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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

Ukraine refugees

Palestinians in Ukraine fear another exodus

Palestinians residing in Ukraine, most of whom have taken refuge in the country to escape the Israeli wars, may have to emigrate again due to the Russian invasion.

Militias support Russian invasion as Iraq refuses to condemn

Iraq has aligned with China and Iran in abstaining from a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Iran prisoners

Analysis

Will there be an Iran nuclear deal? What you need to know

The Biden administration, consumed by Russia-Ukraine crisis, may be close to the end on one of its top foreign policy priorities.

Week in Review

By Week in Review

FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images

US concerned after Moroccan court upholds journalist’s sentence

The State Department said it was "concerned with the judicial process" that led to Omar Radi's six-year sentence.

Sudan's military leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti).

Sudan remains open to naval base deal with Russia

A top Sudanese general's weeklong visit to Moscow has raised the stakes for US officials pushing for democracy in Khartoum.

ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images

Will Russia turn to Syrian mercenaries for its Ukraine fight?

Evidence is emerging that the Syrian government and its Russian military partners are recruiting Syrian fighters for potential deployment to the former Soviet state.

Spokesperson office of the Gush Etzion Regional Council

Israel preps for wave of immigrants from Ukraine

A senior cabinet minister says a pending nuclear agreement with Iran is "terrible news" and "Israel will be the one paying the ultimate price."

Chabad Moldova

Israeli ultra-Orthodox emissaries stick with Jewish communities in Ukraine

Israeli Chabad emissaries in Ukraine and neighboring countries feel responsible for the safety and well-being of their Jewish communities.

A woman arriving from Odessa looks out from a carriage window at a train station in Lviv, western Ukraine, as she prepares to continue her journey to Slovakia on March 3, 2022.

Ukrainians in Egypt share dreadful moments of Russian invasion

Ukrainians in Egypt are doing what they can to help or support their families back in Ukraine.

HTS Idlib

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fights opponents on social media

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has created an electronic group whose mission is to track down and close social media accounts sharing posts against it.

Romanowski

Biden nominees for ambassadors to Iraq, Yemen appear before Senate

Steven Fagin, nominee for ambassador to Yemen, faced questions about whether to designate the Houthi movement as a terrorist organization, while Alina Romanowski, nominee for ambassador to Iraq, said she will work with the nation's elected officials.

Hackers post an image with the words “Iraq came, then history came" on a CBS website.

CBS hacked after reporter says Ukraine ‘relatively civilized’ compared to Iraq

Western media comparisons of the war in Ukraine to the Middle East have been widely criticized.