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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

Women gesture as they take part in a protest ahead of the International Women's Day on Sakarya Street in Ankara on March 6, 2022.

On International Women's Day, Turks march in solidarity with Ukrainians

Women gathered in Istanbul and other cities for the Feminist Night Walk despite bans and demonstrators taken into custody, calling for the reinstatement of the landmark UN accord on violence against women.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani arrives at the Coburg Palais, venue of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) meeting aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal, in Vienna on Dec. 27, 2021.

Iran negotiator returns home amid uncertainties in Vienna talks

Hope seems to be fading in Iran for an agreement on restoring the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers after Russia sought separate sanctions relief guarantees in its own favor.

US President Joe Biden announces a ban on US imports of Russian oil and gas, March 8, 2022, from the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC.

Biden bans Russian oil imports as Iran talks hit snag

The embargo on Russian energy supplies comes as negotiators in Vienna appear close to striking a deal that would ease sanctions on Iran’s oil sector.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog meets with Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson (not pictured) inside Number 10 Downing Street, London, United Kingdom, Nov. 23, 2021.

Israeli President set for first official visit to Turkey in 15 years

Israeli President Isaac Herzog visits Ankara on March 9.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett

Israeli PM offers rare, uncertain diplomatic channel for Putin, Zelenskyy

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's delegation found Russian President Vladimir Putin focused and determined, and neither delusional nor out of control.

Turkey's Cabinet discusses the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ankara, Turkey, Feb. 28, 2022.

Ukraine war shakes up Turkey's ties with both Russia and NATO

Ankara has adopted a dual approach on the Ukraine crisis through moves both pleasing its NATO allies and positioning Turkey as a lifeline for Russia amid crippling Western sanctions on the country.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is seen on video screens as he addresses the annual gathering for the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, New York, Sept. 21, 2021.

Ukraine calls on Egypt to support it, abandon neutrality

Ruslan Nechai, charge d'affairs of Kyiv's embassy in Cairo, calls on Egypt and countries in the region to support it with weapons, fuel and financial and humanitarian aid, and abandon the position of "neutrality" regarding the Russian invasion.

People fleeing war-torn Ukraine.

Egypt extends stay of stranded Ukrainian, Russian tourists

Ukrainian tourists stuck in Egypt talk to Al-Monitor about the pain they feel to watch their loved ones and families suffering back home as a result of the Russian war.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Turkish public support for NATO declines

As Turkey scrambles in response to events in Ukraine, anti-NATO sentiment is spreading in large segments of Turkish society.

Pedestrians cross a street in front of a billboard displaying the symbol "Z."

Pentagon: Russia recruiting Syrians to fight in Ukraine

The Kremlin appears to be shifting tactics as it meets stiff Western-backed resistance in Ukraine.

A picture taken July 9, 2017, shows workers at Syria's Arak gas field.

Biden administration to announce sanctions waivers for Syrian Kurds, Sunni opposition-held areas

Sanctions exemptions are aimed at expediting humanitarian aid and diminishing the economic damage in certain areas.

Israeli Arab passengers arriving from Ukraine.

Arab-Israeli party rallies to get students out of Ukraine

Shortly after the Russian invasion, Israeli Muslim party Ra’am launched an operation to help all Israeli Arab students stuck in Ukraine to come home.