Iran-US tensions

A portrait of the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is visible in heavily damaged building in the border town of Ayta al-Chaab, southern Lebanon, Feb. 21, 2026.

Analysis

Why Israel sees Lebanon’s 'pilot zones' as path to containing Hezbollah

Israel views the proposed pilot security zones in southern Lebanon as a pragmatic way to gradually expand Lebanese state control, push Hezbollah away from the border and preserve a fragile ceasefire while the Trump administration pursues broader negotiations with Iran.

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

AFP via Getty Images

Oman denies disruption at key oil hub after reported drone attack

Oman’s state-owned oil company rebuffed reports about the suspension of oil loading operations at a key port following an alleged drone attack.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah walk together during a brief appearance for the press as they meet at the State Department in Washington, DC, on June 4, 2026.

In aftermath of Iran attack, Rubio hosts Kuwait FM: What to know

The meeting came a day after an Iranian strike on Kuwait International Airport killed one person and wounded more than 60 others.

Amjad Kurdo / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Explainer

How Iran war created unexpected economic beneficiaries

The Strait of Hormuz crisis is reshaping global energy and trade flows, creating opportunities for economies far beyond the Middle East.

Latest News

Analysis

Why Iran strikes on Kuwait pose dilemma for US Navy’s blockade

Smoke rises from an area of Kuwait's international airport after a reported drone strike on April 1, 2026.

Jared Szuba

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

Iran's covert nuclear risk higher after war as IAEA access constrained: Report

A general view shows the reactor building at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran on Aug. 20, 2010.

After Gulf attacks, Rubio faces pushback on 'war is over' claim

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies during a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on June 03, 2026, in Washington. The hearing was held to examine the State Department's budget request for fiscal year 2027.

Egypt, Turkey push energy ties in Azerbaijan talks amid Hormuz crisis

A photo of Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, speaking at the high-level ministerial session of Baku Energy Week in the Azerbaijani capital.

ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

UAE's deputy PM holds first call with Ghalibaf amid push to extend US-Iran ceasefire

The Emirati vice president and Iran’s parliament speaker talked de-escalation on the phone in the first such contact since the Iran war began.

United Arab Emirates

People walk past a wall mural along the roadside in Tehran on April 12, 2026.

Analysis

Survival first: Will Iran soften red lines in US talks to consolidate war gains?

Ahead of a possible new round of US talks, Iran insists that uranium enrichment on its own soil is nonnegotiable, framing it as a matter of sovereignty and deterrence.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper meets with IDF Chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir in Israel, March 31, 2026.

CENTCOM chief visits Israel, Bahrain amid Iran ceasefire, blockade

The meetings come as the US seeks allies' support in opening the Strait of Hormuz after the US Navy established a maritime blockade of Iran's ports amid a fragile ceasefire.

Jared Szuba

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

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

Why are Wall Street banks posting record profits amid Iran war?

The US-Israel-Iran war has roiled the global economy since Feb. 28, but the resulting market volatility has boosted trading profits for some.

Oliver Contreras / AFP via Getty Images

First round of Lebanon-Israel talks concludes in Washington: What to know

Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the meeting a “historic opportunity” to end Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon.

A photograph shows the damage in the aftermath of a drone strike in the Seef district of Manama on March 10, 2026.

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia summon Iraqi diplomats over militia attacks: What to know

The United States and Kuwait have likewise criticized Iraq over actions tied to Iran-backed armed groups in the country.

This photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Tyre shows smoke as it rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the village of Qlaileh on April 13, 2026.

Uncertainty shrouds Lebanon-Israel talks as Israeli bombardment continues

The two countries' ambassadors are scheduled to meet at the State Department at 11:00 am Tuesday.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in Beijing on April 13, 2026.

China signals bigger Gulf role as UAE crown prince visits Beijing

China, which maintains close ties with both Iran and Gulf states, is hosting one of the UAE's top officials this week as a fragile ceasefire in the region holds.

ELVIS BARUKCIC / AFP via Getty Images

Hormuz blockade gambit aims to squeeze Iran without expanding war

By blockading Iran’s ports and de-mining the Strait of Hormuz, the US Navy aims to deny Tehran leverage in future negotiations, but experts warn it could take months before the economic pressure builds on the Islamic Republic.

Jared Szuba

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

Getty Images

As US blockades Hormuz, China urges restraint, rejects call to ditch Iran oil

Beijing and Ankara called for calm as the US began its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as regional diplomacy over the fragile ceasefire intensifies.

Pope Leo XIV

'No fear': Pope Leo pushes against Trump attacks as he lands in Algeria

President Donald Trump has escalated against the first American pontiff over his criticism of the Israel-US war in Iran.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) walks with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif upon his arrival during an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey on June 1, 2022. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo by ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Inside Turkey’s role in the US-Iran ceasefire

Turkey used its intelligence networks and rare access to both Washington and Tehran to quietly facilitate the US-Iran ceasefire while advancing its own regional security priorities.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security