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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

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Libyan GNU Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.

Three challenging scenarios for Turkey in Libya

Turkey could face tough choices in Libya unless the power struggle between the two rival governments is resolved, including military intervention should the eastern-backed prime minister attempt to enter Tripoli by force.

A human chain is formed by workers from the civil society, humanitarian aid, and medical and rescue services.

Analysis

Ukraine war stirs fears Russia could weaponize Syria aid

As Russia wages war in Ukraine, concerns are mounting that Moscow will use its UN Security Council veto powers to dismantle what remains of cross-border aid operations into Syria.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

MARZIEH SOLEIMANI/IRNA/AFP via Getty Images

Iran credits Russia with 'constructive' role in nuclear talks despite holdups

Iran is downplaying last-minute demands from Russia and blaming the United States for delays in the nuclear talks.

MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images

Citizenship law deepens rift between Israel's Arab parties

The Joint List was hoping to use the vote on the controversial citizenship Law to embarrass its rival Muslim coalition party Ra’am.

Shlomi Amsalem/GPO

Israel vows country won’t become safe haven for sanctioned Russian oligarchs

Speaking at a press conference in Slovakia, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid stated that Russia won’t be able to bypass Western sanctions through Israel.

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Islamic State mines kill truffle hunters in Syrian desert

The country's economic collapse and widespread poverty have driven residents to risk their lives to make a living in the desert near Deir ez-Zor.

Refugees

Another repatriation flight brings Egyptians stuck in Ukraine home

Thousands of Egyptian students were in Ukraine at the start of the Russian invasion. The conflict has forced many to flee to other eastern European states.

LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images

Putin says Moscow ready to use Mideast fighters in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed the idea of sending volunteer fighters to Ukraine, though there are good reasons for Moscow to refrain from bringing them in from Syria and elsewhere.

A picture taken on March 13, 2022, shows a view of the damaged studio at the Kurdistan 24 TV building, after an overnight attack in Arbil, the capital of the northern Iraqi Kurdish autonomous region.

Iran missile attack on Erbil goes beyond retaliation for IRGC deaths

The attack early Sunday could also be related to both the now stalled Iran nuclear talks and Iraqi government formation.

People who have just crossed from war-torn Ukraine into Poland wait to board buses provided by Polish authorities at the Medyka border crossing, Medyka, Poland, March 11, 2022.

Young Egyptian rescues Arab families trapped in Ukraine

Social media outlets were abuzz over the past few days with news about Islam al-Ashiri, an Egyptian man who rescued a number of families stuck in Kyiv following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

A physician treats a premature born baby lying in an incubator at the neonatal intensive care unit at Ibn Sina (Avicenna) Hospital that is part of the Syrian American Medical Society, Idlib, Syria, Feb. 1, 2022.

Despite unrest, northwest Syria shows baby boom

Births are rising in northwest Syria, including in the displacement camps despite conditions often not being suitable for babies and mothers.

An Ukrainian flag waves in front of smoke rising from a bombed warehouse in the town of Stoyanka, west of Kyiv, on March 4, 2022.

Analysis

Bennett, Erdogan seek to fill diplomatic vacuum over Ukraine

Qatar’s role in Iran diplomacy even more vital with pause in Vienna nuclear talks.

Week in Review

By Week in Review