter jet program.

Ed Ram/Getty Images

Kuwait blacklists eight Lebanon hospitals over alleged Hezbollah ties: What to know

The affected hospitals, located in areas where Hezbollah has a heavy presence, are believed to be run by Hezbollah-affiliated institutions.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan speaks during a press statement with his French counterpart in Ankara, on Jan. 27, 2026.

Fidan: Iran nuclear breakout could drag Turkey into regional arms race

The top Turkish diplomat said an Iranian nuclear breakout could push Ankara into a nuclear race but declined to say whether Turkey would pursue its own nuclear weapons.

Hezbollah marchers

US sanctions Hezbollah-linked gold exchange, Iran-tied shipping network

The move comes as the United States pursues a deal with Iran that would curb its support for Hezbollah and other regional militias.