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August 10, 2026

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Analysis

As pro-Palestinian candidates gain ground, will AIPAC's influence wane?

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s influence has weakened in the Democratic Party and may also be at risk among Republicans.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

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

Hussein FALEH / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

As US rethinks regional presence, Israel shifts focus to destabilizing Iran

Uncertain how to interpret the American regional redeployment, Israel is focusing on efforts to destabilize the Iranian regime and stop its nuclear program.

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

Latest News

AIPAC to oppose El-Sayed after major Michigan primary victory

Michigan Democratic Senate primary winner Abdul El-Sayed

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

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

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

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

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)

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. President Barack Obama talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Lima, Peru November 20, 2016. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTSSHZ0

Russia adjusts Syria plan as Obama’s term nears end

Russia is trying to figure out all the Middle East scenarios that might affect it under a Donald Trump presidency.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump exits the Lamington Presbyterian Church after attending Sunday services in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., November 20, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar - RTSSI1I

Trump’s policies could jostle Jordan's position in Mideast

While Jordan's strategic relationship with the United States will likely remain strong under surprise presidential victor Donald Trump, the unpredictable leader's positions on the Muslim Brotherhood, Jerusalem and the West Bank settlements are cause for concern.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump (L) speaks along side retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Mike Flynn during a campaign town hall meeting in Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S., September 6, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar - RTX2OE6J

Would Trump back Turkish military escalation in Iraq, Syria?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan weighs risks and benefits of military interventions as Donald Trump transition signals possible Turkish tilt; Will Iraq's Baathists return after liberation of Mosul?

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (L) and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney emerge after their meeting at the main clubhouse at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., November 19, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar - RTSSFB6

Trump’s transition off to rough start

Donald Trump’s administration is turning out to be the year of the white male.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini speak to media following their meeting in Jerusalem, on May 20, 2015. AFP PHOTO / POOL / DAN BALILTY (Photo credit should read DAN BALILTY/AFP/Getty Images)

Will Trump's win prompt EU to adopt independent Mideast policy?

Given US President-elect Donald Trump's past declarations regarding the two-state solution, the European Union is now exploring a more independent regional policy as a basis for international consensus.

A UN worker takes a box containing sanitation kits and soap provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) being stored at a UN school before a distribution to Palestinian displaced people on August 15, 2014 in Gaza City. The United Nations estimates that some 10,000 Palestinian homes were destroyed during fighting between Israel and Hamas during more than 4 weeks displacing hundreds of thousands from their homes in Gaza. A fragile ceasefire around Gaza held for a second day Frid

Why Palestinians are unfazed by calls to cut off US aid

Palestinians don't appear to be fazed by the calls of the Trump administration to cut off aid to the Palestinian government, as some feel that this could be a political relief from Washington pressures.

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 01: Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol introducing the Iran Policy Oversight Act of 2015 October 1, 2015 in Washington, DC. The legislation, if passed, would build on the bipartisan commitment to oversight outlined in the Iran Nuclear Review Act of 2015. Also pictured (L-R) are Sen. Corey Booker (D-NJ) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA). (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Top Senate Democrat challenges Trump on Russia, Iran

Senate Foreign Relations Comittee ranking member Ben Cardin laid out a foreign policy platform for the Trump era.

Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump holds a bi-lateral meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Manhattan, New York, U.S., September 19, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri - RTSOIF0

Will Trump be open to dialogue with Islamists?

While President-elect Donald Trump took a strong stance against Islamists during his campaign, his openness to Turkey’s Justice and Development Party-led government shows that the coming administration’s approach to Islamists is still unknown.

Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters gather in the town of Hisha after they took control of the area from Islamic State militants, in the northern Raqqa countryside, Syria November 14, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RTX2TNGI

Will Trump see eye to eye with Erdogan's plans in Iraq, Syria?

Ankara is hoping to find harmony with the incoming US administration on its fight against the Islamic State.

A security guard stands on the step to the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., November 7, 2016. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - RTX2SCP1

Congress votes to box Trump in on Syria sanctions

The House easily passed tough new sanctions amid concerns President-elect Donald Trump will cozy up to Syrian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump arrives to address a Tea Party rally against the Iran nuclear deal at the U.S. Capitol in Washington September 9, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTSDEW

Iran counts on EU support in keeping nuclear deal

After the EU’s move to throw its weight behind the nuclear deal, Iran hopes the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and the lifting of international sanctions will not be affected by Donald Trump’s presidency.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump speaks at his election night rally in Manhattan, New York, U.S., November 9, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX2SPX6

Trump win further distances US from GCC on Syria

The Gulf Cooperation Council anxiously awaits to see how US President-elect Donald Trump plans to deal with the uncertainties surrounding US Middle East policies.