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July 14, 2026

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US President Donald Trump gestures as he steps off Air Force One to board the new Qatari-gifted Boeing plane, en route to the United States following his participation in the NATO Summit at Royal Air Force Mildenhall on July 8, 2026, in Mildenhall, England.

Trump says US to strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site

Satellite imagery has detected recent construction at the underground facility.

A man holds a Syrian flag across the street from the White House after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with President Donald Trump at White House in Washington, on Nov. 10, 2025.

Syria, US hold first business forum since sanctions relief: What to know

The one-day forum in Damascus was organized by Syria’s Ministry of Economy and Industry and the US-Syria Business Council, which was established in Washington last June to advance trade and investment between the two nations.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at a Council of Ministers meeting in Baghdad on July 11, 2026.

Analysis

On first foreign trip, Iraqi PM Zaidi woos Trump but Iran casts long shadow

Iraq's new prime minister is in Washington promising business deals and closer ties with the United States, but convincing the Trump administration he can rein in Iran-backed militias may prove his toughest challenge.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Oil climbs after US strikes Iran, Trump vows to control Strait of Hormuz

US Central Command said in a statement early on Monday that it struck dozens of Iranian targets overnight as Iran targeted American bases across the Gulf.

Latest News

Trump says US to resume naval blockade of Iran's ports

U.S. President Donald Trump returns to Joint Base Andrews on July 09, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump, switched from the old Air Force One to the new Air Force One while stopping in the U.K. at RAF Mildenhall Air Force Base was returning from his visit to Ankara, Turkey where he attended the NATO summit. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Analysis

From S-400s to SAMP/T: Turkey’s defense pivot gathers pace after NATO summit

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose after signing a defense partnership agreement on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, July 8, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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

Rouhani goes on offense against critics, shady interests and ‘culture of opacity’

Iranian president presses ahead with anti-corruption agenda in response to political dissent and widening protests.

Abbas bids adieu

Palestine says good-bye to the US-led peace process

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi enter a hall during a meeting in Moscow, Russia July 4, 2018. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - RC15A57E71B0

Russia, Jordan discuss Syria in run-up to Trump-Putin summit

A visit by Jordan's foreign minister to Moscow comes as one link in a chain of Russia's recent consultations with key regional players on the state of affairs in Syria.

Protesters shout slogans during a march, demanding equal inheritance rights for women, in Tunis, Tunisia March 10, 2018.REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi - RC15A0814AC0

Congress sounds alarm over Tunisia’s proposed NGO law

Lawmakers who have long championed the fledgling democracy are worried about potential efforts to rein in civil society.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an "Angel Families" immigration event at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 22, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis - RC1EA848DD60

Trump administration denies pursuing regime change in Iran

The US "maximum pressure" campaign lets the Donald Trump administration look like it is being tough on Iran while reducing US involvement in Syria and other parts of the Middle East.

Iran’s Reformists hit by suppression at home, pressure from abroad

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Iranian Reformists have no choice but to reinvent themselves if they are to exert political influence.

For Israel, Syrian battles hit too close to home

Israel is facing a complicated situation on its Syrian border as Iran keeps reinforcing its presence in the country, the Syrian army gets closer to Israel and refugees continue to flee the combat zones.

White House senior advisor Ivanka Trump (2nd-R), U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman (3rd-R), U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (C), U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan (3rd-L), White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner (2nd-L) and Israeli officials pose for a photo upon arrival at the Ben Gurion International Airport, near Lod, Israel May 13, 2018. Courtesy David Azagury/U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1E15DFCD

Trump, Putin both want piece of Middle East peace talks

Russia and the United States can each bring advantages to the Mideast peace negotiating table, but neither is likely to solve all the issues without the other's cooperation.

Syrians wave Iranian, Russian and Syrian flags during a protest against U.S.-led air strikes in Damascus,Syria April 14,2018.REUTERS/ Omar Sanadiki TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1815671B90

US pushes for Plan B in Syria

Facing the collapse of a US-backed de-escalation zone in Syria’s southwest, the Donald Trump administration is split on plans to counter thousands of Iranian troops in the war-torn country.

From L: Abed al-Hafeez Nofal, the Palestinian ambassador to Moscow, and exiled Hamas deputy leader Mussa Abu Marzuq give a press conference along with other representatives of Palestinian political parties and movements in Moscow on January 17, 2017. / AFP / Alexander NEMENOV (Photo credit should read ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images)

Hamas courtship of Russia could lead to win-win romance

A Hamas delegation recently visited Moscow to discuss various issues, ranging from the anticipated US peace plan to Moscow possibly brokering a Palestinian reconciliation.

A girl holds a Palestinian flag in front of Israeli troops during clashes at a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's decision on Jerusalem ahead of International Women's Day, in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank March 7, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman - RC1596807590

Palestinians condemn Trump's proposed peace plan

Fatah has come out swinging against what it says is the US administration’s unilateral effort to impose a Mideast peace plan that greatly favors Israel.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani speaks during an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey May 18, 2018. Arif Hudaverdi Yaman/Pool via Reuters - RC129DDA4DA0

Rouhani urges Iran’s factions to unite against US pressure

Facing mounting economic pressure, President Hassan Rouhani urged Iran’s various factions to put differences aside and work together.