Defense/Security cooperation

ANKARA, TURKEY - JULY 7: U.S. President Donald Trump (L)shakes hands with with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) during a formal arrival at the Bestepe Presidential Palace during the NATO summit on July 7, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Emrah Gurel - Pool/Getty Images)

Analysis

Israel fears Turkey’s Syria ambitions and doubts Trump will stop them

Israeli officials remain skeptical of Turkish and Syrian denials over Ankara’s military ambitions in Syria, warning that a deeper Turkish foothold could threaten Israel’s security and strain its ties with Washington.

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

LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi crown prince heads to France as ties deepen: What to expect

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will start a visit to Paris this weekend, his fourth to France since his appointment in 2017.

Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government, gives a press conference in the autonomous region's capital Arbil on June 25, 2025.

Interview

Barzani calls for enhanced air defense for Kurdistan Region to counter drone attacks

Iraqi Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani backs US-led regional economic integration efforts and lauds US partnership in an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor.

Masrour Barzani

Masrour Barzani

KRG Prime Minister

AHMAD AL-RUBAYE/AFP via Getty Images

Exclusive

Saudi Arabia wants Iran-backed militia 'heads to roll' in Iraq amid talks with Tehran

Riyadh is pressing Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi to act against the groups behind attacks on the kingdom as Baghdad struggles to balance ties with Tehran and Washington.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Latest News

Syria announces capture of senior ISIS official near Manbij: What to know

SANA

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Jordan's King Abdullah heads to China in first visit since 2015: What to know

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with King of Jordan Abdullah II during a signing ceremony at The Great Hall Of The People on Sept. 9, 2015, in Beijing, China.

US general meets Lebanon’s army chief as ceasefire with Israel teeters

AFP via Getty Images

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Explainer

Three ways China benefits from Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan pact: What to know

SPA

Israeli soldiers patrol in Hebron, West Bank, on Nov. 8, 2025.

Israeli military struggles to retain career soldiers amid Gaza strain, low pay

Two years after the 2023 Hamas attack and the beginning of the Gaza war, a Knesset report reveals that over 600 career soldiers are trying to resign or to retire early.

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 18: Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia (L) and U.S. President Donald Trump watch a military flyover as bin Salman arrives at the White House on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump is hosting the crown prince for meetings aimed at strengthening economic and defense ties, including the U.S. sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia to receive F-35 jets ‘pretty similar’ to Israel’s, Trump says

The US president says he would like to provide both Saudi Arabia and Israel "top-of-the-line" stealth-capable F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, risking potential blowback from Israeli leaders intent to maintain their country's military supremacy in the region.

an waves as they walk down the Colonnade on the way to the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Nov. 18, 2025.

Live Updates

Trump gives MBS red-carpet welcome, touts F-35 deal, $1T Saudi investment

Trump is hosting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House in a high-profile visit aimed at resetting US-Saudi ties and securing major defense, nuclear and investment deals.

An Israel Air Force F-35 fighter lands during the "Blue Flag" multinational air defence exercise at the Ovda air force base, north of Eilat, Israel, Oct. 24, 2021.

Analysis

Trump’s Saudi F-35 deal jolts Israel’s security elite, weakens Netanyahu

The expected sale to Saudi Arabia of American stealth F-35 jets, as well as their sale to Turkey, deeply worries Israel’s security apparatus.

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

Lebanese army chief Rodolphe Haykal (L) with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, March 2025.

US cancels Lebanon army chief visit amid frustration over Hezbollah: What to know

Washington canceled a planned visit by Lebanon’s army commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal, signaling growing US frustration over Lebanon’s delay in disarming Hezbollah.

This photograph shows a pilot disembarking a Belgium's newly purchased Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jet for the first time, after arriving at the Florennes military airbase, southern Belgium on October 13, 2025. (Photo by JOHN THYS / AFP) (Photo by JOHN THYS/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump says US will sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia, first Arab country to acquire jets

The deal could rattle Washington's ties with Israel and is not likely to be approved by Congress unless conditioned on Saudi normalization of ties with Israel.

(COMBO) This combination created on February 24, 2025 of file pictures shows the leader and top candidate for Chancellor of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party Friedrich Merz (L, on February 24, 2025 in Berlin) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (on December 9, 2024 in Jerusalem.. Friedrich Merz, who is expected to be Germany's next chancellor after his conservative CDU/CSU bloc won national elections, said on February 24, 2025 that he would make sure Benjamin Netanyahu "can visit" G

Germany lifts Israel arms embargo: What changed in Berlin?

With the ceasefire in place, even though violated at times, Berlin decided to lift the partial arms embargo it imposed on Israel.

Newly graduated Saudi air force officers march in front of F-15 fighter jets during a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the creation of the King Faisal Air Academy at King Salman airbase in Riyadh on January 25, 2017. / AFP / FAYEZ NURELDINE (Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

With reduced Iranian threat, MBS visit seeks to advance F-35 deal, boost Saudi-US ties

The Trump administration isn't likely to persuade Saudi Arabia's crown prince to normalize ties with Israel by the time they meet Tuesday, but analysts say piecemeal defense deals may now be on the table after Iran has been weakened by its war with Israel.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

US President Donald J. Trump leaves the Saudi Royal Court with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on May 13, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Analysis

Ahead of MBS visit, Saudis link Israel normalization to 3 asks from Trump

President Donald Trump would clearly like to say he persuaded Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalize ties, but neither Sheikh Mohammed bin Salman nor Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seem ready to make the necessary compromises.

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

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 25: Saudi Arabia Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman poses for a photo opportunity ahead of a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the U.S. State Department Building on February 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Earlier this week Salman also visited the Pentagon. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Saudi defense chief visits White House ahead of MBS trip: What to know

Saudi Arabia is seeking to purchase dozens of F-35 fighter jets, but the Trump administration may hold off to leverage the kingdom to normalize ties with Israel, a top ambition of its Middle East policy.

US President Donald Trump meets Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa in the White House, in Washington, on Nov. 10, 2025.

Syria’s Sharaa leaves Washington with warm assurances but no security agreements

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa departed Washington without clinching major security agreements or long-term economic relief.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 23: President of Syria Ahmed al-Shara arrives for the 80th session of the UN’s General Assembly (UNGA) at UN Headquarters on September 23, 2025 in New York City. This year’s theme for the annual global meeting is:“Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.” Gaza and Ukraine are just two of the global emergencies that world leaders will look to address. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

Analysis

As Trump hosts Sharaa, Israel cautiously seeks Syria security deal

Despite optimism in September, Israel and Syria still have not finalized an American-mediated security agreement.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs