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August 7, 2026

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Michigan Democratic Senate primary winner Abdul El-Sayed

AIPAC to oppose El-Sayed after major Michigan primary victory

The America Israel Public Affairs Committee said it will work to oppose Abdul El-Sayed’s “radical anti-Israel agenda” as his opponent seeks to paint him as extreme.

Israeli battle tanks deploy in the village of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah (Eastern Zawtar) in southern Lebanon as pictured from the nearby village of Zawtar al-Gharbiyah (Western Zawtar) on August 2, 2026. Under a US-sponsored agreement signed in June, Lebanon's army is to disarm Hezbollah and the Israeli military is to withdraw from "pilot zones" where Lebanese forces will subsequently deploy. The deal came more than three months after Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East with rocket fire at Israel in suppo

Israel-Lebanon talks suspended amid escalation, set to resume Thursday

The Israeli delegation asked the American representatives to suspend the direct talks with Lebanon for a few hours over alleged leaks by Beirut.

A memorial depicting Qassem Soleimani, the slain commander of the "Quds Force" of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), who was killed by a US airstrike in Iraq in 2020, is pictured at Valiasr Square in Tehran on April 6, 2026. Israeli strikes killed the intelligence chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, as the Islamic republic on April 6 defied threats from the US President to devastate civilian infrastructure if it does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Ima

US lifts sanctions on Iraqi airline linked to Iran's IRGC: What to know

The airline was previously sanctioned for providing assistance for the IRGC and its proxy groups in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

Latest News

Abdul el-Sayed becomes first Muslim-American to win Michigan Senate primary

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - AUGUST 01: Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks after a radio appearance on Dr. Horace Sheffield's GOTV Community Rally on August 01, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. El-Sayed currently holds a 15-point lead against Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) according to a recent poll. (Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images)

Trump’s strategy on Iran may pay off as deal appears imminent

President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport on Aug. 2, 2026 in Morristown, New Jersey.

Analysis

Netanyahu’s Gaza double game: Back Trump, reassure Israel’s right

Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP via Getty Images

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

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

U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis looks on during a bilateral meeting with South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-Moo at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., August 30, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein - RC1F94FFD4B0

Mattis denies existence of Iranian 'land bridge' across Middle East

In an impromptu visit with reporters on Friday, US Defense Secretary James Mattis denied that Iran had succeeded in constructing a "land bridge" through the Middle East.

Israeli centrist leader at war with UNRWA

Contrary to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid wholeheartedly embraced the threats by the Trump administration to cut UNRWA financing, which has the potential to create a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.

Will Fatah launch 'intifada of independence'?

Palestinians warn that absent a diplomatic route toward Palestinian statehood, Fatah might launch in 2018 an intifada of independence.

Iranian students run for cover from tear gas at the University of Tehran during a demonstration driven by anger over economic problems, in the capital Tehran on December 30, 2017.
Students protested in a third day of demonstrations, videos on social media showed, but were outnumbered by counter-demonstrators. / AFP PHOTO / STR (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Iran protests reveal Republican fracture over nuclear deal

Iran hawks are pushing the Trump administration to terminate the agreement, but Republican leaders worry US pressure could backfire.

Israel caught between Trump and Gaza suffering

Israel recognizes UNRWA’s role in preventing starvation in Gaza, so it cannot openly endorse the Trump administration's apparent desire to cut aid to the organization.

Netanyahu, Abbas take off diplomatic masks

While Likud ministers freely discuss annexation of parts of the West Bank, the Palestinians are preparing to request UN recognition of Palestine as a state under foreign occupation.

TOPSHOT - An Iranian woman raises her fist amid the smoke of tear gas at the University of Tehran during a protest driven by anger over economic problems, in the capital Tehran on December 30, 2017.
Students protested in a third day of demonstrations sparked by anger over Iran's economic problems, videos on social media showed, but were outnumbered by counter-demonstrators. / AFP PHOTO / STR (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Iran unrest could complicate Trump decision on sanctions waivers

US President Donald Trump has voiced his support for Iran's protests, but the unrest could further complicate his decision on whether to waive nuclear sanctions next month.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a dedication ceremony of the "Assuta" hospital in Ashdod, Israel December 21, 2017. REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RC19CD5B2620

Why Netanyahu needs votes of Israelis living abroad

A top Likud Party source told Al-Monitor that in the remaining two years of the government’s term, a real effort will be made to advance an initiative allowing Israelis abroad to vote in the Knesset elections.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with Saudi Arabia's King Salman in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia October 5, 2017. Sputnik/Alexei Nikolsky/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1C4DF4B090

Russia 'consulted, heard and feared' in the Middle East

Moscow weighs benefits and risks of leverage and leadership in the Syria crisis and the Middle East peace process.

Why one Israeli minister wants to bring Trump train to Jerusalem

Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz's decision to name a train station that has not been built yet in Jerusalem after US President Donald Trump has upset many world leaders.

Struggle with Sochi guest list reflects animosities over Syria

As Russia seeks to overcome Turkey’s objections to Kurdish participation in the planned Sochi conference, Moscow welcomed Kurdish commanders to assure them Kurds are not being excluded.

Head of Hamas delegation Saleh Arouri and Fatah leader Azzam Ahmad sign a reconciliation deal in Cairo, Egypt, October 12, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh - RC12DBB41E80

Palestinians ready for major shift in strategy

The US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is seen by many Palestinian leaders as a unique opportunity to seriously work on achieving national unity.