Armed Militias and Extremist Groups

Supporters of the Houthi authorities hold their weapons during a protest against the Saudi intervention in Yemen and against Saudi Arabia's recent accusation that the Houthis fired at the holy city of Mecca, in Sanaa, on Sept. 18, 2026.

Analysis

US balances Houthi diplomacy with support for Saudi offensive

Renewed fighting in Yemen is forcing the United States to balance support for Saudi Arabia with efforts to preserve its truce with the Houthis.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

A Baluch Iranian man rides a bicycle in Zahedan, in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan bordering Afghanistan on Dec. 18, 2025, during a media tour organized by the Iranian government.

Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan province witnesses uptick in attacks

Iranian authorities accuse foreign-backed armed groups of being behind a string of deadly attacks in the southeast, amid concerns about the resumption of war with the United States.

A US Boeing KC-135 air refueling tanker flies

US quietly aids Saudi Arabia’s Yemen campaign with intel, refueling

Pentagon aims to keep Yemen and Iran wars separate while shielding the flow of Gulf oil exports from attack as Riyadh bears the brunt of the Houthis' missile and drone barrages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lays a wreath during the state memorial ceremony for the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack, at Mount Herzl military cemetery, Jerusalem, Oct. 5, 2026.

Why Netanyahu still resists an independent probe 3 years after Oct. 7

Alongside official memorial ceremonies taking place across Israel on Monday, civil society groups are holding protests calling on Prime Minister Netanyahu to take responsibility for the Oct. 7 attacks.

Latest News

Explainer

From Amaliqa to Houthis, here are main armed groups fighting in Yemen

Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces walk along a dirt road

Syria’s Sharaa in Riyadh as Saudi airports come under Houthi attacks: What to know

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Oct. 6, 2026.

Analysis

Three years after Oct. 7, Hamas’ grip on Gaza tests Netanyahu’s ‘total victory’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during the state memorial ceremony for the third anniversary of Oct. 7 attack, at Mount Herzl military cemetery, Jerusalem, Oct. 5, 2026.

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

Yemen military announces retaking of Mokha from Houthis amid Red Sea offensive

Saudi-backed Yemen government soldiers gather near the Jabal Han front, west of the city of Taiz, following fierce battles earlier in the day as Yemen's Houthis reportedly attempted to seize control of the main route between the inland city of Taiz and the coastal city of Aden, on Oct. 3, 2026.

Neturei Karta

Anti-Zionist Jewish group says Israel's Ben-Gvir has 'extreme settler attitude'

Neturei Karta is known for its staunch opposition to Israel, and the group has caught the wrath of right-wing national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Mourners accompany the casket of one of the two protesters killed earlier in clashes.

Protests erupt in southern Iraq as man sentenced for tweeting against PMU

Security concerns for southern Iraq have risen following an attempted suicide attack near Karbala and deadly protests in Nasiriyah sparked by a prison sentence for a man accused of insulting security forces.

Syria fighting

Turkey’s strikes in Syria put US troops in danger, Pentagon says

A Turkish drone strike on a top Kurdish commander’s headquarters came within 130 meters of US troops in Syria on Tuesday.

Syrian Kurds protest against Turkey and in solidarity with the Kurdistan Workers Party, in the Kurdish-held city of Qamishli, Syria, Nov. 13, 2022.

Turkey strikes near US base in Syria after Pentagon calls for de-escalation

The US military says it opposes Ankara's plans to send ground troops against Syria's Kurds, but it has stood down in the face of similar attacks in the past.

Syrian demonstrators gather to protest Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadist group.

Syrian jihadist group HTS challenges Turkish-backed factions

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham tried to enter the Turkey-backed factions’ stronghold to support Ahrar al-Sham that refused to support the newly formed leadership by some groups within the movement.

Fighters from the Third Legion of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army.

Infighting in Turkish-backed faction leads to tension in Syria's Afrin

It seems Hayat Tahrir al-Sham lost a loyal faction after several currents with the Turkish-backed Ahrar al-Sham factions isolated the movement’s current leadership and appointed their own leader.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the Israeli far-right Jewish Power party, speaks during parliamentary consultations with parties elected in the 25th Knesset, at the presidential residence, Jerusalem, Nov. 10, 2022.

US concerned over appointment of Israeli ultranationalist as public security minister

With President Isaac Herzog preparing to task Benjamin Netanyahu with the composition of the next government, the Biden administration is increasingly worried over ultranationalist Itamar Ben-Gvir, ideological successor of Rabbi Meir Kahane, becoming a Cabinet minister.

Ben-Gvir

Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition could upend Israeli democracy

Incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a dangerous deal with far-right and religious radical partners who are sure to undercut Israeli's democratic institutions.

Turkish troops are pictured in the area of Kafr Jannah on the outskirts of the Syrian town of Afrin on Oct. 18, 2022.

Syrian jihadist group HTS, armed groups agree to uneasy truce

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham has seized several cities and towns in areas under the control of the Turkish-backed factions after days of clashes between rival factions.

Israeli campaign poster

Netanyahu plays dangerous game as extremist bloc grows stronger

Ultranationalist Itamar Ben Gvir, once shunned as a supporter of the outlawed Kahane movement, is increasingly popular among the Israeli right at the expense of opposition chief Benjamin Netanyahu.

Members of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadist group bring reinforcements.

Is Turkey using HTS to strengthen its hand in Syria?

Amid Ankara’s overtures to Damascus, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — the radical group controlling Idlib — has seized Afrin and is seeking a deal to expand its control further into territories held by factions allied with Turkey.

Members of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) jihadi group advance toward the village of Jindayris.

Are Syria’s HTS jihadis Turkey’s new friends?

After Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the jihadi faction that runs the northwestern province of Idlib, moved into Afrin, the question of where Turkey stands in this power grab is of critical importance.