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Artillery units are positioned near the Lebanese border in northern Israel, May 4, 2026.

Analysis

Israel’s drone dilemma: Hezbollah’s low-cost threat reshapes Lebanon front

While Israeli and Lebanese delegations are set to meet in Washington for the third time, the Israeli military faces a growing threat from Hezbollah’s cheap yet highly lethal drones.

By Ben Caspit

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

The helicopter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lands on Abdulhamid Han drill ship, the fourth built by Turkey, in Mersin on Aug. 9, 2022, before being sent for gas exploration to an undisputed area in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Gazipasa.

New Turkey maritime draft bill fuels EastMed tensions with Greece, Cyprus

Turkey’s draft maritime bill seeks to formalize Ankara’s claims in the Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean and Black seas, raising tensions with Greece and Cyprus over contested maritime boundaries and offshore energy rights.

Turkey

Kuwait unveils Iran IRGC infiltration plot, arrests 4: What to know

According to Kuwaiti authorities, four suspects arrested earlier this month after attempting to enter the country illegally via the sea confessed to belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and planning attacks against Kuwait.

Kuwait

Lebanon authorities release Salafist cleric Khaled Hablas: What to know

Hablas was imprisoned for his role in the deadly 2014 clashes with the military and Hezbollah and his release follows Syria lobbying for the return of militants detained in Lebanon.

Lebanon

Pictured in this undated image is the Al-Thawra oil field in Raqqa governorate, as rehabilitation works continue to restore production capacity.

Syria restores Raqqa oil field in former ISIS stronghold: What to know

Before Syria's civil war erupted in 2011, national oil production stood at between 400,000 and 500,00 barrels per day before falling to under 100,000 bpd during the conflict.

Syria

Latest News

US hits China-linked Iran oil trade with sanctions ahead of Trump trip

A picture taken on March 12, 2017, shows an Panamanian tanker docking at the platform of the oil facility in the Khark Island, on the shore of the Gulf.

Iran

After year away, France returns ambassador to Algeria: What to know

French Deputy Armed Forces Minister Alice Rufo

Algeria

Rubio hosts Ethiopia’s FM amid push to boost security ties: What to know

Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos Hessebon meets with Marco Rubio in Washington on May 11, 2026.

Sudan

Trump calls Iran response 'piece of garbage,' set to meet military advisers

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MAY 2: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to journalists before boarding Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport on May 2, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump is spending the weekend at his Mar-A-Lago resort. (Photo by Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)

United States

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US government's energy arm assumes Strait of Hormuz will stay shut through late May

Reuters

Writer Paul Laverty railed at Hollywood at the Cannes Film Festival

'Shame on Hollywood': Cannes-winning writer rails at stance on Gaza

Agence France-Presse

United Arab Emirates Minister of Foreign Trade, Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, poses for a portrait on the sidelines of the UAE-Chad Trade and Investment Forum, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, November 10, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky

UAE sees rapidly growing trade with Syria, as ties warm

Reuters

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine say nearly $29 billion has been spent by the military on the war against Iran

Pentagon says US cost of Iran war nearing $29 billion

Agence France-Presse

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Interviews

Exclusive conversations with AL-MONITOR.

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Interview

UAE official says opening Hormuz integral to any Iran deal, describes infrastructure damage 'manageable'

Abdulla Balalaa

UAE assistant minister of foreign affairs for energy and sustainability

Interview

Minister warns aid cuts to Lebanon risk empowering Hezbollah

Haneen Sayyed

Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs

Interview

Despite Trump’s U-turns, US may still support Iran’s Kurds, says Komala’s Mohtadi

A armed Kurdish Peshmerga of the Komala party waves the Komala flag in a ceremony held in memory of Komala Martyrs' Day in Sidakan, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, on March 17, 2021.

Abdulla Mohtadi

Leader of Komala

Interview

Olmert: Only Israel-Lebanon deal can curb Hezbollah, occupation 'unviable'

Ehud Olmert

Former Israeli prime minister

Analysis

Stay a step ahead of your colleagues.

Analysis

From drones to deterrence: Turkey's ICBM missile signals bigger ambitions

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MAY 06: A man poses for a photograph in front of the newly unveiled, Turkish made intercontinental ballistic missile Yildirimhan at the SAHA International Defence and Aerospace Expo on May 06, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. The International Defence and Aerospace Exhibition, showcased Turkish and foreign companies new products and technology. The expo was dominated by UAV products as modern warfare increasingly shifts to drone and unmanned technologies. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Analysis

Why Iran's wartime behavior risks lasting rupture with Gulf states

A woman walks past a banner featuring Iran's late supreme leaders, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (L) and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (C), next to newly elected Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in Tehran on April 19, 2026.

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Analysis

CIA report on Iran missiles undercuts Netanyahu as war euphoria dissipates

Traffic passes a billboard depicting Iranian ballistic missiles in service, with text in Arabic reading "the honest [person's] promise" and in Persian "Israel is weaker than a spider's web," Valiasr Square, Tehran, April 15, 2024. ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images.

By Ben Caspit

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

Analysis

Israel’s drone dilemma: Hezbollah’s low-cost threat reshapes Lebanon front

By Ben Caspit

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

Joyce Karam, Randa Slim, Hamidreza Azizi, Hasan Alhasan

Iran War at One Month: Outlook and Implications

April 1, 2026