Defense/Security cooperation

People and security forces gather outside a Greek Orthodox Church in the village of Hammoud in Jordan's Karak governorate following a shooting on October 23, 2026.

Breaking | Last Updated: October 23, 2026, 12:15 pm

Jordan’s King Abdullah calls church shooting ‘terror attack,’ at least 6 killed: What to know

Jordan has experienced sporadic violence targeting the Christian community, though attacks of this kind are relatively rare in the kingdom.

Jewel SAMAD / AFP via Getty Images

How Israel’s election could shape next phase of Iran war

Most of the Israeli prime minister's main rivals in the Oct. 27 election agree that Israel's war to overthrow the Iranian regime should continue, but only he claims to have President Donald Trump's blessing to do so.

Benoit Tessier / AFP via Getty Images

France’s Macron first Western leader to visit Saudi Arabia since Houthi escalation

French President Emmanuel Macron met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a surprise stop in Saudi Arabia.

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 25: U.S. ambassador to Turkey Thomas Barrack attends a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Oval Office at the White House on September 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump has signaled that the U.S. might lift a ban on F-35 sales to Turkey during Erdogan's first visit to the White House since 2019. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

US moving away from Middle East security guarantor role, Barrack says

The US envoy said that direct US military intervention on the ground against the Houthis would be "fruitless."

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Latest News

Turkey's defense industry set to hit $20B in new contracts in 2026

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Analysis

'The problem and the solution': Netanyahu-Sharaa call exposes Israel's Syria dilemma

Israeli troops stand guard on the dividing line between the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights and Syrian, near Majdal Shams, July 16, 2025.

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

Iraq’s Zaidi, Saudi crown prince discuss security as Houthi attacks escalate

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Oct. 14, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Hormuz attacks spike after US airstrike on Iran-linked tanker

A cargo ship is pictured off coast of the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, along the Gulf of Oman, on June 28, 2026, after Iran's top diplomat warned that any attempt by shipping to bypass its preferred route through the Strait of Hormuz would "increase tensions" in the Middle East.

Jared Szuba

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

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.

Analysis

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

Pakistan has emerged as a potential neutral venue for US-Iran talks, leveraging its ties to both sides, but analysts warn that early back-channel diplomacy faces major hurdles amid ongoing military escalation.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

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

An undated image of Eran Etzion.

Interview

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

Eran Etzion, a former Israeli deputy national security adviser and opposition politician, says Netanyahu might decide to prolong the war against Hezbollah and Iran even if the United States opts out.

Uae

US fast-tracks $16.5B arms sales to UAE, Jordan, Kuwait amid Iran attacks

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued emergency waivers to bypass the normal congressional review period for the sales, the administration said, as Iran signaled its ability to open a new front with strikes on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast.

A Patriot anti-missile battery launcher, deployed by Dutch NATO soldiers, is seen March 11, 2003 at the Diyarbakir military airport in southeastern Turkey.

NATO deploys new Patriot battery to Turkey as Fidan in Riyadh for regional talks

The deployment to a key Turkish airbase likely signals NATO planners’ heightened concern over Turkey’s military assets.

A cargo ship is pictured off coast city of Fujairah, in the Strait of Hormuz in the northern Emirate, on Feb. 25, 2026.

As Trump presses allies on Hormuz support, reopening hurdles mount

Key European allies have balked at Trump’s request to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, raising doubts about how quickly the US can secure the waterway from Iranian missile and drone threats.

AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Hormuz dilemma denies Trump administration easy exit from Iran war

Iran’s forces are practiced in sabotage, threatening the shipping channel as the US military tries to thwart Tehran’s efforts to disrupt the global economy.

Jared Szuba

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

A banner depicting Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new supreme leader and son of slain leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is displayed on Enghelab (Revolution) Square, Tehran, as people gather for the funerals of commanders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the army and others killed in US and Israeli strikes on Iran, March 11, 2026.

Analysis

Israel, Gulf fear Trump may lose interest in war as Iran weighs nuclear breakout

If the current war ends with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps emboldened, many worry that Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, will increase efforts to pursue a nuclear weapon to deter future attacks, similar to North Korea.

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

Dmytro Chubenko, spokesperson of the Kharkiv prosecutor, and his assistant look at a Russian Shahed drone shot down by Ukraine's air defense forces in a field used for the storage of Russian missiles in Kharkiv, on April 30, 2025.

Ukraine sends teams to help Gulf counter Iranian drones: What to know

Ukraine has significant experience downing Iran’s Shahed drones, leading Gulf states to express interest in Ukrainian expertise and hardware.

Retired Israeli general and executive director of Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies Amos Yadlin attends a session at the Manama Dialogue security conference in the Bahraini capital, on Dec. 5, 2020.

Interview

Yadlin: Israel's war goal to weaken Iran, not immediate regime change

Israeli leaders are aware that Washington will decide when the war ends whether or not Israel has achieved its war aims, Yadlin told Al-Monitor.

MEHDI MARIZAD/FARS NEWS/AFP via Getty Images

US strikes Iran's IRGC minelayer boats near Hormuz: What to know

The Pentagon is shifting focus to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' unconventional warfare tactics could threaten the vital economic shipping lane in the long term.

Jared Szuba

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

Smoke and flames rise at the site of airstrikes on an oil depot, Tehran, Iran, March 8, 2026.

Analysis

Running out of time: Israel escalates Iran strikes as Trump weighs ‘elegant exit’

The Israeli military is pushing for more strikes on Iran before the window of opportunity closes, when US President Trump decides to end the war.

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

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Palmachim Air Base on March 3, 2026, accompanied by Minister of Defense Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.

Analysis

Israel doubts Iran regime change odds despite Netanyahu rhetoric

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday, “We have a systematic plan to eradicate the Iranian regime,” but Israeli experts say he is aware of the difficulties in triggering regime change.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs