Armed Militias and Extremist Groups

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki speaks during a press conference on May 11, 2011, at the green zone area in Baghdad, Iraq.

Iraq’s Maliki rejects Trump criticism, vows to stay in PM race

Maliki refused to withdraw from the race, despite mounting pressure from the US, and expressed a desire for good relations with Iraq’s neighbors and Washington.

US Department of State's senior advisor to the president for Arab and African Affairs Massad Fares Boulos attends the Sudan Humanitarian Fund event at the Institute of Peace in Washington, on Feb. 3, 2026.

US says Sudan warring parties back withdrawal plan as donors pledge $700M in aid

State Department senior adviser Massad Boulos announced Tuesday that a "comprehensive peace plan" has been approved by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, though it still needs to be approved by Sudan's warring parties.

Lebanese soldiers standing atop a military vehicle in Alma Al-Shaab, near the border with Israel in southern Lebanon, on Nov. 28, 2025.

Lebanon’s army chief in Washington as Hezbollah disarmament enters critical phase

Gen. Rodolphe Haykal is seeking US support for what is likely to be a cautious approach to expanding the geographic scope of the Lebanese army's efforts to disarm Hezbollah.

Sudanese army soldiers parade in the streets of eastern Sudan's city of Gedaref on Aug. 14, 2025, to mark the 71st anniversary of the formation of the Sudanese army.

RSF shells Sudan’s Kordofan as US-Saudi truce plan stalls: What to know

Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces have launched drone and artillery attacks in Dilling, just a week after the Sudanese army said it broke a nearly two-year siege on the town.

Latest News

France's role in Syria-SDF agreement: What to know

Syrian Democratic Forces fighters stand on a pick-up truck to provide security during an inspection of SDF positions on the Tell Brak frontline in Syria on Jan. 26, 2026.

Iraqi militias claim volunteers readying to defend Iran from US: What to know

Men sign up to join the "martyrdom brigades" under the umbrella of Iraq's pro-Iran paramilitary group Hezbollah Brigades (Kataib Hezbollah), who called upon Iraqis to volunteer in fighting alongside Iran in the event of a full-scale war with the US and Israel, at a mosque in Baghdad on January 29, 2026. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Israel ups Iran intel sharing with US, expects Trump to strike within 'weeks'

TOPSHOT - Cars drive past an anti-US billboard installed on a building at the Enqelab Square in Tehran on January 26, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)

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

Lebanon army chief to visit US Tuesday to shore up support: What to know

This photograph taken during a press tour organised by the Lebanese army shows Lebanese soldiers standing atop military vehicles in Alma Al-Shaab, near the border with Israel in southern Lebanon, on November 28, 2025. It was the first guided tour the army gave journalists since a November 2024 ceasefire sought to end over a year of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (Photo by Anwar AMRO / AFP via Getty Images)

In this Dec. 10, 2020, photo released by the Royal Hashemite Court, Jordan's King Abdullah II gives a speech during the inauguration of the 19th parliament's non-ordinary session, in Amman, Jordan.

Jordan bans Muslim Brotherhood: Here's what to know about the group

The Muslim Brotherhood, which calls for the Islamization of society, is popular throughout parts of the Arab world but has been banned by several countries in the region.

Fighters loyal to the army patrol a market area in Khartoum on March 24, 2025. For nearly two years, Sudan has been ravaged by a war between the regular army and the RSF, a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people, uprooted over 12 million more and created the world's largest hunger and displacement crises. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Sudan: Over 40 dead, 400,000 displaced in RSF's siege on El Fasher

Over 40 people have been killed and approximately 450,000 displaced by the Rapid Support Forces' continued assault on El Fasher, with shelling targeting both civilian areas and refugee camps.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa (R) and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (L) bid farewell to participants at the Syrian National Dialogue Conference.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad says Syria arrested 2 members: What we know

One of the US demands for sanctions relief on Syria is not engaging with Islamic Jihad, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.

Raqqa

Feature

Nightlife rocks Raqqa as Syria’s Islamist leaders navigate power

A reopened nightclub in Raqqa spotlights the uneasy balance Syria’s new Islamist-led government is striking between ideology and public life.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Teargas fumes erupt during clashes between supporters of the Lebanese Shiite Islamist movement Hezbollah and the Lebanese Army amidst a Hezbollah-organised rally to block the road to Beirut International Airport over a decision to bar two Iranian flights from landing there, in Beirut on February 15, 2025. An AFP correspondent said tear gas was fired to disperse crowds on February 15 after again blocking amidst calls by the Iran-backed group for a sit-in. (Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO / AFP) (Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO/

Analysis

Under US pressure, can Lebanon disarm Hezbollah without Iran's green light?

The issue of Hezbollah’s disarmament resurfaces amid US pressure, shifting regional dynamics, and Iran's decisive role.

Dario Sabaghi

By Dario Sabaghi

Women are seen walking at the Roj Camp in northeast Syria, on April 8, 2025.

Exclusive

Syria's Kurds say Trump aid cuts are feeding radicalism in ISIS camps

In an interview at Syria’s Roj camp, the head of intelligence for the Women’s Protection Units warns that US funding cuts are fueling a resurgence of ISIS ideology among detained women and children, deepening an already volatile security crisis.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

US forces patrol oil fields near Syria's northeastern border with Turkey in the Qahtaniyah countryside in the far northeast corner of Hasakeh province on Sept. 3, 2024.

US weighs plans to slash troop presence in Syria by more than half

Fewer than 1,000 US troops could remain in the country in order to retain limited oversight of ISIS prisons controlled by Kurdish-led forces across the country’s northeast, according to officials briefed on the latest plans.

Israeli far-right Minister Itamar Ben Gvir attends a gathering by right-wing activists near the border with Gaza, on Oct. 21, 2024, calling to establish a new Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s Ben-Gvir visits US Monday, set to meet Trump officials: What to know

While avoiding official travel to the US during the Biden administration, Israel's far-right minister is set to embark on a weeklong trip there next week, where he is expected to meet with Trump officials.

A picture taken during a tour organized by the Jordanian Army shows a drone flying over an observation post along the border with Syria, on Feb. 17, 2022.

Jordan foils 'sabotage' plot involving rockets and drones, 16 arrested

Jordan said the members of the group received training in Lebanon, as Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam expressed solidarity with the kingdom.

People cheers as Sudan's de facto leader, armed forces chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan arrives at the market in Port Sudan on December 29, 2024. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Sudan’s Burhan arrives in Turkey on heels of Eritrea visit, key victories

The talks come after a major military victory for the Sudanese army in Khartoum against the Rapid Support Forces, who are currently attempting to cement their stronghold in Darfur.

An Israeli military vehicle moves through a street in Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, West Bank, Oct. 1, 2024.

Israel arrests 6 over Turkey money transfer scheme: What we know

The announcement of the indictments comes as Israel over the past week has expanded its operations in the West Bank.

A fighter loyal to the army patrols a market area in Khartoum on March 24, 2025.

Analysis

As Sudan's genocide case against UAE opens at ICJ, legal shield under fire

The war in Sudan has been described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with 14.6 million people displaced and 30.4 million in need of aid, according to the International Rescue Committee.

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics