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An Airbus A321 airliner arrives at the Mehrabad international airport during the delivery of the first batch of planes to the Iranian state airline Iran Air in the capital Tehran on Jan. 12, 2017.

Iraq announces Iran flights to resume: What to know

Iraqis protested the latest move aimed at pressuring Iran and an Iran-backed militia vowed a response if the flights do not come back.

In this handout released by the US Navy on July 15, 2010, the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) transits the Pacific Ocean.

New US aircraft carrier heads to Middle East as Iran war stretches on

The USS Theodore Roosevelt is expected to be the fifth US Navy carrier to participate in the now seven-month war against Iran.

SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images

Lebanon PM meets Rubio as Israel talks stall: What to know

The visit comes as US-brokered talks between Lebanon and Israel have made little headway, with Israeli elections looming.

Traditional Qatari dhows docked in front of Doha's skyline from the Corniche promenade, Nov. 28, 2022.

Analysis

Qatar confronts new economic reality with Wall Street deals, Hormuz hopes

As the Iran war approaches its seventh month, Doha presses for new deals in confronting challenges to the economic foundations underpinning the Gulf state's wealth.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Latest News

Analysis

Despite fanfare, Xi shows Trump no sign of breaking with Iran

OINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 23: U.S. President Donald Trump (R) walks on a red carpet after greeting Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) during an arrival ceremony on September 23, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. President Trump is hosting President Xi for a three-day state visit to Washington, DC where the leaders are expected to discuss trade practices, artificial intelligence and furthering “strategic stability” between their countries. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

By Rosaleen Carroll

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

Analysis

Could Iran's 7-day Hormuz proposal culminate in diplomatic deal?

A tugboat guides a ship at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in Sharjah Emirate, along the Gulf of Oman on July 14, 2026.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Interview

Trump's Africa adviser denies Libya plan would entrench rival families

US Department of State's senior advisor to the President for Arab and African Affairs Massad Fares Boulos attends a conference for the support of peace and prosperity in the Great Lakes region, in Paris, on October 30, 2025. The international community gathered in Paris on October 30, 2025 to raise awareness about the dire humanitarian situation in the Great Lakes region, aiming to raise hundreds of millions of euros despite a drastic decrease in international aid, particularly from the United States. (Phot

Analysis

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

ANGELA WEISS / 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

Iraqi Sunni Muslim fighters from Hashid Shaabi (Popular Mobilization) take part in a parade during a ceremony marking the Iraqi Police Day at Amiriyat al-Fallujah in Anbar province, January 9, 2016. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani - RTX21NHG

Will PMU attack US troops in Iraq?

Factions of the Popular Mobilization Units are threatening to target US troops taking part in the battle for Mosul, but the Iraqi government is working to smooth over tensions.

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton reacts as she arrive to meet with campaign supporters after the first presidential debate with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, in Westbury, New York, U.S., September 26, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Barria - RTSPKZ8

US elections 2016: Clinton wins first debate, but does it matter?

Here's what happened on the campaign trail the week of Sept. 26.

Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speak at their first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, U.S., September 26, 2016. Picture taken September 26, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar - RTSPO3Q

How will debate performance impact ratings for Clinton, Trump?

With post-debate polls giving Hillary Clinton a slight lead, Donald Trump is under pressure to prepare more, focus more and attack Clinton more in the next debate.

Stacks of bread are seen at a damaged site after an airstrike in the rebel-held Bab al-Maqam neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria, September 28, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTSPSQQ

US threatens to halt talks with Russia on Syria

Washington has threatened to suspend US-Russian engagement on Syria if Moscow does not take immediate steps to halt a Russian-backed Syrian regime assault on rebel-held eastern Aleppo.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 9: Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) speaks with an aide after a vote at the U.S. Capitol, May 9, 2016, in Washington, DC. Senate Democrats defeated a procedural vote on an energy bill, which increases funding for the Department of Energy and Army Corps of Engineers. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Congress sends Riyadh 'signal' with vote to allow terror lawsuits

Congress defeated President Barack Obama's effort to shield the US ally from terrorism-related lawsuits.

A photo taken on May 4, 1961 in Washington shows US president John Fitzgerald Kennedy (R) and his Tunisian counterpart Habib Bourguiba during his first visit in United States. AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read ARCHIVE/AFP/GettyImages)

After Obama, what comes next for US-Tunisia ties?

While the United States has a strategic interest in keeping Tunisia stable, its interest recently has been mostly lip service, and some argue things are unlikely to change after the November elections.

Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speak at their first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, U.S., September 26, 2016. Picture taken September 26, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar - RTSPO3R

Trump-Clinton debate dominates headlines in Iran

While some stayed awake in Iran to follow the first round of the US presidential debates live, others read about it in the press, which extensively covered both the event and the lively conversation sparked by the debate.

Palestinians disavow video threatening Americans in Gaza

Palestinian officials have widely denounced a Palestinian militant’s threat against US nationals in the Gaza Strip after the US government added Hamas leader Fathi Hammad to its terror list.

Turkish armoured personnel carriers drive towards the border in Karkamis on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 27, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RTX2N8HX

What is Turkey’s military strategy in Syria?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent statement once again revealed that Ankara's priority in Syria is not fighting against the Islamic State, but rather stopping Kurds' advances.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers remarks at the Hudson Institute's Herman Kahn Award Ceremony at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, New York, U.S., September 22, 2016. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly - RTSP1VO

Why is Congress fighting Netanyahu’s battle?

US senators are pressuring the Obama administration to follow policies toward the Palestinians that match those favored by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A man looks from the roof of a house destroyed by a Saudi-led air strike in old Sanaa city, Yemen, September 24, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi - RTSP8QJ

Will next US president shift Washington's Yemen policy?

To be seen as a legitimate peace broker, the United States must urge all sides in the Yemeni civil war to make necessary compromises.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks at a news conference near the United Nations General Assembly in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., September 22, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson - RTSP0TS

Did US approach Iran about Yemen?

Controversy has erupted in Iran over mysterious reports of a secret US letter to Iran on engagement to solve the crisis in Yemen.