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Politics & Security

Zaidi

Iraq’s Zaidi doubles down on militia disarmament, boosting oil exports

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi made the comments amid Hormuz-related export struggles and a nearing deadline for armed groups to disarm.

ANKARA, TURKEY - JULY 7: U.S. President Donald Trump (L)shakes hands with with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) during a formal arrival at the Bestepe Presidential Palace during the NATO summit on July 7, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Emrah Gurel - Pool/Getty Images)

Analysis

Israel fears Turkey’s Syria ambitions and doubts Trump will stop them

Israeli officials remain skeptical of Turkish and Syrian denials over Ankara’s military ambitions in Syria, warning that a deeper Turkish foothold could threaten Israel’s security and strain its ties with Washington.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi crown prince heads to France as ties deepen: What to expect

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will start a visit to Paris this weekend, his fourth to France since his appointment in 2017.

Latest News

Caught in the middle, Oman shrugs off Trump's latest Iran threat

Win McNamee/Getty Images

Houthis claim new strikes on Saudi Arabia after IRGC warning: What to know

MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey signals restraint as war of words with Israel escalates over Syria

Burhaanettin Duran

Syria’s FM pays Pakistan first visit in 19 years amid new regional alignments

Islamabad

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

Libyan Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush (R) and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Turkey's energy deal in Libya fans regional rivalries

Turkey is likely to face stronger headwinds in the eastern Mediterranean after signing a controversial energy exploration deal with Libya’s interim government.

Employees of Aramco oil company work in Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq oil processing plant on Sept. 20, 2019.

Gulf's mid-year surpluses put allocation in question

Flushed with cash from a post-pandemic oil boom, Gulf states once again face a choice: lifting up their citizenries’ short-term contentment or fiscal restructuring and investing in long-term productive assets.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Iran protests put Turkish government in tight spot

As their Western partners strongly react to the Iranian protests, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his administration remain curiously quiet.

A supporter of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Headscarf debate returns to Turkish politics at initiative of secularist opposition

The CHP becomes proactive against Erdogan's "religious populist games."

MAHMOUD ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images

IDF forces on alert as maritime agreement with Lebanon crumbles

Israel has rejected the changes Beirut has demanded to the draft maritime border agreement and now fears tensions could escalate on its northern border.

A picture obtained by AFP outside Iran on Sept. 21, 2022, shows Iranian demonstrators taking to the streets of the capital Tehran during a protest for Mahsa Amini, days after she died in police custody.

US targets senior Iranian officials with new sanctions

Those sanctioned include Iran's interior and communications ministers.

Palestinians participate in a rally at the Gaza City sea port, in which they demand their right to receive gas from maritime fields in the eastern Mediterranean and the lifting of the Israeli blockade, Gaza Strip, Sept. 13 2022.

Egypt persuades Israel to extract Gaza’s natural gas

Al-Monitor obtained information from Palestinian and Egyptian officials about the success of Egyptian mediation in pushing Israel to allow the start of extracting natural gas off the coast of the Gaza Strip.

A woman suffering from cholera receives treatment at the Al-Kasrah hospital in Syria.

Cholera spreads in Syria as displacement camps on high alert

Fears of a cholera outbreak in Syria are growing after authorities revealed that part of the Euphrates River has been contaminated.

The flag of Iran is seen in front of the building of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Headquarters ahead of a press conference by Rafael Grossi, Director General of the IAEA, about the agency's monitoring of Iran's nuclear energy program on May 24, 2021 in Vienna, Austria.

Analysis

The Takeaway: As protests rage, is Iran moving toward nuclear deal?

Netanyahu weighs in on Israel-Lebanon gas deal; Russia relies on Iranian drones in Ukraine; Israel escalates raids in West Bank; Lebanon pegs lira to dollar; democracy under siege in Tunisia.

Andrew Parasiliti

By Andrew Parasiliti

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the parliament.

NATO talks clouded by latest Turkey-Sweden friction

A satire show broadcast on Sweden’s state TV has cast clouds over a new round of Turkey-Sweden talks on NATO’s Nordic enlargement.

Turkey Armenia

Turkey's Erdogan to meet Armenian PM at Europe conference

Armenia's Nikol Pashinyan announced plans for the meeting, which may be a step towards peace with Azerbaijan.

A boy looks on during a candlelight vigil to pay tribute to those who have died protesting the death of Mahsa Amini.

Iran says average age of arrested protesters is 15

According to Iranian authorities, those protesting Mahsa Amini's death are some of the youngest ever seen in the country.