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August 22, 2026

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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.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian holds a press conference on Aug. 19, 2026.

China slams Trump over economic war on Iran: What to know

China’s once significant oil imports from Iran have been impacted by the war in the region and increasing US sanctions.

Latest News

Explainer

King Abdullah visits China as region hedges against US unpredictability

King Abdullah II arrives in Beijing, Aug. 20, 2026. Photo from Xinhua/Chen Yehua.

Trump’s Iran ‘economic D-Day’ threat sends oil prices above $94

Iranians drive past an anti-US billboard at Enghelab Square in central Tehran, Aug. 3, 2026.

US sanctions International Criminal Court president, top lawyer

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

Russian Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine Krasnodar sets sail in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Black Sea during a hazy morning, in Istanbul, Turkey, August 7, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC1B0857E100

Turks accuse CIA of engineering failed coup

The arrest order Turkish prosecutors issued for Graham Fuller, a former CIA official, appears to be a Russian-Turkish joint production.

Is Trump's Mideast initiative one-sided?

Palestinians worry that US President Donald Trump is pressuring the pragmatic Sunni leadership to accept an American plan that would be closer to the Israeli position than to the Palestinian one.

Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo speaks at The Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, U.S. April 13, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Thayer - RC19305DC520

Trump eyes Iran hawk to replace Tillerson

The US president is said to want CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who has advocated bombing Iran’s nuclear program, to become America’s top diplomat.

With killing of Iranian-American, Iran turns tables on US

The killing of an Iranian-American by American police has been condemned by Iranian officials.

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan attends a news conference after the talks with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Russia November 13, 2017. REUTERS/Pavel Golovkin/Pool - UP1EDBD1JKFEI

Zarrab fingers Erdogan in NY trial bombshell

Iranian-Turkish gold trader Reza Zarrab, testifying before a New York jury, has implicated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his former economy minister in a massive sanctions-busting scheme as Turkey does its frantic best to spin the story at home.

Turkey squeezed between American hammer, Russian anvil on Syrian stage

The Kurdish issue is only one of the catalysts to indicate Turkey’s weakened posture in Syria, the Middle East and the world.

An employee arranges an Israeli national flag next to a U.S. one at the residence of Israel's President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem, ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama's visit, March 18, 2013. Obama is due to make his first official visit to Israel and the Palestinian Territories this week, looking to improve ties with both camps after a sometimes rocky first term in office. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - GM1E93I1IMJ01

US Jews losing faith in Israel

Many American Jews feel that the Netanyahu government favors Orthodox Jews over those belonging to progressive Judaism streams and, as a result, are questioning their ties to Israel.

U.S. President Donald Trump, surrounded by empty chairs marked for U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), who chose not to meet with Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), speaks with reporters at the White House in Washington, U.S. November 28, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC1B1D35A940

Congress pushes Tunisia aid compact to counter Trump cuts

The fledgling North African democracy is dispatching dignitaries to argue for a multi-year memorandum of understanding to help combat terrorism and social unrest.

Iran’s president: both diplomacy, military power needed in face of threats

Iran’s president said his country doesn’t seek confrontation with Saudi Arabia.

A Kurdish fighter from the People's Protection Units (YPG) looks out of a window in Raqqa, Syria June 18, 2017. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC14F5DB6150

US faces uphill battle recouping arms from Syrian Kurds

As the fight against the Islamic State winds down, the Donald Trump administration says it plans to get back the weapons it loaned to Kurdish troops opposed by Turkey.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani together with his counterparts, Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan, attend a joint news conference following their meeting in Sochi, Russia November 22, 2017. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1D16F4FF70

Sochi summit leaves Turkey facing unsavory possibilities

It's unknown how far Moscow will go to appease Ankara with regard to the Syrian Kurds.

A fighter of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) carries a weapon as he stands near a military vehicle in Raqqa, Syria, October 16, 2017. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RC1A33A0C9A0

Trump promises to end 'nonsense' of arming Syrian Kurds, Turkey says

Turkish officials say the US president promised Turkey’s leader that arms shipments to Kurds fighting the Islamic State would stop, but observers worry such a move will cost Washington a key partner and undermine stabilization efforts in Syria.