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May 7, 2026

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Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi of Iran meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi of China in Beijing on May 6, 2026. Credit: Telegram

Analysis

China shores up Iran support as Trump seeks exit

China understands how badly Trump wants an exit from the conflict. But timing is critical: if no agreement is reached before Trump arrives in China on Thursday, Beijing would be better positioned to set the agenda.

Joyce Karam

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Lebanon, Israel eye third round of talks, but no Netanyahu-Aoun meeting in sight

The US appears to be pushing for a meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but the Lebanese government says it won't happen while Israel continues to launch attacks on Lebanon.

Latest News

EU says energy costs tied to Hormuz crisis have surged past $35B

Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Israel fears Trump seeking Hormuz win while sidestepping Iran nuclear issue

Amirhossein KHORGOOEI / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images

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

Pentagon says Iran ceasefire continues despite UAE attack

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on April 24, 2026.

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Elizabeth Hagedorn

Diplomatic Correspondent

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

Jared Szuba

Defense and Security Correspondent

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

Joyce Karam

Editor-in-Chief

Rosaleen Carroll

News Reporter and Supporting Editor

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

Paul J. Saunders

In Washington, DC, reporting on Russia in the Middle East

Iranians hail Houthi 'resistance' for bringing potential end to Yemen war

A US call for a cease-fire in Yemen has been widely interpreted in Iran as a victory for the Houthi movement.

U.S. President Donald Trump talks with Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer and Tree of Life Synagogue Rabbi Jeffrey Myers as he arrives with (L-R) his daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner and first lady Melania Trump outside the synagogue where a gunman killed eleven people and wounded six during a mass shooting Saturday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S., October 30, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RC1951277440

Trump, Netanyahu use synagogue shooting to cement alliance

President Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu’s government are using this week’s massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue to cement support for each other.

A security staff member stands at the entrance of Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, Turkey October 31, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RC13A0631C00

Annual US-Gulf gathering treats Khashoggi death as mere speed bump in relations

The mood at this year’s National Council on US-Arab Relations conference was defensive but upbeat.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov leaves after a meeting of President Vladimir Putin with U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia October 23, 2018. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov - RC1B0FF4A640

Moscow, Syrian High Negotiations Committee go down to-do list on Syria

Following the Syrian High Negotiations Committee's visit to Russia, Syrian opposition groups are faced with a choice: wait until Washington upholds its position on the country's settlement or hop on the bandwagon with Moscow.

Iranians shop at a drugstore at the Nikan hospital in Tehran on September 11, 2018. - Judges at the International Court of Justice in The Hague unanimously ruled Washington should remove barriers to "the free exportation to Iran of medicines and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities" as well as airplane parts. Iran produces 96 percent of the drugs it uses, according to the Syndicate of Iranian Pharmaceutical Industries, but imports more than half the raw materials to make them. (Photo by STRING

US fails to shield humanitarian trade with Iran as sanctions loom

European governments are urging the Trump administration to identify a legal means for their companies to continue to provide food and medicine to Iranians after the Nov. 5 re-imposition of secondary sanctions begins.

An activist holds an image of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a demonstration calling for sanctions against Saudi Arabia and to protest Khashoggi's disappearance, outside the White House in Washington, U.S., October 19, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis - RC1F626030D0

Intel: How Khashoggi’s killing risks derailing US-Saudi nuclear talks

The U.S. flag flutters on a military vehicle in Manbej countryside, Syria May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Aboud Hamam - RC1B2D4114E0

Northern Syria heats up as next likely US-Turkey flashpoint

Despite speculation that Turkey and the United States might repair their tense relations now that one key issue is settled, an Erdogan adviser called Turkey's shelling east of the Euphrates River “a friendly message to the US.”

Cairo bolsters bond with Moscow as US grows distant

Egypt, feeling a chill in the air in Washington, is warming up to Russia.

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 26: Progressive challenger Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez celebrartes with supporters at a victory party in the Bronx after upsetting incumbent Democratic Representative Joseph Crowly on June 26, 2018 in New York City. Ocasio-Cortez upset Rep. Joseph Crowley in New York’s 14th Congressional District, which includes parts of the Bronx and Queens. (Photo by Scott Heins/Getty Images)

Democratic newcomers challenge pro-Israel status quo

Three Democratic candidates willing to challenge the bipartisan orthodoxy on Israel are likely to win seats in Congress next year.

Turkey, Russia seek European input on Syria settlement

The heads of four nations gathered in Istanbul last week, all seeking to promote their countries' own national interests in Syria. But it's unclear if they'll eventually be able to negotiate a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis that Damascus will accept.

What's behind Russia’s 'wait and see' approach on Khashoggi killing?

Russia has been keeping a rather low profile on the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, but this stance is driven by profound considerations of Moscow's own role in the Middle East

US mosque strikes point to looser targeting rules in fight against Islamic State

A spate of airstrikes against mosques in Syria hints at the American military accepting fewer restrictions on battlefield targeting, with higher risks for civilians.