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

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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

Shaked

Israel's Interior Minister rallies the Right

Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, once considered the next leader of the Israeli right, has gotten into snowballing disagreements with ministers on the left.

Israeli soldiers patrol on March 30, 2022.

After three terror attacks, Israel beefs up security

Worried that the three attacks might only be the beginning, Israeli security agencies deploy multiple efforts to restore calm during the upcoming Ramadan and Passover period.

Lilach Shoval

By Lilach Shoval

Haim Zach/GPO

Israeli president meets Jordanian king in landmark visit

The day after Defense Minister Benny Gantz traveled to Jordan and met with King Abdullah II, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog also traveled to the kingdom for a historic visit.

Ethiopia dam

New consultations over Nile dam inspire optimism in Sudan

Sudan is optimistic about resolving the GERD dispute with Ethiopia at a time when Addis Ababa is preparing for the third filling this summer.

Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian

Iran's foreign minister in China to pursue partnership deal

Top on the agenda is a controversial, long-term partnership pact that critics fear may effectively push the Islamic Republic into becoming a China "colony."

KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey yield respite but no ceasefire

Turkey played host for the second time as peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine resumed today.

GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images

Arabs across Israel condemn Islamic State-inspired attacks

Arab Israeli leaders have roundly denounced the terror attack March 27 in Hadera that killed two police officers.

Tunisian protesters raise placards and national flags during a demonstration against their president, not far from the Tunisian Assembly (parliament) headquarters, in the capital Tunis, on March 20, 2022.

House Democrats push Biden administration on Tunisia's democratic backslide

The lawmakers called on the Biden administration to promote good governance initiatives in the North African country.

EBRAHIM HAMID/AFP via Getty Images

Sudan’s military leader seeks Saudi, UAE support

The head of the Sudanese military and chairman of the Sudanese Sovereign Council went to Riyadh for help with Sudan's multiplying challenges.

MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images

Second attack rattles Israel during landmark regional summit in Negev

The terror attack in Hadera, the second murderous rampage in days, did not dim the Negev Summit or the commitment of its participants for a regional alliance.

A woman plays a daf drum as people peform the Halay folk dance during a gathering of Turkish Kurds for Nowruz celebrations marking the Persian New Year in Diyarbakir, southeastern Turkey, March 21, 2022.

Possible closure of political party dampens Nowruz for Turkey’s Kurds

Kurds see the case against the Peoples’ Democratic Party as the latest effort to undermine their place in society.

An elderly Palestinian man casts his ballot.

Hamas boycotts West Bank elections, members run in independent lists

Hamas members joined independent lists and alliances in the second round of the West Bank municipal elections, despite the movement’s official boycott of the vote.