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July 24, 2026

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US President Donald Trump (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands as they arrive to speak to journalists during a joint press conference at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on Dec. 29, 2025.

Israel fears US deal would allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium

Israel fears the US-Saudi civilian nuclear deal could pave the way for uranium enrichment not only by the Saudis but also by other countries in the region.

Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia (2nd L) is escorted by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) through Statuary Hall as they head to a meeting at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 19, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Explainer

Why US-Saudi nuclear deal could encounter hurdles in Congress

The agreement is likely to face questions in Congress over whether its nonproliferation safeguards are sufficient, as well as over Riyadh’s stated interest in acquiring nuclear weapons if Iran does, concerns over its human rights record and its ties with China.

Win McNamee/Getty Images

Explainer

How US bid prevailed over China, France, Russia in Saudi nuclear deal

The Trump administration has made American nuclear technology a major priority with an $80 billion investment in the sector, including nearly $18 billion in loans to Westinghouse Electric Company to develop its AP1000 reactor lines.

Latest News

Analysis

Why Mamdani concluded he can’t arrest Israel’s PM Netanyahu

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a primary-night watch party for NYC Congressional candidate Claire Valdez at 99 Scott Studio on June 23, 2026 in the East Williamsburg neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough in New York City.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

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

US, Saudi Arabia set to sign nuclear agreement: What to know

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump threatens Iran bridges, power plants over Hormuz attacks

US President Donald Trump listens to a reporter's question as he holds a bilateral meeting with President of Lebanon Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office of the White House on July 21, 2026 in Washington, DC.

Trump authorizes direct US flights to Lebanon after 4-decade halt

Middle East Airlines aircraft sit on the tarmac at Beirut's Rafik Hariri airport on April 10, 2026. Smoke from an Israeli strike still lingered in the air as a plane from Lebanon's national carrier took off from Beirut airport, which has stayed open despite the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah. The country's only international passenger facility, whose departure boards are now largely red with cancellations, is located on the Mediterranean coast at the edge of Beirut's southern suburbs. (Photo by Anw

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

Jared Szuba

Defense and Security Correspondent

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Joyce Karam

Editor-in-Chief

Rosaleen Carroll

News Reporter and Supporting Editor

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Paul J. Saunders

In Washington, DC, reporting on Russia in the Middle East

Palestinian students gather in front of a school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip, on the first day of school after local authorities eased some of the restrictions that were imposed in a bid to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, on Aug. 8, 2020.

Senate Republicans: condition aid to Palestinian refugee agency on reforms

A group of 21 senators called on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to tie funding to UNRWA, the UN's Palestinian refugee agency, to "much-needed and meaningful reforms."

JOSHUA ROBERTS/AFP via Getty Images

Senator praises report that Biden will recognize Armenian Genocide

Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Robert Menendez has been a longtime supporter of recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

Nadia Murad, an Iraq Yazidi once held captive by the Islamic State, speaks during a religious freedom summit at the US Department of State on July 16, 2019, in Washington, DC.

US government watchdog calls out Syria for religious freedom abuses

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) also recommended Egypt, Iraq and Turkey be added to the State Department's special watchlist for religious freedom offenders.

Alex Wong/Getty Images

No plans for full US withdrawal from Iraq, top general says

The United States may be leaving Afghanistan but troops will remain in Iraq for the foreseeable future, the CENTCOM commander told Congress.

Menendez and Feinstein

Senate Democrats push for additional checks on UAE F-35 sale

The bill comes amid a fresh wave of scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers over the Biden administration's plan to move forward with the Trump-era arms sale.

Betty McCollum

Congresswoman introduces bill to condition US aid to Israel

The legislation from a progressive representative reflects a trend in the Democratic party toward pro-Palestinian positions and criticism of Israel.

Jennifer-Cafarella-Linda-Khatib-Omar-Alshogre

House panel considers US policy options in Syria

Members of the subcommittee also pressed witnesses on whether regime change in Syria is an option.

A man walks past a mural painted on the outer walls of the former US Embassy in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Sept. 29, 2020.

Iran not backing down in Middle East, US intel report says

The Trump administration's maximum pressure campaign did not stop Tehran's ambitions in the region, ODNI report suggests.

January 2018 Saraqib attack

Intel: US endorses watchdog report blaming Syria for chemical attack

The report from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons found "reasonable grounds" to believe that the Syrian air force dropped chlorine on a rebel-held town in northwestern Syria in 2018.

Wendy Sherman

Senate confirms Wendy Sherman for No. 2 post at State Department

Sherman was the lead negotiator for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The debate over her nomination mostly focused on the agreement, which the Biden administration is currently seeking to reenter.

A Palestinian rides a bicycle past the closed gate of a school run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on April 6, 2021, amidst a lockdown due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP) (Photo by SAID KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden restores US aid to Palestinian refugee agency

Along with providing $150 million to UNRWA, the US administration announced funding for economic and development assistance in the West Bank and Gaza.

US Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) is seen in a hallway of the US Capitol prior to an event at the Rayburn Room Dec. 19, 2019 in Washington, DC.

House Democrats urge Biden to pressure Saudis on 'unconscionable' Yemen blockade

The lawmakers called on Biden to use the full weight of US influence to end the sea and air blockade, which aid agencies say is exacerbating Yemen's humanitarian crisis.