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Politics & Security

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent addresses the audience during opening remarks at the Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism at the State Department on July 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. Bessent spoke alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller as they discussed the rise of far-left political terrorism as a transnational threat. (Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images)

Breaking | Last Updated: August 24, 2026, 1:49 pm

US threatens sanctions on Iran’s trading partners

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said countries were given "defined timelines" to halt business with Iran or face US sanctions.

Supporters of Yemen's Houthi rebel movement carry a mock rocket as they demonstrate in the capital, Sanaa, to denounce a reported air strike by the Saudi-led coalition on a prison in the country's rebel-held north, on Jan. 21, 2022.

Houthis claim strike on Saudi oil tanker off Yanbu: What to know

The incident is the latest in a string of Houthi attacks targeting Saudi oil and military assets.

Palestinian militant group Hamas police officers stand guard as people attend the opening of the Fatah party's eighth general conference at Al-Azhar University in Gaza City on May 14, 2026.

Ex-defense minister: Israel in ‘worst possible’ Gaza situation as Hamas gains strength

Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant criticized the Israeli government for allowing Hamas to retain control over half of the Gaza Strip.

ANKARA, TURKEY - JULY 08: U.S. President Donald Trump (R) meets with Ahmed al-Sharaa, President of Syria (L) for bilateral talks at Beştepe Presidential Compound during the NATO Summit on July 08, 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 Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Breaking | Last Updated: August 24, 2026, 12:47 pm

US set to lift Syria's terror designation after 47 years

The Trump administration is expected to rescind the label on Monday, a US official said.

Latest News

In Lebanon, Italy proposes robust multinational force to replace UNIFIL: What to know

ALINE DESCHAMPS/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Wreck of ship sunk by Israeli military in Irgun clash found after 78 years

A merchant ship "Jabotinsky" (former "Altalena"), chartered by Jewish military group Irgun Zvaei Leumi to carry weapons for Israeli fighters, burns near Tel Aviv beach, after being shelled by the Haganah, Israel, June 27, 1948.

Israel tightens election safeguards as public distrust surges: What to know

ilia YEFIMOVICH / 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

VIENNA, AUSTRIA - MAY 24: 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. The IAEA has been in talks with Iran over extending the agency's monitoring program. Meanwhile Iranian and international representatives have been in talks in recent weeks in Vienna over reviving the

Iraq helps broker Iran-Saudi negotiations

The latest Iran-Saudi talks in Iraq have been the most productive, according to reports.

Members of various Palestinian factions pose for a picture during a demonstration to mark Quds Day in Gaza City on July 10, 2015.

Iran ratchets up anti-Israeli rhetoric ahead of key rally

Iran's state-funded media called for a boost in anti-Israeli militancy as the "final battle" nears, with officials in Tehran meeting Hamas visitors and throwing rants at Arab states for normalization with Israel.

ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images

Opposition head displaces Ankara, Istanbul mayors as Erdogan's next election rival

Republican People’s Party head Kemal Kilicdaroglu has entered the running for the Turkish opposition’s presidential candidate.

Syria refugees

Syrian opposition concerned about Ankara-Damascus talks on refugees

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has recently admitted that his government held security talks with the Syrian government amid plans for the "safe return" of Syrian refugees to their home country.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (back-R) and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin (back-L).

Egypt, Russia discuss next steps for nuclear power plant

Despite the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and sanctions imposed on Moscow, a Russian delegation visited Egypt to inspect the construction work at the Dabaa nuclear plant.

Blinken

Analysis

The Takeaway: US says Iran deal still possible; breakout time is ‘few weeks’

Islamic State steps up attacks during Ramadan; Arab-Israelis call for calm at Al Aqsa; Russian oligarchs and Egypt; Egyptian Christians alarmed by killing of priest; water scarcity threatens Jordan’s oryx; the storyteller from Idlib; and more; in less than 1200 words.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

Andrew Parasiliti

By Elizabeth Hagedorn , Andrew Parasiliti

Khamenei

Khamenei urges Iranians to prepare for 'new world order'

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told university students that there is a new multipolar world order emerging.

Syria refugees

Turkey may 'lock' borders with Syria and Iraq to deal with Kurdish militants

There is speculation about a secret deal between Ankara and Baghdad eyeing a contiguous, 30-kilometer-deep buffer from Syria to Iraq.

RONEN ZVULUN/AFP via Getty Images

Israeli premier scrambles to contain rebels in own party

The ouster of Yamina legislator Amichai Chikli will do little to calm the storm Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is facing.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog speaks to press at the Ankara airport.

Israel warms to Turkey’s charm offensive

The decision by Tel Aviv University to establish academic bridges with three Turkish institutions reflects Jerusalem’s growing interest in Ankara’s policy of rapprochement.

A police officer stands guard at the Palestinian Authority side of the Erez crossing in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.

Gaza rocket won't stop Israel's policy efforts

Defense Minister Benny Gantz has for several months been advancing policies to better the lives of Palestinians, and last Friday's rocket won't derail them.

Members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham parade with their flags and those of the Taliban's declared "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" at the Clock Square in the center of the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib, Syria, Aug. 20, 2021.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham hands over Islamic State jihadists to Turkey

The Idlib-based group's decision to hand over several jihadis to Turkey, including two men affiliated with the Islamic State, come as part of HTS's attempt to present itself as more moderate.