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November 6, 2026

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A protest sign is seen near the White House the day after Election Day

Feature

Emboldened Democrats gear up to challenge Trump over Iran war, Gulf business ties

Democrats are weighing options to enforce Congress’ authority to declare war.

Elizabeth Hagedorn

By Elizabeth Hagedorn

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

An aerial view shows a campaign billboard depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud party and President Donald Trump in Tel Aviv, on Oct. 26, 2026, on the eve of Israel's legislative elections.

Explainer

Democrats’ midterm sweep tests US-Israel ties as Eisenkot vows reset

Political sources describe the Democrats' midterm victory as a political blow to both US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Latest News

From Tehran to Tel Aviv, Democrats’ midterm triumph sparks Middle East reactions

The sun sets on the US Capitol on Election Day evening on Nov. 3, 2026 in Washington.

'Generational wipeout': Democratic gains to reshape Trump's final years

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Gulf markets gain, oil falls as Democrats win Congress

Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via 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

Turkey probes US prosecutor in Zarrab trial twist

A top Turkish prosecutor is formally investigating the US prosecutor in the trial of Iranian-Turkish businessman Reza Zarrab, demanding information about the evidence compiled for the gold trader's sanctions-busting activities.

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner sits behind U.S. President Donald Trump during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., November 1, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RC1D4FEC9240

Has Kushner given Riyadh carte blanche?

Diplomats and military chiefs worry Jared Kushner's peace play could be giving Saudis and Emiratis a sense of entitlement to take overreaching, hard-line actions that could destabilize the region.

Foreign ministers, Sergei Lavrov (front) of Russia, Mevlut Cavusoglu (2nd R) of Turkey, Mohammad Javad Zarif (R) of Iran, and members of the delegations attend a meeting in Moscow, Russia, December 20, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov - LR1ECCK0W9ZRG

Turkey, Iran, Russia: Trilateral distrust in Syria

Iran and Turkey are concerned that Russia might exploit them at some point to achieve its own goals in Syria.

The Palestine Liberation Organization office is seen in Washington, U.S., November 19, 2017. U.S. State Department official said that under legislation passed by Congress, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson could not renew a certification that expired this month for the PLO office. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas - RC1155BD2A70

Palestinians point finger at Israel for crisis with US

Palestinians blame Israel's ambassador to the United States for acting to close the PLO Washington office.

Posters depicting Saad al-Hariri, who announced his resignation as Lebanon's prime minister from Saudi Arabia, is seen at airport high way in Beirut, Lebanon November 19, 2017. REUTERS/Jamal Saidi - RC119900A480

Can Lebanon handle truth about Hariri, Saudi Arabia?

Saad Hariri faces his own court of conscience; US-Iran relations revert to axis of evil days.

Russia's winning the war for Turkish public's trust

Aided by the West's growing irritation with and neglect of Ankara, Moscow is convincing the Turkish public that Russia is its most reliable defense and security ally.

How Saudi regional moves impact Israel

The Saudi desire to change its role from a behind-the-scenes player to a forefront leader pushes it to engage in the US-led Mideast peace initiative.

Women walk past a collapsed roof of a building destroyed by a Saudi-led air strike in Yemen's capital Sanaa September 7, 2015. Jets belonging to a Saudi-led coalition killed at least 20 people at a wake in northern Yemen on Sunday, local tribesmen said, as warplanes pounded Houthis and other forces behind a missile strike that had killed dozens of Gulf Arab soldiers. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah - GF10000196256

US support for Saudi war in Yemen soars under Trump

The Defense Department more than doubled US refueling support for Saudi Arabia’s campaign against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen over the past year amid rising congressional opposition.

Zaka emergency personnel clean a bloodstain from the ground at the scene of a Palestinian stabbing attack in Tel Aviv, Israel November 19, 2015. REUTERS/Nir Elias - GF20000066046

House advances diluted bill cutting Palestinian aid

Original supporters of the Taylor Force Act say pushback from Democrats and the Trump administration has watered down their legislation.

Putin-Trump statement on Syria contradicts Erdogan’s calculations

A joint statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump that there is no military solution in Syria infuriated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

An Airbus A321 painted in IranAir's livery rests on the tarmac as the company takes delivery of the first new Western jet under an international sanctions deal in Colomiers, near Toulouse, France, January 11, 2017. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau - LR1ED1B13U7DL

Congress moves bill jeopardizing Iran nuclear deal

New legislation could violate the JCPOA by impeding aircraft sales to Iran.

Can US-Turkey relations be salvaged?

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim’s visit to Washington last week produced little to suggest a new chapter in ties is about to be opened.