Defense/Security cooperation

Indian vessel Nanda Devi, carrying liquefied petroleum gas, arrives at Vadinar Port in the Jamnagar district of Gujarat state on March 17, 2026, after Iran allowed it to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a

From France to India: Who is Iran allowing through the Strait of Hormuz?

Ships from Qatar turned around on Monday after sailing toward the Strait of Hormuz, while a growing number of countries have received permission to traverse the waterway.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on March 31, 2026.

Hegseth slams allies for reluctance to join Iran war, says coming days 'decisive'

The comments come as Washington questions NATO support after allies restrict aircraft access in the US-Israeli war with Iran.

A trilateral meeting was held today in Jeddah, bringing together His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 20, 2026.

Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar to deepen security ties amid Iran war: What to know

Gulf states and Jordan are aligning more closely as Iranian attacks persist.

German soldiers stand to attention in front of a German Patriot missile launcher at the Gazi barracks in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey on March 25, 2014.

Turkey says NATO defenses intercepted fourth missile from Iran

Turkey said NATO air defenses neutralized a ballistic munition launched from Iran that entered its airspace, marking the fourth such interception since March.

Latest News

Dermer’s return puts Netanyahu’s 'brain' at center of US-Israel calculus

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) is joined by Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer and other officials for a meeting with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (not pictured) at the Pentagon, July 9, 2025.

Turkey confirms Iraq troop withdrawal as NATO pulls back due to Iran war

A handing over of command ceremony at Union III Camp in the Green Zone of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on May 22, 2025.

Analysis

Pakistan emerges as mediator but faces limitations in Iran-Trump standoff

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (C) speaks as US President Donald Trump (L) and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (R) watch during the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit on Oct. 13, 2025 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Interview

Ex-Israeli security official: Netanyahu pushed US, Israel into Iran war without imminent threat

An undated image of Eran Etzion.

Lebanese army soldiers and security forces deploy near a vehicle that was hit by a reported drone-strike at the entrance of the village of Barja, about 30 kilometres south of Beirut, on Sept. 9, 2025.

US approves $230M for Lebanon’s push to disarm Hezbollah

New US funds for Beirut signal rare bipartisan approval for progress by Lebanon's security forces as they dismantle Hezbollah weapons caches, but significant risks remain as the militant faction resists full disarmament.

Iran's defense minister, Aziz Nasirzadeh, attends a meeting in eastern China's Shandong province on June 26, 2025.

Iran defense chief visits Turkey to boost military ties: What to know

The Iranian defense chief met with his Turkish counterpart as Tehran seeks to enhance its defense ties with Ankara.

kaan

Turkey scrambles to contain fallout after Fidan says KAAN jet dependent on US

Critics say the admission underscores vulnerabilities in Turkey’s armed forces and highlights the challenges of achieving independence from Western suppliers.

Egypt army

Egypt, Somalia discuss military ties as Cairo set to deploy troops for AU mission

The Egyptian and Somali defense ministers met in Cairo to discuss strengthening military cooperation, marking the latest sign of deepening military ties between the two African nations amid the volatile situation in the Horn of Africa.

Palestinians walk with bags of humanitarian aid they received at a distribution centre run by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), at the so-called "Netzarim corridor", in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, on Sept. 26, 2025.

Israel tightens grip on Gaza City ahead of Trump-Netanyahu talks

As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to meet President Donald Trump at the White House, Israeli forces are advancing slowly on the outskirts of Gaza City in an ongoing operation to seize the area.

Taliban military vehicles parade to celebrate the third anniversary of Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, at the Bagram Air Base, in Bagram, Parwan province on Aug. 14, 2024.

Analysis

How Afghanistan's Bagram base became focal point of US-China-Iran rivalry

Trump’s push to regain control of Bagram underscores Washington’s broader strategy to monitor China, counter Iran and project power across Central Asia.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

US President Donald Trump (L) greets Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) upon his arrival at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 25, 2025.

From F-35s to Ukraine: Erdogan-Trump talks signal reset, but sanctions obstacles remain

The summit underscored both leaders’ personal chemistry while highlighting the limits of what the partnership can deliver.

Women and children walk at the Al-Amal Camp (formerly Al-Jadaa), south of Mosul in northern Iraq, which houses Iraqi families who have been repatriated from Syria's Al-Hol camp, on May 8, 2025.

Pentagon pushes to accelerate ISIS detainee repatriations from Syria

Uncertainty about Syria’s long-term stability and the the US military’s future presence in the country have increased urgency among some Pentagon officials to further reduce the population of nearly 30,000 suspected ISIS-associated detainees in the camps.

Maj. Gen. David Zini, head of the Israeli military Training Command (left), greets an ultra-Orthodox soldier drafted into the Hasmonean Brigade, Jan. 5, 2025.

Meet David Zini, Israel's controversial next Shin Bet chief

The Grunis Committee cleared his nomination despite controversies over Zini's past statements, national-religious background, and closeness to the prime minister.

This frame grab taken from an AFPTV footage shows smoke billowing after explosions in Qatar's capital Doha on Sept. 9, 2025.

Pentagon had no warning Israel planned to strike Qatar, US general says

The top US Air Force commander for the Middle East said early warning systems did not determine that Israeli warplanes had launched ballistic missiles towards Qatar, a US ally, until it was too late, following fresh concerns about the Pentagon's ambitions to build an air defense umbrella for the region.

A delegation from the Naval Forces of the Ministry of Defense, led by Brigadier General Mohammed Al-Saud, visited the Commander of the Turkish Fleet, Admiral Kadir Yıldız, where discussions were held on ways to cooperate and strengthen bilateral relations. The visit also included a tour aboard the Turkish frigate TCG KEMALREİS in Kocaeli Province, during which the

Syria navy delegation visits Turkey: What to know

Turkey is seeking to help Syria build its new military, and the neighbors are also cooperating on counter-narcotics and intelligence matters.

A soldier of a UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) platoon of the U.S. Army 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, readies a Anduril Ghost-X helicopter surveillance drone for take-off during the Combined Resolve 25-1 military exercises at the Hohenfels Training Area in Bavaria on Feb. 3, 2025 near Hohenfels, Germany.

CENTCOM launches task force to drive Pentagon’s drone race

New unit aims to put "combat-credible" drone systems into the hands of US troops in the Middle East within 60 days, part of an ambitious new push by the Pentagon to leapfrog advances made by Washington's adversaries in fielding cheaply made but lethal armed drones.