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Politics & Security

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with King of Jordan Abdullah II during a signing ceremony at The Great Hall Of The People on Sept. 9, 2015, in Beijing, China.

Jordan's King Abdullah heads to China in first visit since 2015: What to know

Ahead of the visit, King Abdullah said that Jordan hopes to expand cooperation with China in green energy, tourism and aviation.

Smoke rises after explosions were heard and air defences activated near the airport in Erbil, on July 24, 2026.

Explainer

Why Iran targeted Barzani family stronghold in Iraqi Kurdistan

Iran’s Kurdish opposition groups have turned Iraqi Kurdistan into a frontline in the war.

AFP via Getty Images

US general meets Lebanon’s army chief as ceasefire with Israel teeters

Control over a strategic ridge overlooking Nabatieh is emerging as a flashpoint between the Israeli military and Lebanon ahead of the next expected round of negotiations in September.

Jared Szuba

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

US President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the David S. Mack Center for Training and Intelligence on Aug. 14, 2026 in Garden City, New York.

Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it 'gets in the way' of US-Iran deal

The US president also threatened to "blow up" the Gulf partner in May.

Latest News

Analysis

RSF turns to drones, new fronts as Sudan battlefield pressure grows

View of some wreckage after the Rapid Support Forces targeted several civilian facilities in Al-Rahad Abu Dakna, one of the largest cities in North Kordofan, on the national highway linking Kosti and el-Obeid, July 25, 2026.

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Analysis

Inside Netanyahu's bet on divided opposition to secure another term

Gadi Eisenkot

Mazal Mualem

By Mazal Mualem

In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics

Analysis

How Israel's rivalry, defense deals prompted Turkey to join Mecca pact

Fireworks explode over Islamabad

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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

HUSSEIN FALEH/AFP via Getty Images

Iraqi religious official dies of heart attack following escape from prison

Saad Kumbesh, the former head of Iraq's Sunni waqf, died after he was caught by police. He was serving time for corruption before his escape.

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi watches combat drones alongside high-ranking officials and commanders during a military parade marking the country's annual army day in Tehran on April 18, 2023.

New US sanctions target network supporting Iran's drone program

Since September, the Biden administration has issued multiple rounds of sanctions targeting Iran’s drone and missile programs.

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey detains six Islamic State, al-Qaeda suspects

Turkey has stepped up its security operations against terrorist groups, ahead of the decisive May 14 elections.

Palestine-Saudi football fans

Palestine’s Abbas meets Saudi crown prince as Hamas performs umrah

Saudi Arabia is seeking to build relations with the Palestinian Authority after recent engagement with Syria and Iran.

Israeli military vehicles drive during clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in the Palestinian refugee camp of Jenin in the occupied West Bank on April 9, 2022.

Shooting attack in Jerusalem as Israel conducts raid in West Bank

April has been a particularly deadly month in Israel and the Palestinian territories as tensions soar.

US Treasury Department

UK sanctions Lebanon art dealer accused of financing Hezbollah

Already sanctioned by the United States back in 2019, Lebanese art dealer Nazem Said Ahmad was sanctioned by the British government on Tuesday.

Tunisian President Kais Saied meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the U.S. - Africa Leaders Summit on December 14, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Summit brings together heads of state, government officials, business leaders, and civil society to strengthen ties between the U.S. and Africa. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Timeline: Kais Saied's crackdown in Tunisia, from suspending parliament to arresting Ghannouchi

Tunisian President Kais Saied has been steadily consolidating power since 2021 when he dismissed parliament in a move widely described as a coup. He is now cracking down further on his Islamist political opponents.

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi watches combat drones alongside high-ranking officials and commanders during a military parade marking the country's annual army day in Tehran on April 18, 2023.

Iran flaunts military hardware on Army Day as it threatens Israel

At a moment of escalating war of words, Iran's president said Israel will face destruction should it strike his country, which the Jewish state has long considered as an existential threat.

A woman enjoys the sea as a Greek army rib returns from patrol on the tiny Greek island of Kastellorizo.

Turkey, Greece row reignited over 'Turkaegean' trademark dispute

Turkey’s tourism campaign with the slogan “Turkaegean” reignites tensions in Athens, which considers it both cultural usurpation and a threat to Greek sovereignty in the Aegean.

The US Treasury Department building is seen in Washington, DC, January 19, 2023, following an announcement by the US Treasury that it had begun taking measures Thursday to prevent a default on government debt, as Congress heads towards a high-stakes clash between Democrats and Republicans over raising the borrowing limit. - The world's biggest economy could face severe disruption with Republicans threatening to refuse the usual annual rubber stamping of a rise in the legal borrowing limit, and this could pu

US imposes sanctions on Hezbollah-linked money laundering network

The new sanctions target individuals and companies across nine countries, including Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa, tied to a Belgian-Lebanese art and diamond dealer.

Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar (R) meets Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad (L) during an official visit in Tunis, Tunisia on April 17, 2023 (Tunisian Foreign Ministry)

Syria FM visits Tunisia in latest Arab embrace of Assad

Mekdad's three-day visit to Tunis marks the first by a Syrian official since the North African country cut ties with the Syrian regime in February 2012 over its brutal crackdown against peaceful protests.

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (R) meets with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Doha, Qatar, Dec. 5, 2022.

UAE, Qatar to reopen embassies within weeks

UAE-Qatar embassies are expected to reopen with new ambassadors in their posts within weeks or by mid-June latest, according to Reuters sources.