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

politics and security cover image

Politics & Security

Turkey/Syria border

Analysis

Turkey bets on US deconfliction as Israel widens Syria red lines

As Washington pushes a new deconfliction mechanism between Turkey and Israel, the Jewish state shows little incentive to accept tighter constraints on its freedom of action in Syria, experts say.

Ezgi Akin

Rina Bassist

By Ezgi Akin , Rina Bassist

People shop at a store in the Grand Reza Bazaar near the shrine of Imam Reza following the funeral of slain Iranian leader Ali Khamenei and his family members in Mashhad on July 10, 2026.

Analysis

Can Trump's economic war ultimately force Iran to compromise?

President Trump's new economic offensive comes as Iran is grappling with war damage, tighter oil restrictions and a shrinking ability to absorb another major shock.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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.

Latest News

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

Zaidi

Analysis

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

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)

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

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

LUDOVIC MARIN/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

A portrait of slain Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh.

Palestinians furious at tepid US findings on journalist's killing

Reactions from the ground are coming in following the results of the ballistic test performed by the United States on the bullet that killed Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

Israel economy

Lapid’s greatest election challenge will be skyrocketing cost of living

Prime Minister Yair Lapid has only four months to show Israelis he can do something about the continuously-increasing cost of living and high housing prices.

JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images

Israeli court rejects cap on Ukrainian refugees

This week, Israel’s Supreme Court struck down the cap imposed by the Interior Ministry on the number of Ukrainian refugees allowed into the country.

INA FASSBENDER/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey blocks VOA, Deutsche Welle in pre-election media clampdown

The ban came after the websites failed to apply for licenses that would allow government to oversee their content.

JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images

Iran's chief negotiator warns Israel against war preparations

The raging war of words coincided with protracted diplomacy over the revival of the Iran nuclear deal, which Israel has relentlessly criticized.

Women and a child queue to receive humanitarian aid packages at the Kurdish-run al-Hol camp.

Iraq’s northwest wary as IS executions, cross-border movement continue

The Islamic State continues to target local tribes and others in desert areas of Iraq and across the border in Syria, as more Iraqi nationals with alleged IS links are moved to an IDP camp in northwestern Iraq.

Amos Ben Gershom/GPO

Lapid, Macron discuss Hezbollah, Iranian nuclear deal in Paris

On his first trip abroad as prime minister, Yair Lapid met at the Elysée Palace in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss Lebanon, Hezbollah and Iran.

Sudanese demonstrators perform the Friday noon prayers in the southern area of Khartoum on July 1, 2022.

Sudan-Ethiopia conflict escalates over disputed border

The killing of seven Sudanese soldiers and one civilian in Ethiopian territory and an attack in the disputed Al Fashaga also takes place as the third filling of the giant Nile dam nears.

MAHMOUD ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images

Hamas heads multi-faction effort to challenge Palestinian Authority

Various major Palestinian factions are working together on a new platform to challenge Fatah's dominance of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid (L) speaks to head of Israel's conservative Islamic Raam party Mansour Abbas.

Israeli Arab Muslim party aspires to be part of the next new coalition

Having made history as the first Arab party to be part of the coalition, Muslim Ra’am says it hopes to be part of whatever coalition will be established after the Nov. 1 elections.

The beach in Beit Lahia looks out on the towers of an Israeli power plant in the city of Ashkelon, Gaza Strip, Dec. 15, 2021.

Egypt ready to help with Gaza Marine natural gas field

Palestnian officials claim the project has been complicated by Israel, which controls the coastal waters off Gaza.

Abu Mari, a Syrian Bedouin livestock farmer who raises camels, goats and sheep, tends his flock in the village of Ghezlaniah, in the countryside of the Badia region, southeast of Damascus, Syria, April 20, 2021.

Syrian forces crack down on Islamic State in Syrian desert

The Syrian government forces are waging a revenge war against the Islamic State in the Syrian desert amid escalating attacks.