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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

A Syrian soldier looks over at the town of Daraa from his position in the southern city of Sweida on Jan. 23, 2013.

Violence on rise in Syria’s Suwayda

Residents of Syria’s southern city of Suwayda accuse the Syrian government of supporting gangs and the spread of weapons, which encourage violence within the community.

Libyan interim Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha, newly named by the Libyan parliament, delivers a speech at Mitiga International Airport, Tripoli, Libya, Feb. 10, 2022.

Egypt backs Libyan PM-designate to form new government

Egypt pins hope on Prime Minister-designate Fathi Bashagha to secure the exit of all foreign forces from Libya and prepare for holding elections in the war-torn country.

State heads pose during the 35th Session of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Feb. 5, 2022.

AU summit in Addis Ababa ignores Nile dam crisis

The 35th African Union Summit was held in Addis Ababa to discuss peace and security issues in Africa, but the Grand Ethiopian Renassiance Dam was not on the agenda.

Libyan interim Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha delivers a speech at Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli on Feb. 10, 2022.

Russia voices support for new Libyan PM

Moscow is throwing its support behind new Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha and its belief that he can "unite Libyan society."

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, arrives at the venue of the JCPOA meeting that aims at reviving the Iran nuclear deal, in Vienna on Feb. 8, 2022.

Analysis

The Takeaway: Differences persist as clock ticks on Vienna talks

Islamic State and Turkey; HTS's role in Islamic State leader's killing; Iran's message for Iraq; Gaza's dangerous landfills; Egypt's climate action; and more.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

Andrew Parasiliti

Joe Snell

By Elizabeth Hagedorn , Andrew Parasiliti , Joe Snell

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi at a joint press conference in Ankara, Dec. 17, 2020.

Iraqi court's ruling on KRG gas puts Turkey on the spot

A top Iraqi court has ruled that the 2007 oil and gas law affecting the Kurdistan Regional Government is unconstitutional in a heavy blow to the KRG and its energy deals with Turkey.

Chabad office in Moscow

Israeli ultra-Orthodox fret over Russia-Ukraine conflict

For the ultra-Orthodox community in Israel, which considers Ukraine as a sort of a homeland, the possibility of a Russian invasion is taken personally.

Members of Syria's top jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, led by al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate, parade with their flags and those of the Taliban's declared "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" through the rebel-held northwestern city of Idlib, Syria, Aug. 20, 2021.

Controversy among jihadis in Idlib over killing of Islamic State leader

Jihadis in Idlib believe that former al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham played a role in the killing of Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi during a US Special Forces operation in Idlib.

Egypt Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry attends the AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Feb. 5, 2022.

Ethiopia’s accusations against Egypt, Sudan dispel hopes for Renaissance Dam crisis

Egypt considers recent statements made by Ethiopian officials a setback for Nile Dam talks.

Kataib Hezbollah

Kataib Hezbollah movements in Iraq and abroad spark concern

Hints of a greater presence of an IRGC-linked Iraqi armed faction with government-salaried brigades in a Sunni tribal-dominant province has sparked outcry, as the group continues to raise money for operations in other countries.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid attends a meeting with his Russian counterpart in Moscow on Sept. 9, 2021.

Israeli leadership caught between US, Russia over Ukraine

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid walk a fine line to avoid angering Russian President Vladimir Putin while not turning their backs on the United States and Ukraine.

Iranian Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani speaks during a ceremony on the occasion of the first anniversary of the death of former Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, Tehran, Iran, Jan. 1, 2021.

Iranian commander lobbies Iraq's Muqtada al-Sadr for 'inclusive' approach to Shiite parties

Iranian Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani is seeking to maintain unity among the Shiite political ranks before the formation of the new government, including a role for parties affiliated with Iran.