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August 29, 2026

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Analysis

Israel’s Lebanon dilemma: Confront Hezbollah without angering Trump, triggering Iran

Israeli sources point out that the pilot project for Israel's withdrawal and the Lebanese military taking control over the area is not working because of the government's reluctance to search for Hezbollah's weapons in private homes.

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

Demonstrations in Tehran, Iran

Analysis

How Iran is readying for economic protests as Trump escalates pressure

Iranian authorities are bracing for unrest as US pressure collides with a battered economy, fuel price indecision and fresh memories of bloodshed.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

US President Donald Trump arrives at Myrtle Beach International Airport on Aug. 21, 2026, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Trump says Hormuz mine-free as Iran, Oman agree to clear them

The US president again says Hormuz is clear of mines as Iran and Oman announce their plan to clear the strait.

BAY ISMOYO / AFP via Getty Images

China warns US not to interfere with Iran trade: What to know

China's Foreign Ministry said Beijing was firmly opposed to what it called “illegal unilateral sanctions” and would take “all necessary measures” to safeguard its rights.

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Israel recalibrates Syria policy, explores path to security deal

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (C) watches as US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack prepares to sign an agreement in Damascus on September 16, 2025. Shaibani announced on September 16 a plan backed by Jordan and the United States to restore calm to Druze-majority Sweida province, which witnessed deadly violence in July. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP) (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images)

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

In 'warning shot,' US threatens sanctions on Iran’s trading partners

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent addresses the audience during opening remarks at the Ministerial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism at the State Department on July 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. Bessent spoke alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller as they discussed the rise of far-left political terrorism as a transnational threat. (Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images)

Oil falls 1.8% as traders await 'toughest' sanctions on Iran

Leon Neal/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

U.S. troops patrol near Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria, November 4, 2018. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RC1F4F72F170

Syria drawdown raises security risks for US troops

The Donald Trump administration’s drawdown in Syria threatens to disrupt a fragile balance where US troops trade military power for Kurdish protection.

The reactor building at the Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran, 1200 Kms south of Tehran, where Iran has began unloading fuel into the reactor core for the nuclear power plant on October 26, 2010, a move which brings the facility closer to generating electricity after decades of delay. AFP PHOTO/MEHR NEWS/MAJID ASGARIPOUR (Photo credit should read MAJID ASGARIPOUR/AFP/Getty Images)

US permits civil nuclear ties with Iran despite 'maximum pressure'

Iran’s economy struggles under sanctions, floods, mismanagement; Al-Monitor’s Jack Detsch recognized for "exemplary reporting."

A view shows the swearing-in ceremony for Iranian president Hassan Rouhani for a further term, at the parliament in Tehran, Iran, August 5, 2017. Nazanin Tabatabaee Yazdi/TIMA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC18FF0579A0

Hard-liners joined by Reformist in questioning use in staying in Iran nuclear deal

A prominent Iranian Reformist member of parliament publicly questioned the use of remaining in the nuclear accord as Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned of a plot to dupe US President Donald Trump into entering war with Iran.

Oil tankers wait to dock at Tupras refinery near the northwestern Turkish city of Izmit, Turkey, June 28, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC1424A5EB80

Turkey seeks alternate oil sources as US ends Iran sanctions waivers

Ankara vowed to defy US sanctions on Iran, but figures show Turkey heeding US restrictions and curtailing oil imports from Iran.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and his wife Sara stand with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (C) in Jerusalem March 9, 2010, in this picture released by the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO). Biden assured Israel on Tuesday of Washington's commitment to its security and preventing Iran from producing nuclear weapons. REUTERS/Avi Ohayon/GPO/Handout (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. ISRAEL OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL

Biden’s pro-Israel record could help with defense of Iran nuclear deal

The former vice president’s foreign policy experience and pro-Israel credentials could make him an effective supporter of the Iran deal but open him up to attacks from the left.

Jason Greenblatt (C), US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, is reflected in a mirror as he enters a room to hold a news conference with Israeli Minister of Regional Cooperation and the head of the Palestinian Water Authority, in Jerusalem on July 13, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / RONEN ZVULUN (Photo credit should read RONEN ZVULUN/AFP/Getty Images)

US envoy's NYT piece about Hamas stirs speculation

President Donald Trump's envoy for the Mideast peace process, Jason Greenblatt, directly addressed Hamas in a New York Times opinion piece, calling on the Palestinian movement to choose peace over violence.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 9, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RC164AD91510

Has Egypt ditched Arab NATO?

Uncertainty surrounds Egypt’s membership in the US-promoted Middle East Strategic Alliance amid the country’s unconfirmed withdrawal from the project.

Iraq hopes for dilemma-less summer

Iraq’s new government faces potential problems and a cast of quirky characters.

Syria opposition receives military training from Turkey ahead of potential battle against SDF

Free Syrian Army factions in northern Syria are receiving military training under Turkish army supervision in preparation for an imminent battle against the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sits for an interview with Reuters in New York, New York, U.S. April 24, 2019. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri - RC1B01849850

US offers cautious response to Zarif call for prisoner swap

The State Department's measured response to Iran's call for a prisoner swap is a departure from its "maximum pressure" campaign against the country.

Foreign Ministers, Sergei Lavrov (C) of Russia, Mevlut Cavusoglu (L) of Turkey and Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran, attend the international meeting on Syria in Astana, Kazakhstan March 16, 2018. REUTERS/Mukhtar Kholdorbekov - UP1EE3G0MJ01P

Turkey continues to freeze Kurds out of Syria peace talks

Syria peace talks continue in the Kazakh capital, with regional heavyweights battling it out over who will have a spot at the negotiating table.

A general view of the Arak heavy-water project, 190 km (120 miles) southwest of Tehran January 15, 2011. A group of ambassadors to the U.N. atomic watchdog toured an Iranian nuclear site on Saturday, state television reported, and Tehran accused the European Union of missing an historic opportunity by boycotting the visit. REUTERS/ISNA/Hamid Forootan (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY SCI TECH BUSINESS) - GM1E71G09FT01

Forget oil sanctions, end of nuclear cooperation waivers could quietly kill Iran deal

While the United States' stepping up of oil sanctions has gotten more attention lately, a greater threat to the nuclear deal involves the waivers allowing cooperation with Iran on nonproliferation.