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Politics & Security

Women read instructions to voters ahead of the upcoming municipal elections in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on April 21, 2026.

Analysis

On eve of Palestinian local elections, competition in short supply

With many races unopposed and rivals excluded, the vote underscores a calibrated effort to contain dissent and prioritize stability.

Daoud Kuttab

By Daoud Kuttab

In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics

Qais al-Khazali (L), head of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq group, stands along with former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki after casting their ballots at a polling station in Baghdad on Nov. 11, 2025.

Split over Maliki, Iraq’s Shiite bloc delays PM vote as deadline nears: What to know

Two other candidates have emerged as alternatives to Coordination Framework nominee and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is openly opposed by the Trump administration.

Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi speaks at a candidates' registration office in Tehran on May 30, 2024, during the first day of registration ahead of the country's presidential election.

Who is Ahmad Vahidi, IRGC chief and hard-liner against nuclear compromise?

A longtime Revolutionary Guard insider with strong ties to Iran’s security apparatus and proxy network, Ahmad Vahidi has taken over the IRGC at a moment of crisis, with some reports suggesting he is playing an outsized role in the country’s decision-making.

President of Syria Ahmed al-Shara arrives for the 80th session of the UN’s General Assembly (UNGA) at UN Headquarters on Sept. 23, 2025 in New York City.

Analysis

'Is it worth it?' Syria's Sharaa faces backlash over Missy Elliott performance

Backlash erupts after dancers perform to Missy Elliott’s “Work It,” exposing the tightrope between Sharaa’s outreach to the West and pressure from his Islamist base.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Latest News

Iran seizes two cargo ships in Hormuz after Trump extends ceasefire

Fishing and cargo ships and ferries are pictured in the Gulf off the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, which is the main base of the Islamic Republic's navy and has a strategic position on the Strait of Hormuz, on April 29, 2019.

Iran executes 14th person since war over alleged Mossad ties: What to know

Mahdi Farid, who was convicted of espionage for Israel’s Mossad, was executed after his death sentence was upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court, Tehran, Iran, April 22, 2026.

Trump extends ceasefire with Iran ‘until discussions concluded’

President Donald Trump walks toward reporters before answering questions before boarding Air Force One on April 10, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

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

Armenia genocide

Turkey closes airspace to Armenia over 'Nemesis' monument

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the closure was in response to Armenia's controversial “Nemesis” monument that commemorates a revenge operation for the Armenian genocide.

An Iron Dome missile defense system is deployed on July 8, 2014, in Ashkelon, Israel.

Israel tests missile warning system ahead of deployment to Ukraine

Signaling its support of Ukraine, Israel started testing in Kyiv a missile-warning system to protect the population against Russian attacks.

Turkish President and People's Alliance's presidential candidate Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during an election campaign rally in Ankara, on April 30, 2023.

Would Turkey’s Erdogan accept an election loss after recent comments?

Already divisive language has become more threatening as the May 14 polls loom, leading to fears for Turkey's democratic transition.

This US Navy handout screenshot of a video shows fast-attack craft from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy swarming Greek-owned oil tanker Niovi as it transits the Strait of Hormuz

Iran's IRGC seizes second oil tanker in Gulf waters in six days, says US Navy

The incident happened off UAE coast of Fujairah and involved a Panama-flagged Niovi vessel.

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, on the right, received his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi at the presidential palace in Damascus on May 3, 2023

Iran's President Raisi meets Assad in Syria, first such visit in 13 years

The two countries are expected to sign several economic agreements in a show of friendship.

Amberin Zaman webinar

What to expect in Turkey's elections: Live Q&A webinar

Leader of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu, and the presidential candidate of the Main Opposition alliance, speaks to supporters at a rally while campaigning for the presidential election on April 30, 2023 in Izmir, Turkey. CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu is holding campaign rallies across Turkey ahead of the countries May 14, 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections. The Kilicdaroglu-led Nation Alliance is representing six opposition parties in next month's election against Presi

Turkey’s opposition warns against deepfakes ahead of fateful elections

As the presidential race heats up in the lead-up to Turkey's consequential elections, the country’s main opposition party accuses the government of plotting a cyberwar against Erdogan’s top rival.

India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval (L) and Jammu and Kashmir state governor Satya Pal Malik (R) attend a ceremony to celebrate India's 73rd Independence Day, which marks the end of British colonial rule, in Srinagar on August 15, 2019. (Photo by Tauseef MUSTAFA / AFP) (Photo credit should read TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran-India meeting in Tehran focuses on de-dollarization, averting sanctions

Iran urged India to launch a rial-rupee mechanism in bilateral trade, as the Islamic Republic pursues the "look to the East" policy as a strategy to mitigate the onerous impacts of US sanctions on its oil-dependent economy.

A sign directs pedestrians towards the United States on January 16, 2019 in Tijuana, Mexico. Thousands of people from Mexico and Central America, many who arrived in caravans, hope to cross the border daily into America. The U.S. government is partially shut down as President Trump is asking for $5.7 billion to build additional walls along the U.S.-Mexico border and the Democrats oppose the idea. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia top MidEast recipients of US visas in 2022

Citizens from the MENA region received about 480,000 non-immigrant visas, or about 7% of the total 6.8 million visas issued globally.

An exterior view of the building of US Department of the Treasury is seen on March 27, 2020 in Washington, DC.

US, Turkey blacklist Syrian militants' financial facilitators

The new sanctions target members of US-designated terrorist groups Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Katibat al-Tawhid wal-Jihad.

Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen and EU high commissioner for foreign affairs josep Borrell , Brussels, may 2 2023

Israel, EU reconcile, agree to hold summit after Cohen-Borrell meeting

In a surprising move, Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and EU's foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell agreed in Brussels to hold an association council meeting by the end of 2023. Israel is also advocating for more EU sanctions on Iran.

MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images

Israel woos senior Republicans as White House continues to snub Netanyahu

Government insiders are alarmed by what appear to be efforts to undermine the overtures to the White House.