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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

BBC

BBC plans to stop radio broadcasts in Arabic, Persian

Many Arabic journalists were saddened, but the BBC’s international radio audience has shrunk. The Iranian government is currently in a row with BBC Persian over its coverage of protests.

Iran protest

Iranian IRGC commander killed during fighting with protesters

The incident occurred in the Sistan and Baluchistan province, which was the site of a violent crackdown against protesters last year.

Iraq protest

Baghdad prepares for Tishreen protest amid political deadlock

Tishreen movement, supported by Sadrists, plan to march tomorrow in Baghdad on the anniversary of the sweeping protests of 2019.

AFP via Getty Images

Iran vows to strike back if US destroys more of its drones over Iraq

Iran has vowed to respond to any “hostile actions” after an Iranian drone was reportedly shot down en route to Erbil.

Turkish soldier Sefter Tas, who was killed by the Islamic State, is seen in an undated photo. -

Turkish opposition revives questions over Islamic State burning execution

Almost six years on, Turkey’s public remains in the dark on the burning execution of two compatriots in Syria.

Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

Israel-US tensions grow over West Bank escalation

With elections just a month out and despite American warnings, Prime Minister Yair Lapid is sticking with his hawkish line on West Bank security escalation.

Israeli border guards are pictured during clashes with Palestinian demonstrators in the area of Bab al-Zawiya in the center of the city of Hebron, West Bank, Sept. 29, 2022.

Israeli army could use armed drones for targeted killings in West Bank

If the IDF does not manage soon to thwart the current wave of violence in the West Bank, it could opt for targeted killings of terrorists using armed drones.

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), speaks during the IAEA's General Conference at the agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria on Sept. 26, 2022.

Analysis

Will Iran's shift on IAEA help break deadlock in nuclear talks?

Iranian protesters shift tactics in response to government crackdown.

Week in Review

By Week in Review

Turkey-backed Syrian rebel fighters man a roadblock in the Turkish-controlled city of al-Bab following reported artillery shelling, northern Aleppo province, Syria, Feb. 2, 2022.

Al-Bab residents demand houses back from Turkish-backed forces in Syria

Demonstrations were organized against the Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army in the city of al-Bab, during which protesters demanded that the factions return their houses and farms that had been seized after the FSA took control of the city in 2017.

Palestinian men clean a street as calm returns to the city of Nablus following clashes between protesters and Palestinian security forces the previous day, West Bank, Sept. 21, 2022.

Israel threatens Gaza amid West Bank escalation

Israel threatened to target Hamas and its leaders in the Gaza Strip over the movement’s role in inciting young Palestinians to attack Israel in the West Bank and forming and funding military cells.

Afghan Iran protest

Civil disobedience grows as Iran continues to crush protests

Working around the state's internet crackdown, Iranians were resorting to strikes, as women walked without hijabs in public in defiance of the hard-line establishment.

ROY ISSA/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey pledges to boost military presence in Cyprus

President Erdogan and Foreign Minister Cavusoglu say Turkey will send more troops and arms to northern Cyprus after the Biden administration lifts defense trade restrictions to Greek Cypriots.