Politics & Security - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

politics and security cover image

Politics & Security

Members and supporters of the Nafas movement take part in an anti-government protest against Tunisian President Kais Saied, chanting "Degage" and calling for political change, in Tunis,Tunisia on August 20,2026. (Photo by Imen Ben Youssef / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images)

Tunisia’s water, power crisis fuels growing protests against Saied: What to know

A utility crisis is giving momentum to opposition forces challenging Saied’s grip on power.

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

Latest News

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

LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images

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)

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

Germany Israel

Israel, Germany to jointly probe 1972 Munich terror attack

On the 50th anniversary of the deadly terror attack against Israeli athletes in Munich, Germany agreed to reopen investigation, and the two nations settled on compensation for the relatives of the victims.

Smoke from an indoor bonfire exits from the chimney of the tent of Umm Raed at a camp for the displaced.

Fires engulf displacement camps in northern Syria during heat wave

Northern Syria is experiencing a heat wave, which is taking a heavy toll on camps for displaced persons who face chronic diseases, wildfires and water scarcity.

MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images

Tempers flare between Hamas, Islamic Jihad

Tension has been mounting between the political leaders of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad over the Palestinian deaths caused by the latter’s rockets during the recent round of fighting with Israel.

DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images

Christians in Syria's Idlib hold major Mass

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has allowed the reopening of a church in Idlib countryside months after HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani met with the Christian community in the area — in what many see as a bid to brand himself a moderate and gain outside support.

Libya clash

Turkey supports Libya's Tripoli forces amid deadly battles

Turkey hosted two rival Libyan premiers in Istanbul in bid to strike a conciliation between the clashing parties.

Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and upcoming COP27 Chairman Sameh Shoukry (L) and Mexico's Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, current executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, hold a press conference after the May Ministerial - World Climate Leaders Meeting, Copenhagen, Denmark, May 13, 2022.

Egypt represents Africa in COP27

Cairo insists it will speak for African countries during the COP27, which it will host in November.

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (R) attend a signing ceremony in the pavilion of honor at Algiers airport, in Algiers, on Aug. 27, 2022.

Things to remember from Macron’s Algeria visit

drone

Iran navy attempts to capture US drones in Red Sea

A US military official rejected Iran's claims that the unmanned sea drones pose a hazard to commercial shipping in the region.

An aerial view of Al Thumama stadium at sunset on June 22, 2022, in Doha, Qatar.

FIFA World Cup's economic impact will extend beyond Qatar

GCC states look to take advantage of "fresh opportunities" and Qatar hopes the World Cup will boost its "soft power and add political influence."

ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

US calls Iran’s latest nuclear deal offer 'not constructive'

Iran insisted it put forward “a constructive approach aimed at finalizing the negotiations.”

This photo shows election campaign posters of (L to R) Israel's Yisrael Beitenu party bearing a portrait of its leader Avigdor Liberman and the Likud party showing its leader and incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bnei Brak, Israel, March 14, 2021.

Netanyahu, Liberman locked in conspiracy battle

Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman, the longstanding nemesis of opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, has been accused on social media of a conspiracy to kill a police officer.

Tourists ride camels on the shores of the town of Dahab, southern Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, May 12, 2017.

Oil spill darkens Egyptian tourist town

Ahead of the Cop27, an oil spill in Egypt highlights the country’s inability to deal with environmental disasters.