Trump

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

Win McNamee/Getty Images

Caught in the middle, Oman shrugs off Trump's latest Iran threat

For the second time in months, President Donald Trump has threatened to strike the US partner as it holds talks with Iran.

Pedestrians walk past a billboard depicting Iran's late Supreme Leaders Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Tehran, Iran, June 15, 2026.

With talks stalled, Iran ups threats against Gulf, Europe: What to know

The threats have raised concerns that the conflict between Iran and the United States could expand beyond the region.

Leon Neal/Getty Images

Oil nears $92 on UAE missile alert as Trump claims Iran talks stuck

Brent crude climbed near $92 a barrel on Tuesday, reaching its highest level this month amid new escalatory developments.

United Arab Emirates

Latest News

US sanctions International Criminal Court president, top lawyer

Analysis

Netanyahu yields to Trump on Gaza, betting Hamas won’t disarm

Ohad Zwigenberg / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

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

Sultan of Oman meets UAE's MBZ as Iran-Hormuz talks advance

His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik pays a private fraternal visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he held a meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the UAE, at Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi, on Aug. 17, 2026.

After meeting Netanyahu, Kushner agrees Hamas disarmament precedes Israel's withdrawal

Jared Kushner

President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for CIA director, John Ratcliffe, appears for a Senate Intelligence confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Jan. 15, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Trump's CIA pick warns of Iran nuclear advancements in confirmation hearing

In his confirmation hearing, John Ratcliffe spoke about Iran's development of nuclear weapons, evidence of Syria's Bashar al-Assad's use of chemical weapons and the FISA.

Smoke plume rising from explosions above destroyed buildings in the northern Gaza Strip on January 13, 2025 amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / AFP) (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images)

Gaza ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas

Three Americans — Keith Seigel, Sagui Dekel-Chen and Edan Alexander — are among the hostages set to be released from Hamas captivity.

US President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, speaks during a Senate Armed Services confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Jan. 14, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Hegseth stresses support for Israel as Senate Dems grill Trump’s Pentagon pick

In a contentious hearing, the former Fox News host signaled a loosening of rules of engagement for troops abroad and stressed his "robust" support for Israel, yet offered few specifics on how he would tackle the Pentagon’s biggest challenges.

Trump and Netanyahu

Analysis

As Gaza deal looms, will Netanyahu choose Trump or Israel’s far right?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to be finding it difficult to play the same stalling game with President-elect Donald Trump he has been playing for months with President Joe Biden.

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

This handout picture provided by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran on Nov. 15, 2024.

Iran to ramp up nuclear power production as talks with E3 begin in Geneva

Iran is once again at the table for talks with the E3 to restore the 2015 nuclear agreement, which was effectively rendered hollow once the US withdrew from the deal under Trump in 2018.

People walk past a guard tower outside the fencing of Camp 5 at the US Military's Prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Jan, 26, 2017.

Analysis

After 23 years, 15 detainees left, will US close Guantanamo detention camp?

Only 15 detainees remain in Guantanamo. With so few inmates left, could the infamous prison close?

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Cecilia Sala

Italian journalist Cecilia Sala lands in Rome after release from Iranian prison

After more than three weeks of detention, Cecilia Sala has been released from Tehran's Evin Prison and was met at the airport in Rome by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Trump and Meloni

After meeting Italy’s Meloni, Trump agrees to halt extradition of Iranian detainee: What we know

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and US President-elect Donald Trump have reportedly agreed to delay a US extradition request for an Iranian citizen to allow Italy to negotiate the return of its journalist Cecilia Sala, currently detained in Iran.

Children stand on a beach in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, on December 30, 2024. The severe storms have caused significant damage to the already fragile living conditions in the camp. (Photo by Youssef Alzanoun / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by YOUSSEF ALZANOUN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Al-Monitor's top 10 most-read articles, interviews of 2024

From Assad's fall in Syria to Israel's wars in Lebanon and Gaza, Al-Monitor remains committed to bringing you unparalleled, independent coverage of the region, engaging with all voices to bring you the full story.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on during a meeting between the top diplomats of Iraq, Syria and Iran at the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, in Baghdad, on Dec. 6, 2024.

Iran’s foreign minister lands in China amid regional and domestic turmoil

The Iranian foreign minister arrived in China on Friday as Iran seeks stability after the weakening of its proxy network, particularly Hezbollah, the fall of Syria’s Assad and its own domestic crises.

Traffic flows on a main road past electricity transmission towers in Tehran, on Dec. 16, 2024.

Iran's energy crisis shuts 80 power plants as rial plummets: What to know

Amid freezing temperatures and increased demand for heat, Iran is facing an acute energy crisis that has all but shut down the country.

US Representative Mike Waltz speaks during a hearing of the House Task Force on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 26, 2024.

Trump's national security adviser says ISIS, Israel border priorities in Syria

Congressman Mike Waltz said the incoming Trump administration will re-designate Yemen’s Houthis as terrorists and said the prospects for Israel-Saudi normalization are “good.”