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A man walks past a mural depicting oil pumps and the Venezuelan flag, with portraits of Venezuelan independence leader Simon Bolivar (L) and former late President Hugo Chavez (R), in Caracas, Venezuela, on Sept. 3, 2026.

Analysis

Could Trump’s oil push in Venezuela upend OPEC’s energy order?

Washington’s growing role in controlling the Latin American country's crude riches could help reshape an energy order centered on OPEC as the Hormuz crisis pressures Gulf exports.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Amir Yaryab

Who is Amir Yaryab, IRGC’s cyber commander in US crosshairs?

The US State Department has offered up to $10 million for information on Amir Yaryab, who oversees a key part of Iran’s cyber operations.

Ammar Ammar / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Playing for time: Despite US pressure, Israel stalls Lebanon talks until after election

Ahead of the eighth round of talks in Rome, the Israeli military reported clearing Hezbollah's underground stronghold at Ali al-Taher after besieging the ridge for months.

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

Anwar AMRO / AFP via Getty Images

Israel to release 5 Lebanese prisoners ahead of next talks: What to know

Israel said the detainees are "civilians who are not members of a terrorist organization" and "were not involved in terrorism," concluding, "There is no reason to continue holding them in Israel."

Latest News

US airstrikes target Iran's Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island

ISNA / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Israel favors status quo as tensions in Iran's leadership fuel escalation risk

missile

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

Pentagon inks 7-year missile-production deal amid Iran war shortage

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Israel’s Lebanon dilemma: Confront Hezbollah without angering Trump, triggering Iran

Ammar Ammar / AFP via Getty Images

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

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

How Trump is uniting Rouhani and Iran's Revolutionary Guards

In a dramatic move, Quds Force commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani has publicly praised Iranian President Hassan Rouhani over his toughened rhetoric against the United States and Israel.

Can Russia deliver on Trump’s hope of ousting Iran from Syria?

In the run-up to the Putin-Trump summit, Russia weighs a possible deal with the United States on Syria, but can it deliver on Washington's vision of an Iran-free Syria?

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.