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Politics & Security

Burak Kara/Getty Images

Iranian FM says US-Iran nuclear talks in Oman 'a good start'

Iran's top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, said the two sides agreed to continue talks but would first consult with their capitals.

An Iranian man walks past an anti-US and anti-Israel banner hanging on a building in Palestine Square in Tehran on Jan. 27, 2026.

Analysis

From 'help is on the way' to nuclear talks, Iranians wary of Trump's shift

After Trump repeatedly pledged to hold Tehran accountable for its protest crackdown, many Iranians are still waiting for him to make good on his promises.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

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

Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, attends a meeting with the diplomatic adviser to the French president, in the Iranian capital Tehran, on July 10, 2019.

Iran names Ali Shamkhani head of Defense Council: What to know

Ali Shamkhani, a longtime security official, recently dismissed the idea of sending enriched uranium abroad and expressed a degree of hope about the upcoming negotiations with the US.

The commander of CENTCOM, Admiral Brad Cooper, visited Israel as the official guest of Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir.

Analysis

As US-Iran talks set to begin, Israel struggles to shape Trump's options

With US-Iran scheduled for Friday in Oman, Israel finds itself faced with two opposing options: press Washington to strike Iranian targets, or urge it to insist on a comprehensive deal.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Latest News

Storm Leonardo displaces 140,000 as heavy floods hit northern Morocco

An emergency vehicle drives through flood waters as residents are evacuated and relocated to other towns as preventive and emergency evacuations are carried out to move residents living near flood-prone areas following the weather alert and the rise in the water level of the Loukkos River, with flooding expected in the coming days, in Ksar El Kebir on Feb. 1, 2026.

Iran's IRGC seizes two tankers in Gulf over alleged oil smuggling

A picture obtained by AFP from the Iranian news agency Tasnim on Jan. 4, 2021, shows the South Korean-flagged tanker being escorted by Iran's Revolutionary Guards navy after being seized in the Gulf.

Washington Post cuts 30% of staff, guts foreign desk, Mideast team: What to know

A man exits the Washington Post office building in Washington, DC, on Feb. 4, 2026.

Feature

Syrian Kurds say US ignored pleas for help as ISIS detainees turned on them in al-Hol

Members of Syrian security forces at the entrance of the al-Hol camp in the desert region of Hasakah province which holds around 24,000 people, including some 6,200 women and children from around 40 nationalities on Jan. 21, 2026 in Al Hasakah, Syria.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

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

A Turkish Bayraktar TB2 combat drone is on view during a presentation at the Lithuanian Air Force Base in Siauliai, Lithuania, on July 6, 2022.

Turkey’s drones are killing Kurdish children in northeast Syria

Turkey's drone campaign to undermine Kurdish rule in Syria continues unabated, with children paying a heavy price.

A participant faces riot policemen wearing a rainbow flag during a Pride march in Istanbul, on June 26, 2022. - Turkish police forcibly intervened in a Pride march in Istanbul, detaining dozens of demonstrators and an AFP photographer, AFP journalists on the ground said. The governor's office had banned the march around Taksim Square in the heart of Istanbul but protesters gathered nearby under heavy police presence earlier than scheduled. (Photo by KEMAL ASLAN / AFP) (Photo by KEMAL ASLAN/AFP via Getty Ima

Erdogan slams Turkey's LGBTQ community, weaponizes homophobia ahead of vote

Homophobia and transphobia have unprecedentedly taken a prominent stage in the campaign period ahead of Turkey’s consequential elections.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcoming ceremony in Beijing, China, February 14, 2023. Iran's President Website

Iran official sacked as fears of China's economic influence grow

While the comment infuriated the sitting government, to many it was an honest slip of the tongue about the extent of the crisis in Iran's cash-strapped economy, stirring up also speculation on Chinese "colonial-style" influence.

People flee the southern part of Khartoum as street battles between the army and paramilitaries continue, on April 27, 2023.

Biden issues new Sudan executive order authorizing sanctions

President Joe Biden paved the way for sanctions on members of Sudan’s warring factions but stopped short of imposing them.

Arab League ambassadors gather for an emergency meeting in Cairo on April 5, 2023,

Arab League calls emergency meeting on crisis in Sudan, readmitting Syria

The Arab League will address Syria's readmittance to the alliance and the ongoing violence in Sudan.

Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant (L).

Israel's defense chief: Iran has enough uranium for five nuclear bombs

On an official visit in Greece, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warns against Iran’s continued efforts to advance its nuclear program.

Lebanon's judge Ghada Aoun, dismissed on May 4, 2023 for investigating corruption

Who is Lebanon's Ghada Aoun, maverick judge fired amid anti-corruption efforts?

The Lebanese judiciary’s disciplinary council expelled Judge Ghada Aoun from office over “legal violations.” Aoun has become widely known for her cases against prominent officials and politicians in the country.

Turkish nergy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez

Turkey says Russia agreed to delay gas payment ahead of elections

The deal marks another economic boon from Moscow to Ankara ahead of Turkey's fateful elections.

LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images

Iran's president meets Palestinian Hamas, Islamic Jihad leaders in Syria

The meeting between Raisi and Palestinian officials comes days after Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets from the Gaza Strip toward southern Israel in response to the death of Islamic Jihad prisoner Khader Adnan.

ZAIN JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images

Israeli troops kill 3 Palestinians in raid connected to April attack

One month after the killing of an Israeli woman and her two daughters, Israeli troops have killed three Palestinian men suspected of carrying out and assisting the attack in Nablus.

The Tahbaz and Shargi families demonstrating in front of the White House on May 3, 2023.

Prisoners’ families appeal to Biden as Iran tensions heat up

Their families’ pleas come as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high over Tehran’s rapidly accelerating nuclear program, its violent protest crackdown and supply of armed drones to Russia.

Kobane

Syria’s Kurds turn to UAE to ease tensions with Assad

An alleged trip to the UAE capital by Syrian Democratic Forces chief Mazloum Kobane, which Emirati officials deny, came just before he was targeted by a Turkish drone last month.