US seeks to train Lebanon army units to disarm Hezbollah: What to know Funding for such a program remains unclear, though the Pentagon has requested $36 million for fiscal year 2027 to support Lebanon’s army. Lebanon
Analysis Despite Trump pressure to limit Israel's Lebanon attacks, Aoun-Netanyahu meeting still unlikely As President Donald Trump pressures Israel to limit its strikes in Lebanon, Hezbollah is taking advantage of the situation. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Why US, Israel are freezing France out of Lebanon talks With talks between Israel and Lebanon being held in Washington, Paris still insists that it must be involved to balance possible American bias and to protect Beirut’s interests. Israel
Analysis Israel fears Trump angling for Lebanon deal to offset Iran missteps Some Israelis worry the US president might force them to accept an unsatisfactory agreement driven by his inability to secure a tangible achievement in Iran. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Analysis As Iran's power struggle deepens, US talks stall, who’s calling the shots in Tehran? By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Turkey chides US for failing to honor Manbij accord Ankara is caught between two superpowers that are pursuing their own agendas in Syria, while its efforts to implement its own agenda there only seem to be growing more difficult with time. Originals
Trump's punishment of Palestinians boomerangs at Israel Instead of distancing himself from decisions that will cause a backlash at Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed US President Donald Trump’s decisions to cut UNRWA funds and close the PLO office in Washington. Palestine
Pressure mounts on Iran's president to skip the UN General Assembly The Iranian president’s planned trip to New York to attend the UN General Assembly is sparking divisions among his political backers and opponents. United States
US-PLO row jeopardizes consular services for Palestinians Visas and other services may be collateral damage as the Donald Trump administration closes the Palestine Liberation Organization’s mission office in Washington. Palestine
Church groups outraged as US denies critical support to Jerusalem hospitals US President Donald Trump's decision to redirect $25 million earmarked for Palestinians in East Jerusalem hospitals to "high-priority projects elsewhere" leaves seriously ill patients caught in the middle of "political blackmail." Palestine
US friends in the Middle East lose a champion in John McCain The late senator from Arizona leaves behind a legacy as one of the Senate’s last prominent proponents of US interventionism. Iraq
Trump touts Mideast moves as Washington reels from 'Crazytown' accounts As accounts emerge of White House aides' internal resistance to some of Trump's controversial policy decisions, the president boasts of his decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, cut off Palestinian aid and pull the plug on the Iran nuclear deal. Palestine
Trump shelves Gulf talks until next year The White House has once again postponed a Gulf Cooperation Council summit aimed at bringing together the fragmented alliance to counter Iran. Saudi Arabia
Tehran summit to end Syrian war, says Iran media The summit taking place in Iran between Russia, Turkey and Iran on Friday can lead to the end of the Syrian civil war. Syria
Why Netanyahu keeps Oslo Accords alive Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implemented successfully his plan of preserving the Oslo interim agreement, while distancing any possibility for a two-state solution. Palestine
Will Jordanians, Palestinians accept a confederation? Any deal that doesn’t include an end to the Israeli control of areas it occupied in 1967 will not succeed, including the creation of a Jordanian-Palestinian confederation. Palestine
Pentagon adjusts war games to cope with Iran threat The US military is making changes to its Middle East drills to respond to the Donald Trump administration’s fears of a growing military threat from Iran. Congress