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July 17, 2026

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US Vice President JD Vance speaks at the Wisconsin Air National Guard facility at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport on July 8, 2026, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Vance says Israeli intelligence had ties to Epstein: What to know

Vice President JD Vance has grown more critical of Israel, possibly in an effort to capitalize on changing views among voters with an eye on the 2028 presidential election.

DAVOS, SWITZERLAND - JANUARY 22: U.S. President Donald Trump (C) sits in between Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan (L) and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev during a signing ceremony for the “Board of Peace” at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on January 22, 2026 in Davos, Switzerland. The US-backed “Board of Peace” is intended to administer the fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip after the war between Israel and Hamas. The final makeup of the board has not been confirmed. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/G

Trump taps Russia-born investor to oversee $200M+ fund backing Armenia-Azerbaijan corridor

The appointment of Chicago-based investor Konstantin Sokolov to oversee a $200 million fund marks a new phase for Washington's proposed trade and transportation route linking Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey.

Latest News

Analysis

As Trump prioritizes Hormuz, Israel fears Iran rebuilding nuclear program while preserving ballistic missile threat

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

The rise of the Eurasianist vision in Turkey

The Eurasianist vision for Turkey has gone beyond rhetoric, gaining weight especially with regard to defense and security, but its proponents are themselves divided on what the country’s Eurasian future should mean.

U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One as he departs from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S. May 17, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTX367P8

Did Trump endanger Israeli-US intelligence cooperation?

Israel is at loss over revelations that President Donald Trump exposed sensitive intelligence information to Russia.

U.S. soldiers ride in a helicopter at a military base north of Mosul, Iraq, January 4, 2017. REUTERS/Stephen Kalin - RTX2XK7T

Iraqi factions divided over whether US troops stay

Despite strong opposition from influential Shiite factions ready to engage in military clashes with US forces, the Iraqi government wants an agreement with the United States to ensure that US troops remain in Iraq after the elimination of the Islamic State.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives for a working dinner with heads of delegations for the Nuclear Security Summit at the White House in Washington March 31, 2016. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTSD2WC

DC think tank accused of bending over backwards for Erdogan

Washington tongues are wagging as prominent think tank the Atlantic Council prepares to receive Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with whom its leadership has enthusiastically pursued relations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends the Roundtable Summit Phase One Sessions of Belt and Road Forum at the International Conference Center in Yanqi Lake on May 15, 2017 in Beijing, China REUTERS/Lintao Zhang/Pool *** Local Caption *** Aung San Suu Kyi - RTX35UUY

Erdogan’s foreign policy leaves Turkey in the doldrums

Turkey gives the impression of a beleaguered country that is losing ground on all fronts.

Palestinians alone in FIFA face-off against settlement teams

Arabs in Israel as well as in the Gulf states might pay lip service to defending the rights of Palestinians under Israeli occupation, but meaningful commitment has often been lacking.

A satellite view of Sednaya prison complex near Damascus, Syria is seen in a still image from a video briefing provided by the U.S. State Department on May 15, 2017. Department of State/DigitalGlobe/Handout via REUTERSFOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNSTHIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS - RTX35Z4Y

Trump demands Russia, Iran halt Assad atrocities ahead of any deal

The Donald Trump administration accuses Bashar al-Assad's regime of building a crematorium to cover up evidence of mass murder.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, May 14, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas Peter - RTX35Q8M

Expectations low as Erdogan arrives in DC

In tomorrow's meeting, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will seek to persuade US President Donald Trump to reverse the decision to arm Syrian Kurdish militia, but Trump is unlikely to reverse course on the closest he has to a sure thing: victory in Raqqa.

Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG) stand near a U.S military vehicle in the town of Darbasiya next to the Turkish border, Syria April 28, 2017. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RTS14EG4

Will arming of YPG help open Kurdish corridor in Syria?

The US decision to provide heavy weapons to the YPG for the Raqqa operation provides hope to Kurds in Syria, but Turkey worries that the arms will be used to establish a Kurdish corridor.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (L) and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attend a joint news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah May 9, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman - RTS15T53

What's behind Abbas' recent threats to Hamas?

Following his first meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced his intention to take unprecedented measures against Hamas, raising questions about the timing of such threats.

Netanyahu trapped between Trump, Israeli right wing

US President Donald Trump would like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s assistance in tabling the issue of moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem, but Netanyahu fears the reaction of his right-wing coalition partners.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attends a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin walls in Moscow, Russia March 28, 2017. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov - RTX330KR

Did Rouhani sell 'grand bargain' with US to Iranian voters?

At a campaign rally, President Hassan Rouhani said Iranian officials are ready to negotiate with the United States on non-nuclear issues.