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April 23, 2026

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How are Iran-linked tankers still moving through Hormuz blockade?

At least 19 Iran-linked tankers have passed through the US blockade on the strait to exit the Gulf while at least 15 have entered, according to the cargo-tracking group Vortexa.

ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Israel sees chance of US-Iran deal as almost 'non-existent,' readies for war

As US President Trump makes contradictory statements regarding his intentions toward Iran and the ongoing negotiations, Israel is preparing for the possibility of resuming military operations.

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

TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 14: A US Navy Seahawk helicopter takes off from the deck of the USS Ronald Reagan on July 14, 2017 in Townsville, Australia. USS Ronald Reagan is a 1,092- foot aircraft carrier which carries a crew of 4,539 around 60 aircraft. Exercise Talisman Sabre is the largest combined military exercise undertaken in Australia. The biennial exercise is the principal Australian and U.S. military training activity. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

US boards Iran-linked tanker in Indian Ocean, vows pursuit of 'ghost fleet'

The Pentagon said that "international waters are not a refuge" for vessels under US economic sanctions.

Olmert

Interview

Olmert: Only Israel-Lebanon deal can curb Hezbollah, occupation 'unviable'

Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Al-Monitor that Israel will only be able to defang Hezbollah if it reaches an agreement with the Lebanese government.

Latest News

Trump says Iran deal could happen 'quickly' as Pakistan readies talks: What to know

US Vice President JD Vance (C) walks with Pakistan's Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshall Asim Munir (L), and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar after arriving for talks with Iranian officials on April 11, 2026, in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Could UAE tap US currency swap line as Iran war strains Gulf economies?

Haruna Furuhashi /Getty Images

United Arab Emirates

Oil rises, Gulf stocks slide after Iran ship seizure throws truce into doubt

A man walks past a screen displaying stock indices at the Dubai Financial Market stock exchange in Dubai, March 4, 2026.

'The reach is global': Pentagon vows pursuit of ships tied to Iran trade

STRAIT OF HORMUZ - NOVEMBER 19: In this handout photo provided by the US Navy, The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) transits the Strait of Hormuz as an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the Nightdippers of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5 lifts off from the flight deck November 19, 2019. The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the M

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

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

Paul J. Saunders

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

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump

From Iran to Turkey, how the Middle East is bracing for US elections

With the US presidential election just one day away, how is the Middle East anticipating the result?

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote Presidential Town Hall at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on July 13, 2024, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Feature

Pennsylvania’s Jewish voters weigh Israel, domestic concerns as Trump and Harris vie for support

Vice President Harris is leading with Jewish voters in the battleground state, according to polls, while others in the community are backing former President Trump amid concerns about US policy toward Israel.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

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

EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/AFP via Getty Images

Despite deteriorating human rights record, Egypt hopes for US support under Harris or Trump

Cairo hopes that whichever form it takes, the new US administration will continue backing its positions and policies in the Middle East and Horn of Africa.

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

How US election could impact UAE’s clean energy ambitions, $100B investment pact

US-UAE clean energy cooperation grew considerably during President Joe Biden, becoming a bright spot in relations as both countries played key roles in the global energy transition.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

A picture taken on March 12, 2017, shows a view of an oil facility in the Khark Island, on the shore of the Gulf.

How Trump, Harris presidencies could impact Middle East oil markets

Trump has favored a more interventionist approach toward OPEC, while the Biden-Harris administration has used the US' strategic petroleum reserves to influence oil policy

MATTHEW HATCHER/AFP via Getty Images

Feature

Gaza war looms large over Pennsylvania’s Muslims as Harris struggles to win votes

Muslims are divided in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, where the vice president, former president and third-party candidate all have the potential to win a sizable chunk of the vote.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

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

Democratic presidential nominee, US Vice President Kamala Harris, speaks during a campaign rally on Oct. 28, 2024 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Palestinians in Gaza await US election with hope, skepticism: Harris favored over Trump

Between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, Palestinians in Gaza seem to favor the Democratic candidate, as they have not forgotten Trump’s policies and positions favoring Israel during his term in office.

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event on food security in a barn on the Smith Family Farm on September 23, 2024 in Smithton, Pennsylvania. The event, hosted by the Protecting America Initiative, led by former Trump acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell, highlighted China ownership of nearly 250,000 acres of U.S. land, slightly less than 1% of foreign-held acreage. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

Analysis

In Middle East, China's influence unconstrained by Trump, Harris

In theory, Beijing may favor the predictability of Harris over the uncertainty of Trump. But in practice, China did exceedingly well in the Middle East during Trump’s presidency and has successfully navigated challenges under the Biden-Harris administration

Joyce Karam

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a remembrance event to mark the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel at Trump National Doral golf club in Miami, Florida, on Oct. 7, 2024.

How a Trump or Harris win could shape the Middle East

The Takeaway unpacks what a Harris or Trump presidency would mean for the trajectory of Israel's mulitfront war in the region.

CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey announces initial payment for $23B F-16 jets deal

The first batch of payments has been made in Turkey’s nearly five-year effort to purchase new F-16 fighter jets from the United States, the Turkish Defense Ministry said.

This combination of pictures created on Aug. 15, 2021 shows CIA Director, William Burns, testifying during a House Intelligence Committee hearing about worldwide threats, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on April 15, 2021 and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) attending a press conference with his Russian counterpart at the presidential palace in the capital Cairo on Dec. 11, 2017.

CIA chief, Egypt’s Sisi discuss 'urgent need' to end Lebanon, Gaza wars

The meeting comes as Egypt, Qatar and the US resume mediation talks to secure a hostage deal and a cease-fire in Gaza.

A damaged ambulance lies amid the fire following an Israeli airstrike that targeted the industrial zone in the southern Lebanese village of Abbasiyah on Oct. 30, 2024.

Leaked document outlines Lebanon-Israel cease-fire, might be reached in 'hours or days'

A document published by Israeli public broadcaster Kan on Wednesday purports to contain the details of a US-backed cease-fire proposal between Israel and Hezbollah.