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September 7, 2026

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An excavator digs as rescuers search for survivors amid the rubble following an overnight Israeli airstrike on the village of Kfar Roummane, southern Lebanon, Sept. 7, 2026.

Lebanon says at least 12 killed in Israeli strikes as tensions rise in south

The escalation in southern Lebanon casts a shadow over upcoming Israel-Lebanon talks in Rome.

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

Latest News

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

Anwar AMRO / AFP via Getty Images

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

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

Jordan's King Abdullah II welcomes Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during a reception ceremony at the Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan March 28, 2017. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed - RTX332K0

Palestinians make peace process a group effort

The Palestinian Authority is relying on help from Egypt and Jordan to involve the United States in the peace process with Israel, though some Palestinians question whether the United States can participate without bias.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stand up to leave after a news conference following their talks in Moscow, Russia, April 12, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - RTX35AP1

Tillerson: Russia has 'best means' to convince Assad to go

On his first trip to Russia as secretary of state, Rex Tillerson met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow to discuss steps to try to reverse the decline in relations between the United States and Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia March 28, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - RTX331H1

Will US missile strike shift Iran-Russia partnership in Syria?

The US military strike on a Syrian air base has created room at the table for more Russian and Iranian cooperation in Syria as the last allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad standing.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a news conference after the talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, March 10, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool - RTS12BWW

Ankara welcomes US action in Syria, but doubts remain

Opinion in Turkey is divided after Washington’s missile strike on Syria, reflecting a mix of enthusiasm, wishful thinking and realism.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attend a signing ceremony following their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia March 28, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - RTX332TJ

Is Iran the real winner in US-Russia spat?

The main winner of the US missile attack on Syria appears to be Iran, as Russia is yet again left with no other partner in the war-torn country.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) transits the Mediterranean Sea on March 9, 2017. Ford Williams/Courtesy U.S. Navy/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RTX34H5Z

3 Russian theories on why the US hit Syria

Russian analysts have differing theories on just how and why the United States bombed a Syrian air base.

A Syrian man collects samples from the site of a suspected toxic gas attack in Khan Sheikhun, in Syrias northwestern Idlib province, on April 5, 2017.
International outrage is mounting over a suspected chemical attack that killed scores of civilians in Khan Sheikhun on April 4, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Omar haj kadour (Photo credit should read OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP/Getty Images)

Russia 'furious' with Assad over gas attack

Syria’s alleged chemical weapons attack in Idlib province has threatened to sabotage potential US-Russia rapprochement, and Russia is privately furious with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) conducts strike operations while in the Mediterranean Sea which U.S. Defense Department said was a part of cruise missile strike against Syria on April 7, 2017. Ford Williams/Courtesy U.S. Navy/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RTX34HHG

Iranian officials give 'muted' response to US missile strike in Syria

Iranian officials have condemned the American military strike on Syria but appear not to be pushing for an escalation with the United States.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA - APRIL 7: In this handout provided by the U.S. Navy, the guided-missile destroyer USS Ross fires a Tomahawk land attack missile April 7, 2017 in the Mediterranean Sea. The Arleigh Burke-class Ross was one of two destroyers that fired a total of 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield in retaliation for a chemical attack that killed scores of civilians this week. The attack was the first direct U.S. assault on Syria and the government of President Bashar al-Assad in the six-year

How Turkey's 'hasty' support for US missile strike could backfire

Turkey's rash decisions about Syria could make it appear fickle to both Russia and the United States.

Battle damage assessment image of Shayrat Airfield, Syria, is seen in this DigitalGlobe satellite image, released by the Pentagon following U.S. Tomahawk Land Attack Missile strikes from Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, the USS Ross and USS Porter on April 7, 2017. DigitalGlobe/Courtesy U.S. Department of Defense/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. MANDATORY CREDIT. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX34MOP

After US missile strikes, can Tillerson find common ground with Russia in Syria?

US strategy to defeat Islamic State in play as secretary of state heads to Moscow and UN secretary-general calls for restraint.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi at the White House in Washington, U.S., March 20, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX31WIV

Washington sees Iraq as front for Iran pushback

Prime Minister Hader al-Abadi is facing a very problematic challenge as the United States wants to use Iraq as a place to confront Iran.

Men ride a motorbike past a hazard sign at a site hit by an airstrike on Tuesday in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in rebel-held Idlib, Syria April 5, 2017. The hazard sign reads, "Danger, unexploded ammunition". REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah - RTX3475J

Proof of poison gas in Syria massacre could reshape war

Now that autopsies have revealed evidence that chemical weapons were used in the attack in Idlib, calls are louder than ever for action against the Syrian regime and the United States could well respond with force.