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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

Wheat grains spilled from the silos at Beirut port in the massive explosion Aug. 4, 2020, are fully grown, Lebanon, May 27, 2021.

Lebanese fear wheat shortage amid Ukrainian crisis

Amid the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, concerns are growing in Lebanon over a shortage of wheat supplies, as the country imports the bulk of its wheat needs from Ukraine.

Turkey masks

Turkey drops mask rules as it heads for normality ahead of tourist season

Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announces a return to normal life after two years of COVID-19 measures, but medical association warns it may be too early.

100 Jewish orphans leave Zhytomyr

Analysis

Israel celebrates rescue of Jewish orphans from Ukraine

Hailing the operation to rescue 100 orphans in Ukraine, Israeli leaders vow to continue sending humanitarian assistance.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Syria jihadi

Syrian opposition backs Ukraine in stand against Russian army

Jihadis in Syria want to exploit the Syrian regime’s preoccupation with Russia’s war on Ukraine to open new fronts, while the Syrian opposition cheers for Ukraine.

KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images

UAE sends aid to Ukraine

The aid is a departure for the Emirates, which has remained neutral on the Russia-Ukraine conflict so far in a reflection of improving UAE-Russia ties.

United Arab Emirates

A view of part of the Shagarab camp, situated about 70 kilometers (43 miles) west of the Eritrean border, Shagarab, Sudan, Aug. 15, 2021.

Sudan, Ethiopia negotiate over border conflict

Bilateral talks are ongoing between Ethiopia and Sudan aimed at resuming negotiations to solve the border dispute between the two countries and the GERD crisis.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi

Egypt avoids direct condemnation of Russia over Ukraine

Egypt called for diplomacy to solve the Ukrainian crisis, avoiding taking any sides in order not to harm its ties with Russia, the United States or NATO.

A member of the Republican March Band poses for a photo at the ceremony for the inaugural production of energy at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

With world attention on Ukraine, Nile dam conflict escalates

Egypt and Sudan have condemned Ethiopia's decision to partially start electricity production via the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Syrian national army

Family ties fuel Islamic State to rebel pipeline in northern Syria

The stories of fighters who turned from the Islamic State to Syria's rebel opposition forces show the how kinship ties, regionalism, and material concerns often trump ideology in the Syrian war.

Khamenei

Iran's supreme leader blames US for Russia war on Ukraine

Iran's supreme leader said the United States was the "root cause" of the Ukraine war as he refrained from condemning Russia for the invasion.

Presentation of "Strengthened Parliamentary System" signing ceremony in Ankara on Feb. 28, 2022.

Turkey's opposition unites in advance of 2023 elections

The jury’s out on whether a pledge by Turkey’s six opposition parties to bring back the parliamentary system is an agreement on the lowest common denominator or a historical pact that would unseat Erdogan.

A man rides a motorcycle past cement blocks bearing flags of Ukraine (C L) and the Syrian opposition with inscriptions, one in Cyrillic (L) which reads "Slava Ukraini" ("glory to Ukraine"), a Ukrainian national salute, and another in Arabic which reads "glory to free Syria", near the Syrian rebel-held city of al-Bab in the northern Aleppo governorate, on Feb. 28, 2022.

White Helmets chief reflects on Syria’s lessons for Ukraine

Raed al-Saleh, who leads the volunteer rescue group in Syria, offered advice to Ukrainians seeking to document Russia's potential war crimes in real time.