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Politics & Security

Iranian ambassador Mohammad Reza Sheibani

In shift, Lebanon grants Iranian ambassador residency extension

Mohammad Reza Sheibani’s visa was set to expire early Tuesday morning and he was first ordered to leave in March.

Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon fighter aircraft

China holds second air drill with Egypt: What to know

China is seeking to strengthen ties with Egypt and Gulf states, including via joint air drills.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) commander-in-chief Mazloum Kobane speaks during a press conference in Syria's northeastern city of Hasakeh on Dec. 6, 2024.

Explainer

SDF chief Kobane’s Damascus visit a high wire act for Syria’s Kurds

The SDF says its integration with Damascus is complete, but major questions remain over its fighters, weapons and the future of Kurdish self-rule.

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)

In 'warning shot,' 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.

Latest News

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

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.

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

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.

US lifts Syria's terror designation after 47 years

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)

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

ALINE DESCHAMPS/Middle East Images/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

Nuland

Turkey, US launch new strategic mechanism amid Ukraine crisis

The long-awaited Turkish-US strategic mechanism aims to set up regular channels to help the two countries cooperate where they can and prevent outstanding issues from blowing up into crises.

Lapid Gantz

Israel’s Gantz eases restrictions for Palestinians during Ramadan

Defense Minister Benny Gantz spoke yesterday on the phone with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and described the easing of restrictions that Israel has decided on for the Ramadan holiday.

AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images

Iran-linked militias torch KDP office, after IRGC strike on Erbil

Tension is mounting between Iran-linked armed factions and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq after repeated attacks on the largest Kurdish party office in the capital and threats.

A Qatar Airways Airbus A350 airplane takes off from Hamad International Airport near the Qatari capital, Doha, on Jan. 11, 2021.

Qatar’s move to take control of its airspace comes amid warming regional ties

As the United States is gradually retreating from the Middle East to refocus on Russia and China, a new level of cooperation has been witnessed among countries of the region.

Idit Silman

Disaster for Israeli coalition as legislator walks out

Idit Silman has joined the opposition, ending the government's narrow majority in the Knesset.

Ukrainian tourists wait to check in for their flight at Sharm el-Sheikh airport, Egypt, Nov. 5, 2015.

Egypt, Turkey consider coordination to boost tourism

Tourism in both Egypt and Turkey has plummetted due to the Russian war on Ukraine.

Tunisian man holding a baguette is carried by fellow protesters during a demonstration in Tunis on Jan. 18, 2011.

New Tunisian law targets those spreading 'fake news' about food shortages

Tunisia’s president says he is waging a war on speculators hoarding food, but his new decree-law also includes an article that forbids the spreading of “false news and information” about food shortages and the supply chain.

A bus is pictured carrying workers back from a construction site on Sept. 14, 2016, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Dubai partnering with Singapore to improve public transportation

Dubai and Abu Dhabi are also working to make their public transit systems more environmentally friendly, though oil is still a major part of the Emirati economy.

United Arab Emirates

IAEA

Iran's parliament presses Raisi to ask for more in nuclear talks

The letter shifted to yet another level an increasingly toughened Iranian position amid the impasse in the Vienna nuclear talks with the United States.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (R) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Analysis

Orban’s big win in Hungary bears lessons for Turkey’s staid opposition

While Turkey's opposition is seeing a rise in the polls, recent elections in Hungary provide an example for those who think a win is guaranteed.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Anastasia Vlasova/Getty Images

Most of Israel's top leadership condemns war crimes in Bucha, Ukraine

Israel’s foreign minister, defense minister and health minister have all condemned what they named war crimes in Bucha, Ukraine, but the prime minister is still treading lightly.

An Israeli air force F-15 Eagle fighter plane performs at an air show during the graduation of new cadet pilots at Hatzerim base in the Negev desert, near the southern city of Beer Sheva, Israel, June 29, 2017.

For Israel, new Iran deal perhaps better than no deal at all

Officially, Israel is against the negotiated new nuclear deal with Iran, but unofficially, it thinks the new deal would be better than no deal at all.