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Saudi Arabia

September 27, 2026

Riyadh 5:25 pm

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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (3rd R) with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud (R) and Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (2nd R), Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman (C), Turkish Chief of the General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu (L), Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif (2nd R), Pakistani Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir (3rd R) at the first meeting of the Strategic Political and Defence Committee in relation to the

Analysis

Why Turkey is drawing the line at defense in its support for Saudi Arabia

Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia are forcing Mecca pact signatories to quickly operationalize their agreement, but are unlikely to draw Turkey into direct action against the Iran-backed group.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

France s President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Saudi Arabia s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he arrives for a State diner in his honor at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Aug. 24, 2026.

What France’s military deployment means for Saudi Arabia’s fight against Houthis

New pledges of limited British and French military deployments fall short of what Riyadh would likely need to defend its skies should the Houthis escalate further.

A shipping vessel transits the Strait of Hormuz

Explainer

Saudi Arabia’s return to Hormuz puts oil transfer network to the test

For months, Saudi Arabia had been eschewing the Strait of Hormuz, but the kingdom has now resorted to ship-to-ship transfers through the vital waterway.

ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Can Netanyahu turn Israel's UN isolation into strength at home?

The absence of a Trump meeting would have been awkward for Netanyahu, who has long portrayed himself to Israeli voters as uniquely close to the US president.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Latest News

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas walks to speaks to the media after his meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah at the Royal Palace in Amman, Jordan October 22, 2017. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed - RC1526556A90

Details of Abbas' mysterious Saudi trip still scarce

Speculation is rife as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas returns from his sudden and unplanned visit to Saudi Arabia.

Iran: Hariri sought to mediate between Tehran, Riyadh

Iran’s president strongly criticized Saudi Arabia over its reported role in the Lebanese prime minister’s resignation.

Israel in no hurry to enter Saudi-Lebanese fray

Israel is not at all interested in opening a front against Hezbollah just to please Saudi Arabia.

Iran, Turkey divide Saudi-led bloc

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi is opposed to plans by the other members of the Anti-Terror Quartet to confront Iran and Hezbollah in the Levant, to maintain Lebanon's relatively stable position.

Lebanon’s Sunni community 'shocked' by Hariri’s resignation

In Tripoli, Lebanon’s second-largest city, the Sunni community has been watching the latest regional developments with growing unease.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) speaks with members of the royal family during an allegiance pledging ceremony in Mecca, Saudi Arabia June 21, 2017. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS. ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1D46E7F800

Is US counseling restraint to Saudi crown prince?

Saudi Arabia claims two "acts of war" in one week; Israel and Syria both back the Druze.

Posters depicting Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, who has resigned from his post, are seen in Beirut, Lebanon, November 10, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir - RC18F02935F0

Iran taking Saudi rhetoric, actions seriously

The Saudi-Iranian clash that has Lebanon swirling in the middle could spiral out of control.

Turkey’s misguided Middle East policy: From Syria, Iraq to the Gulf

Turkey’s misguided foreign policy has increasingly become apparent in three main spheres: Syria, Iraq and the Gulf region.

Shock suspension of Iranian hard-line daily over headline

Kayhan, the mouthpiece of Iran’s hard-liners, has been suspended for two days after a headline suggesting that Yemen’s Houthi movement will attack Dubai.

Controversy in Iran over headline targeting Dubai

A headline perceived as belligerent sparks a broad backlash against the hard-line Iranian daily Kayhan.

Middle East developments rattle sidelined Ankara

Some argue that Ankara has to return to its former position of active neutrality if it is to regain lost influence in the region and contribute to stability.

A Hezbollah fighter stands in front of anti-tank artillery at Juroud Arsal, the Syria-Lebanon border, July 29, 2017. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1B7DA4AC10

US sticks by Lebanese army despite Hariri resignation

State Department and Defense Department officials tell Al-Monitor that US military assistance is unaffected by Beirut’s latest political crisis.