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July 14, 2026

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US President Donald Trump gestures as he steps off Air Force One to board the new Qatari-gifted Boeing plane, en route to the United States following his participation in the NATO Summit at Royal Air Force Mildenhall on July 8, 2026, in Mildenhall, England.

Trump says US to strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site

Satellite imagery has detected recent construction at the underground facility.

A man holds a Syrian flag across the street from the White House after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with President Donald Trump at White House in Washington, on Nov. 10, 2025.

Syria, US hold first business forum since sanctions relief: What to know

The one-day forum in Damascus was organized by Syria’s Ministry of Economy and Industry and the US-Syria Business Council, which was established in Washington last June to advance trade and investment between the two nations.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at a Council of Ministers meeting in Baghdad on July 11, 2026.

Analysis

On first foreign trip, Iraqi PM Zaidi woos Trump but Iran casts long shadow

Iraq's new prime minister is in Washington promising business deals and closer ties with the United States, but convincing the Trump administration he can rein in Iran-backed militias may prove his toughest challenge.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Oil climbs after US strikes Iran, Trump vows to control Strait of Hormuz

US Central Command said in a statement early on Monday that it struck dozens of Iranian targets overnight as Iran targeted American bases across the Gulf.

Latest News

Trump says US to resume naval blockade of Iran's ports

U.S. President Donald Trump returns to Joint Base Andrews on July 09, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump, switched from the old Air Force One to the new Air Force One while stopping in the U.K. at RAF Mildenhall Air Force Base was returning from his visit to Ankara, Turkey where he attended the NATO summit. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Analysis

From S-400s to SAMP/T: Turkey’s defense pivot gathers pace after NATO summit

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose after signing a defense partnership agreement on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, July 8, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

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. President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin talk during the family photo session at the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam November 11, 2017. REUTERS/Jorge Silva - RC1B1EDB0E40

Trump-Putin meeting in Helsinki might solve Syrian crisis

Russia and the United States have very different approaches and goals in the Middle East, but they could lead to a solution in Syria.

Congress wants VOA to take hard line on Iran

Accusing US-funded media like Voice of America of being too soft on Iran, Congress and the Donald Trump administration seek to exert more control over its Persian-language news services.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu arrive at the Alliance's headquarters ahead of the NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium July 11, 2018. REUTERS/Paul Hanna - RC1ACFF60500

'Erdoganism' makes Western debut at NATO summit

Though US President Donald Trump is already claiming his share of headlines at the NATO summit, much of the world is waiting to get a look at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's foreign policy approach now that his office has been granted expanded powers with his July 9 inauguration.

Iran supreme leader’s top aide in Moscow to ‘deliver message’

Iran has dispatched to Russia a “special envoy” with a message for President Vladimir Putin only a few days before his scheduled meeting with Donald Trump in Helsinki.

A man walks towards the gate of the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen June 24, 2018. REUTERS/Abduljabbar Zeyad - RC1869894F80

Top Democrats urge Gulf to drop demand for Houthi surrender in Yemen

Some of the House’s most hawkish Democratic leaders rebuked Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over their offensive on the key port of Hodeidah.

David Hale, U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan, speaks at the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi, Pakistan, July 26, 2016. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro - D1BETRTPNFAA

Pompeo looks to career diplomat for State's No. 3 post

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was expected to recommend the nomination of career diplomat David Hale, currently the US ambassador to Pakistan, to be undersecretary of state for political affairs.

US administration silent on Israel's occupation policy

Contrary to former US administrations, President Donald Trump accepts Israel's ongoing occupation and settlement policies without requiring concessions for the Palestinians.

Manbij holds the key to improved Turkish-US ties

Ankara is worried the United States and Russia may be working on a deal in Syria that will be to Turkey's disadvantage.

Why Putin won’t throw Iran under the bus in Syria

Despite speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin may sacrifice Iran's interests in his upcoming summit with US President Donald Trump, Russian policy appears geared toward gaining concessions from the Americans without going beyond Iran’s red lines in Syria.

Congress rebukes Lebanon over Syrian refugee transfers

Congress is asking the State Department to weigh in on Lebanon’s dispute with the UN refugee agency as it seeks to repatriate thousands of Syrian refugees.

How Trump is uniting Rouhani and Iran's Revolutionary Guards

In a dramatic move, Quds Force commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani has publicly praised Iranian President Hassan Rouhani over his toughened rhetoric against the United States and Israel.

Can Russia deliver on Trump’s hope of ousting Iran from Syria?

In the run-up to the Putin-Trump summit, Russia weighs a possible deal with the United States on Syria, but can it deliver on Washington's vision of an Iran-free Syria?