Iran-Israel conflict

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a cornerstone laying ceremony for the Atarot Heritage Center at an abandon airport in East Jerusalem near the separation wall with the Israeli occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on July 5, 2026.

Israel's Netanyahu plans US visit for Trump meeting, Graham memorial

President Donald Trump is also meeting with Lebanon's president next week.

A ship sails off the coast of Ajman on July 10, 2026.

Interview

Why Strait of Hormuz no longer rattles oil markets as much: IMF

The fund's Middle East director, Jihad Azour, told Al-Monitor that the big Gulf energy producers now have more capacity to absorb the shock.

Jihad Azour

Jihad Azour

Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund

A general view of the Iranian Embassy on July 13, 2026, in London, England.

Analysis

How UK's IRGC designation raises stakes for Iran and Europe

Following Britain's designation, Iran has presented a unified front in which all institutions are projecting the IRGC as an integral component of national sovereignty.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images

In Trump meeting, Iraq PM says US troops to withdraw by Sept. 30

The White House appeared to support a deadline to remove remaining American counter-ISIS troops from Iraq, but security concerns among Washington's Kurdish partners and US business firms remain.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Latest News

Oil prices climb to $85 as US-Iran attacks intensify, Hormuz traffic stalls

AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

As Trump prioritizes Hormuz, Israel fears Iran rebuilding nuclear program while preserving ballistic missile threat

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

Explainer

Israel's next election: Who's leading in polls and what's at stake?

Israelis turn out to cast their ballots on election day for the 20th Knesset on March 17, 2015 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

How Iran war could impact oil markets in 2027

Igor IVANKO / AFP via Getty Images

Handout Photo by the US Navy via Getty Images

Explainer

What’s the status of Strait of Hormuz after US-Iran talks?

Oil tankers continued to transit the strait in both directions, but many turned off their transponders over the weekend after Iran's military declared Hormuz closed once again.

MUSCAT, OMAN - JUNE 21: Oil tankers and cargo vessels remain anchored off Port Sultan Qaboos around Qaboos Port on June 21, 2026 in Muscat, Oman. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for the region's oil and gas, was effectively blockaded since the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran in late February. This week's provisional peace deal between the countries was meant to reopen the waterway to shipping traffic, but the pace of that reopening is unclear amid continued fighting in Lebano

Oil falls more than 3% after Iran, US signal progress in talks

International benchmark Brent crude fell to $78.68 as of 7:06 a.m. EDT.

US President Donald Trump holds a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Palm Beach, Florida, Dec. 29, 2025.

Analysis

How Netanyahu used Lebanon strikes to push back on Trump’s Iran deal

The latest ceasefire in Lebanon leaves Netanyahu squeezed between Washington and domestic pressure.

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

French Trade & Invest Commissioner for United Arab Emirates and Middle East and Business France's regional director for the Middle East Axel Baroux. — Business France

Interview

Franco-Gulf investment holds firm despite Iran war, French official says

French investors are reallocating capital toward strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence and technology rather than pulling out of the region altogether.

Axel Baroux

France’s trade and investment commissioner for the UAE and Middle East

Lebanese soldiers man a check point beside a Hezbollah flag at the entrance to Nabatieh on June 15, 2026.

Analysis

Fears in Lebanon that US-Iran deal boosts Hezbollah without restraining Israel

The deal that ended the war between the United States and Iran has left Hezbollah feeling empowered, which could mark a setback for the Lebanese government’s efforts to disarm the group and move forward with its talks with Israel.

Beatrice Farhat

By Beatrice Farhat

In Beirut, reporting on regional news, culture, conflict

A picture taken on June 5, 2017, shows a man walking past the Qatar National Bank branch in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Gulf investment to turn inward to rebuild postwar infrastructure: QNB

Charles-Emmanuel de Beauregard, Qatar National Bank’s head of corporate and institutional banking, said that the Gulf countries will need to rebuild their logistics capabilities after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE - JUNE 16: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a bilateral meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the G7 summit, on June 16, 2026 in Evian-les-Bains, France. Leaders from the Group of 7 (G7) countries convened in Evian, France, near the Swiss border, for their annual summit to discuss challenges to peace and security for Ukraine and Europe, the situation in the Middle East, and other geopolitical issues. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Get

'Let Syria take care of Hezbollah': Trump criticizes Israel, leans on Sharaa to help in Lebanon

President Donald Trump insisted he has a great relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but criticized the scale of Israel’s strikes in Lebanon.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Exclusive

'He knew it was over': Inside Netanyahu’s response to Trump’s Iran deal as Israel recalibrates

Despite all his efforts, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu realized there is nothing he could do to prevent President Donald Trump from signing a deal with Iran.

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

Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP via Getty Images

Oil falls below $80 as markets rally on Iran-US peace deal: What to know

Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, fell around 3.15% to $79.99 as of 6:55 a.m. EDT on Monday.

Aluminum from Dubai sits in the BMW Landshut factory on Oct. 25, 2024 in Ergolding, Germany.

Analysis

Gulf aluminum pursues global deals as Hormuz crisis accelerates shift

Gulf aluminum exporters are targeting global deals amid fallout from the US-Israel-Iran war, which has pushed prices to multiyear highs in early June.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted by President Donald Trump at the White House, Washington, DC, July 7, 2025.

Analysis

Squeezed by Trump and Iran war, how vulnerable is Netanyahu in polls?

The Israeli prime minister faces growing problems over Oct. 7, his alliance with the ultra-Orthodox parties, and Donald Trump questioning his political future.

Mazal Mualem

By Mazal Mualem

In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics

Punit PARANJPE / AFP via Getty Images

US strikes on Indian-crewed tankers spark tensions with New Delhi

India summoned the US deputy chief of mission in Delhi on Friday to protest American strikes on commercial vessels off the coast of Oman.