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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

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdoulahian speaks at a press conference in Tehran on February 23, 2022

Iran says nuclear talks at 'critical' stage

Agence France-Presse

By Agence France-Presse

GERD ceremony

Egypt reacts as Ethiopia switches on first Nile dam turbine

Cairo continues to call on Addis Ababa to end its unilateral measures when it comes to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Bennett Lapid

Analysis

Israel slams possible Iran nuclear deal without criticizing US

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warns of the emerging Vienna agreement on Iran, but observers say Israel has little or no leverage to change it.

Mazal Mualem

By Mazal Mualem

In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics

AFP via Getty Images

US defense contractor to set up surveillance center in UAE

The Tawazun Economic Council signed a term sheet with L3Harris Technologies at a drone and robotics fair in Abu Dhabi.

KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images

Raisi says Iran's gas production strong despite US sanctions

Iran's president declared that US sanctions have failed to put a brake on his country's lucrative natural gas production.

Sudan's top Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan speaks as he attends the conclusion of a military exercise in the Maaqil area, northern Nile River State, Sudan, Dec. 8, 2021.

Sudan moves ahead with Israel ties

Tel Aviv continues to exchange visits with the contested authorities in Khartoum and deepen their security cooperation, in line with the coup generals’ allies in the Gulf and Egypt.

KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images

Erdogan calls Russia's recognition of Ukrainian breakaways 'unacceptable'

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who cut short his visit to Africa after Russia recognizes two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, expresses support for Zelenskyy’s proposal for summit.

Herzog and Zelensky review honor guard

Israel straddles ties with US, Russia over Ukraine

Israel has made it clear that if it is forced to pick sides between the United States and Russia, it will have to pick the Americans.

Coptic Easter

Egypt’s Copts set to resume trips to Jerusalem after two-year hiatus

In light of an Egyptian-Israeli rapprochement, Coptic flights to Jerusalem returned after a two-year hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Taliban head of the Nangarhar intelligence services Dr. Bashir (C) walks inside the provincial intelligence compound in Jalalabad on Dec. 12, 2021.

Border crossings and foreign fighters rise after Taliban takeover

A recent UN report and other worrying signs point to a likely surge in both an al-Qaeda and Islamic State presence in Afghanistan in the six months since the Taliban has been in power.

Israeli policemen scuffle with Palestinian Jerusalemite activist Mohammed Abu al-Hummus during a protest in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, Feb. 18, 2022.

Escalation in Sheikh Jarrah could spark new military confrontation

Tension has returned to the flashpoint East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, which portends a renewed military confrontation between Palestinian factions and Israel.

Demonstrators march with flags of Sudan and Venezuela (without the stars) during ongoing protests calling for civilian rule and denouncing the military administration, in the Sahafa neighborhood, Khartoum, Sudan, Feb. 20, 2022.

Egypt seeks mediation in Sudan

Egypt kicked off a series of dialogues with political forces in Sudan to help overcome the Sudanese crisis that erupted due to the military coup that toppled the civilian-led government in October.