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Israel to release 5 Lebanese prisoners ahead of next talks: What to know

Israel said the detainees are "civilians who are not members of a terrorist organization" and "were not involved in terrorism," concluding, "There is no reason to continue holding them in Israel."

ISNA / AFP via Getty Images

US airstrikes target Iran's Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island

American military forces launched their first strikes on the Iranian mainland in more than a month just days after the top US commander for the region said Iranian mines have been cleared from Hormuz shipping lanes.

missile

Analysis

Israel favors status quo as tensions in Iran's leadership fuel escalation risk

Israel would prefer to preserve the current balance of pressure — with US naval blockades and economic measures continuing without a return to active fighting — per a senior Israeli security source.

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

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

Pentagon inks 7-year missile-production deal amid Iran war shortage

The Defense Department has been hammering out new agreements with top defense manufacturers as the Iran war has rapidly depleted Washington's interceptor stockpiles.

Latest News

Analysis

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

Ammar Ammar / AFP via Getty Images

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

Analysis

How Iran is readying for economic protests as Trump escalates pressure

Demonstrations in Tehran, Iran

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

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

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

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

BAY ISMOYO / 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

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson meets with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara, Turkey, March 30, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX33CKX

Tillerson leaves Ankara with no new enemies — or friends

The US secretary of state seems to have made little progress on his first official trip to Turkey, where Rex Tillerson is believed to have confirmed the administration’s decision to press ahead with plans to capture Raqqa with the help of the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces.

An American soldier is seen at the U.S. army base in Qayyara, south of Mosul October 25, 2016. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani - RTX2QEMR

Will US keep military bases in Iraq after IS?

The Iraqi prime minister's recent visit to the United States indicates both parties are interested in maintaining a US presence in Iraq after the Islamic State is forced out. However, Iran-backed militias strongly oppose the idea.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 26: Sen. Robert 'Bob' Menendez (D-NJ) questions witnesses during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing concerning cartels and the U.S. heroin epidemic, on Capitol Hill, May 26, 2016, in Washington, DC. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2002 to 2013 the rate of heroin-related deaths quadrupled in the United States, with most of the increase coming after 2010. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Congress cautiously takes on Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

A bipartisan Senate bill to slap terrorism sanctions on the Iranian military raises questions about its practical impact.

A customer (C) uses an automated teller machine at a branch of Halkbank in Istanbul August 15, 2014. Turkey's state-run lender Halkbank said on Friday it has offer to buy a 76.76 percent stake in Serbian lender Cacanska Banka for an undisclosed sum. Halkbank offered no further details on the potential acquisition in a statement to the Istanbul stock exchange. REUTERS/Osman Orsal (TURKEY - Tags: BUSINESS) - RTR42JV5

Turkey shocked over banker's arrest in New York

The arrest of the vice president for Turkey’s state-owned Halkbank in New York has stunned Ankara and when the shock wears off, it will likely have complex implications for US-Turkish relations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad enter a hall during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, October 20, 2015. Alexei Druzhinin/RIA Novosti/Kremlin/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. IT IS DISTRIBUTED, EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. SEARCH "ALEPPO TIMELINE" FOR THIS STORY - RTX2UYYY

Israel keeps tabs on Putin-Assad alliance

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad reinforces the latter and might lead him to adopt a stronger approach vis-a-vis Israel.

How Egypt plans to boost tech partnerships with US companies

A delegation from Egypt's Communications and Information Technology Ministry has returned from a successful US tour to promote cooperation and investment in information technology.

A Turkish flag (R) flies among others flags of NATO members during the North Atlantic Council (NAC) following Turkey's request for Article 4 consultations, at the Alliance headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, July 28, 2015. Turkey sought moral support for its campaign against militants in Syria and Iraq at an emergency meeting on Tuesday with its North Atlantic allies, with both NATO and Ankara playing down any idea of a call for military help from the alliance. Turkey requested urgent consultations with its

Turkey determined to test NATO

Turkey’s bargaining with Russia for the S-400 air defense system raises a number of military issues, the least of which being that the system is incompatible with NATO's defense structure.

A staff member removes the Iranian flag from the stage during the Iran nuclear talks in Vienna, Austria July 14, 2015. Carlos Barria: For more than a decade the United States and other world powers have participated in talks to reach an agreement on Iranís nuclear program. They and Iran have spent thousands of hours around a table seeking a solution to what the West sees as a threat to global stability if Iran gains the capability to make a nuclear bomb. The last chapter was in Vienna, where I travelled wit

Iran responds to US with 'reciprocal sanctions'

In response to new US sanctions on Iran’s ballistic missile program, Tehran sanctioned US firms that supply the Israeli government with arms and other equipment to support the settlement enterprise.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 14, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTX30ZWC

Saudis jump on Trump bandwagon

After a deep disillusionment with the United States during Obama’s terms in office, the Saudis are now looking toward a better relationship with the Trump administration.

A man looks at Iranian-made missiles at Holy Defence Museum in Tehran September 23, 2015.REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMAATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. NOT FOR USE BY REUTERS THIRD PARTY DISTRIBUTORS. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED BY REUTERS, AS A SERVICE TO CLIENT

Congress takes aim at Iran's ballistic missiles

The House and Senate have wrapped up sanctions legislation just in time for AIPAC confab.

Jason Greenblatt (L), U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Prime Ministerís Office in Jerusalem March 13, 2017. Picture taken March 13, 2017. Courtesy Matty Stern/U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY - RTX319TT

Trump’s envoy surprises Israelis, Palestinians

While the Israeli side was disappointed by the US demands to curb settlement construction, the Palestinian side was pleasantly surprised by the approach of President Donald Trump’s envoy Jason Greenblatt.

The man credited with smuggling 50,000 photos said to document Syrian government atrocities, a Syrian Army defector known by the protective alias Caesar (disguised in a hooded blue jacket), listens to his interpreter as he prepares to speak at a briefing to the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington July 31, 2014. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY) - RTR40T3S

Congress reintroduces Syria sanctions

The House Foreign Affairs panel is expected to take up the bill promptly, but its fate is uncertain in the Senate.