Trump

Members of Houthi security forces stand guard while supporters of Yemen's Houthi movement attend an event commemorating the ninth anniversary of the Saudi-led intervention in their country, in the capital, Sanaa, on March 26, 2026.

Exclusive

Senior Houthi official says Bab el Mandab closure an option if any Gulf states join war

Houthi Deputy Information Minister Mohammed Mansour also said the strait could be closed “should the aggression against Iran and Lebanon escalate.”

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

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

People inspect destruction at a business building that housed the offices of the Doha-headquartered news network Al Araby TV following a missile strike earlier in the day, Tehran, Iran, March 29, 2026.

Analysis

Israel urges US escalation against Iran, possible ground invasion

Israel has made clear it will not deploy ground forces to Iran, but would strongly support US military action if the Trump administration chooses to proceed.

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

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.

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

Dermer, former Israeli strategic affairs minister, is considered one of Netanyahu’s closest associates, having worked together for over two decades.

Israeli settler violence graffiti

Settler violence spike exposes Israeli government rift with military

Knesset member Ram Ben-Barak of centrist Yesh Atid told Al-Monitor that the government must permit the use of administrative detention for extremist settlers to curb the violence.

Latest News

Iran warns Trump against ground invasion as US troop presence surges

A large banner with the image of Iran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei adorns a main taxi rank close to Tajrish Square, one week on from the start of the US-Israel attack on Iran, in Tehran on March 7, 2026.

Exclusive

Israel suspects Trump betting on 3 Iran officials, including Ghalibaf, to end war

TEHRAN, IRAN - OCTOBER 4: (EDITOR’S NOTE: This Handout image/clip was provided by a third-party organization and may not adhere to Getty Images’ editorial policy.) In this handout image provided by the Iranian Leader's Press Office, Iranian Supreme leader Ali Khamenei (C) with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (L) and Judiciary Chief Mohsen Ejeie (R), reading the Koran during the Friday prayer ceremony on October 04, 2024 in Tehran, Iran. Protesters supporting Iran's military position against Isra

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

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

Meet Bagher Zolghadr, a hard-line IRGC veteran now Iran's security chief

Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, the new secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, is pictured in this undated photo.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

People attend a pro-government rally on Jan. 12, 2026, in Tehran, Iran.

Iran ramps up crackdown, vows 'to cut off hand' that threatens Khamenei

Iran doubled down on the narrative that the protesters were "Israel-linked mercenaries," as international calls grew for the regime's accountability after its bloody crackdown on the unrest.

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef addresses the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh, on Jan. 14, 2026.

Interview

Saudi Arabia keeps doors open to US, China in critical minerals race

Washington is playing catch-up with Beijing to get its slice of the critical minerals sector, which is essential to strategic industries like clean energy, defense and electronics.

Bandar Alkhorayef

Bandar Alkhorayef

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources

A protester holds up a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a demonstration near the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad, on Jan. 16, 2026.

Analysis

Israel assesses Iran protest wave over, regrets not targeting Khamenei

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu might have influenced the US decision not to strike Tehran, but several Israeli experts believe that persuading US President Trump to hold back constitutes a generational tragedy.

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

Pedestrians make their way along a path at Tehran Grand Bazaar, on Jan. 18, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Iran blackout enters 12th day as filtered internet reveals crackdown

Nearly 4,000 people have been killed in the protests in Iran, as videos emerging amid limited access to internet show the scale of the crackdown launched by security forces.

US President Donald Trump departs Air Force One after arriving at Palm Beach International Airport on Jan. 16, 2026.

Trump tempers threats, 'thanks' Iran for halting protester executions

President Trump said the canceled Iranian executions “had a big impact” on his decision-making regarding a military response.

US President Donald Trump (R) greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, Dec. 29, 2025.

Analysis

Israel 'frustrated' by Trump’s Iran backtrack, unsure if strategy or cold feet

Israeli leaders had hoped that the US president would order attacks to help topple the government in Tehran and perhaps target Supreme Leader Khamenei.

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

From Egypt to Lebanon: What’s at stake for regional states on Trump’s visa ban list?

The State Department claimed that citizens from the affected countries are more likely to use social welfare services at a high rate.

An Iranian rides his motorcycle near Azadi Square in Tehran, on June 14, 2025.

As Trump eyes possible Iran exit strategy, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey push for restraint

Iran’s airspace has reopened after a brief closure as Trump softens rhetoric on military action, while authorities report a slowdown in anti-regime protests amid a nationwide internet blackout and a harsh crackdown.

Oil rigs on the background of the Iranian flag.

Oil prices climb on Iran strike fears as OPEC flags steady demand growth into 2027

Benchmark Brent crude traded around $66 a barrel on Wednesday, up roughly 10% since Jan. 7 to its highest level since October 2025.

Retired Israeli General and Executive Director of Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) Amos Yadlin attends a session at the Manama Dialogue security conference in the Bahraini capital, on Dec. 5, 2020.

Interview

Yadlin: Israel’s regime-change goal in Iran remote without US 'boots on the ground'

The former head of Israel's military intelligence directorate told Al-Monitor that Israel must prepare itself for a possible Iranian response if the US follows through on its threat to hit the Islamic Republic.

Amos Yadlin

Amos Yadlin

Former head of Israel's Military Intelligence Directorate

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (L) and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi holds a joint press conference in Tehran, on Nov. 30, 2025.

In call with Araghchi, Turkey's Fidan urges Iran to negotiate with US

The top Turkish diplomat held back-to-back calls with Iranian and US officials as Ankara watches developments in Iran with mounting concern.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan listens to Iran's foreign minister during a joint press conference, in Tehran on Nov. 30, 2025.

Turkey's Fidan to visit UAE as Iran unrest, Gulf tensions intensify

The top Turkish diplomat’s UAE visit coincides with heightened Gaza diplomacy, growing tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, and escalating unrest in Iran.