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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

Latest News

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

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

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

Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) fire rifles at a drone operated by Islamic State militants in Raqqa, Syria, June 16, 2017. Goran Tomasevic: "ISIS uses drones to monitor Kurdish fighters and drop bombs at their positions. On a few occasions I ran into a house with fighters because of drones. On one occasion a bomb from a drone landed near a house where I was hiding with the rest of our team and YPG fighters. The biggest challenge in Raqqa was very limited access and the heat. The te

US-Turkey road map in Syria risks Kurdish blowback

The Pentagon’s Kurdish allies could get shut out as the United States and Turkey move closer to a deal to settle a dispute over the contested Syrian city of Manbij.

Iran undeterred by possible Russia-Israel deal on Syria

Iranian analysts believe any possible deal for Iran to pull back from Syria is designed to prevent the end of the country’s civil war.

Trump missing piece in Putin’s Syria plan

The Russian president needs the United States to stabilize Syria, but expects sanctions relief in return.

A fighter of Syrian Democratic Forces stands amidst the ruins of buildings near the Clock Square in Raqqa, Syria October 18, 2017. Picture taken October 18, 2017. REUTERS/Erik De Castro - RC1E4E003870

US hopes for a quick Syria exit run into a minefield in Raqqa

The Donald Trump administration faces significant hurdles getting the centerpiece of its reconstruction efforts back on track.

Firefighters try to extinguish a fire engulfing warehouse of the World Food Programme in Hodeida, Yemen March 31, 2018. REUTERS/Abduljabbar Zeyad - RC141A5A1C40

Concern mounts as coalition forces advance on key Yemeni port

Has the United States lifted its “red light” on an Emirati- and Saudi-backed military operation to take the key Yemeni port?

Turkey's steel wars heat up

While gearing up for countermeasures against US steel tariffs, Turkey faces a fresh challenge from regional steel producers who are increasingly targeting its own market.

Palestinian, American Christians meet in Bethlehem

The unity between Christians from abroad and fellow Christians in Palestine gives Palestinians hope they can stay put on their land.

Is Trump really so popular in Israel?

Contrary to the popular belief that all Israelis applaud US President Donald Trump's policies, center and left-wing politicians worry that the Trump-Netanyahu axis distances an agreement with the Palestinians and isolates Israel on Iran.

Adviser to Iran's supreme leader outlines steps to boost nuclear program

A key adviser to Iran’s supreme leader outlined a number of recommendations Iran should take to advance its nuclear program capabilities.

Iraq's pro-Iran factions shrug off congressional sanctions push

Asaib Ahl al-Haq and the Hezbollah Brigades have dismissed the effectiveness of possible new US sanctions against them and claim they might even be helpful.

Israel's undiplomatic top diplomat

Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely made yet another questionable diplomatic move this week, boasting about an education agreement signed with Myanmar.

Qais al-Khazaali (C) leader of the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, one of the units of the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation units) gives a speech during a campaign rally for the Fateh Alliance, a coalition of Iranian-supported militia groups, in Baghdad on May 7, 2018, ahead of Iraq's parliamentary elections to be held on May 12. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP) (Photo credit should read AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP/Getty Images)

Congress targets election winners in Iraq

The House unanimously voted to sanction two Iran-backed militias in Iraq, one of which just won more than a dozen parliamentary seats.