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May 12, 2026

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Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos Hessebon meets with Marco Rubio in Washington on May 11, 2026.

Rubio hosts Ethiopia’s FM amid push to boost security ties: What to know

In response to heightening regional volatility, Ethiopia is prioritizing a strategic partnership with the Washington to secure its geopolitical standing.

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MAY 2: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to journalists before boarding Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport on May 2, 2026 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump is spending the weekend at his Mar-A-Lago resort. (Photo by Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)

Trump calls Iran response 'piece of garbage,' set to meet military advisers

A US Navy nuclear submarine reached port in Gibraltar on Sunday in an unsubtle signal from the Pentagon.

Ronen Zvulun / AFP via Getty Images

Netanyahu fears being left out as Trump pursues Iran diplomacy

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was not surprised by President Donald Trump’s suspension of Project Freedom and move toward talks with Iran, but analysts say Washington may not be fully weighing Israel's concerns in negotiations with Tehran.

Latest News

Analysis

CIA report on Iran missiles undercuts Netanyahu as war euphoria dissipates

Traffic passes a billboard depicting Iranian ballistic missiles in service, with text in Arabic reading "the honest [person's] promise" and in Persian "Israel is weaker than a spider's web," Valiasr Square, Tehran, April 15, 2024. ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images.

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

US strikes Iran tankers as UAE reports fresh missile, drone attacks

Getty

Analysis

China shores up Iran support as Trump seeks exit

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi of Iran meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi of China in Beijing on May 6, 2026. Credit: Telegram

Joyce Karam

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

Iranian-made Emad missile is displayed during a ceremony marking the 37th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, in Tehran February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RTX26GRZ

Can Congress compromise on bipartisan Iran sanctions law?

Senate Foreign Relations Committee leaders say they're getting closer to an agreement on non-nuclear sanctions.

A Turkish soldier on an armoured military vehicle surveys the border line between Turkey and Syria, near the southeastern city of Kilis, Turkey, March 2, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTS115IB

Turkey, US, Russia military chiefs meet to discuss anti-IS strategy

Turkey, Russia and the United States met today in Antalya, Turkey, in an attempt to find common ground in the battle against the Islamic State in Syria, but they disagree in regard to which groups in the Syrian war are terrorists.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony for new Attorney General Jeff Sessions (R) at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 9, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTX30D9Z

Is spotlight on Trump’s Russia ties slowing US-Russia cooperation in Syria?

Intense scrutiny and investigations of possible ties between Trump associates and Russia may complicate prospects for US-Russian cooperation in the fight against IS and in Syria. It may happen anyway.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia June 7, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Shipenkov/Pool - RTSGEGA

The Putin-Trump era of Middle East negotiations

The Palestinian leadership is encouraged by indications that Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to play a major role in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends the graduation of 83 aviation and military science at the Air Force Academy in Cairo, Egypt July 20, 2016 in this handout picture courtesy of the Egyptian Presidency. The Egyptian Presidency/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RTSIXGQ

Is an 'Arab NATO' in the works?

Reports claim that the US administration is currently discussing the formation of a joint Arab force with Arab countries, an idea Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had suggested before.

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks aboard the pre-commissioned U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford at Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding facilities in Newport News, Virginia, U.S. March 2, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTS1177C

What’s stopping Rouhani from reaching out to Trump?

While some Iranians argue that more should have been done to improve relations with the United States under former President Barack Obama, not everyone in Iran agrees.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (unseen) deliver joint statements during their meeting in Jerusalem November 10, 2016. REUTERS/Heidi Levine/Pool - RTX2T16O

Is Putin Bibi's new 'bestie'?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin have developed a surprising rapport and unexpected coordination between their countries on Syria.

Could Turkey’s misstep in Manbij provide template for Raqqa?

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s latest threat complicates Pentagon planning to oust the Islamic State from its so-called capital; United States provides intelligence for Iraqi strike in Syria.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani attend a news conference after the talks in Tehran, Iran, November 23, 2015. To match Insight RUSSIA-IRAN/ Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/Kremlin/File Photo via Reuters ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RTX2BOG5

Why Iran won’t work as a bargaining chip between Russia, US

Russia and Iran have enough overlapping interests to keep their relationship strong, even if the United States tries to interfere.

A rebel fighter prepares his weapon on the outskirts of the northern Syrian town of al-Bab, Syria February 1, 2017. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi - RTX2Z78Z

Defense spending bill bans funding for MANPADS in Syria

Congress released legislation on Thursday that would hamstring the Trump administration's ability to deliver shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles to vetted rebels.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson meets with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini at the State Department in Washington, U.S., February 9, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - RTX30C9R

What EU’s Mogherini, Tillerson agreed on

European Union leaders are exploring new policies on the Middle East, including the idea of convening a Madrid II conference.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attends a news conference after a meeting with his counterparts Walid al-Muallem from Syria and Sergei Lavrov from Russia in Moscow, Russia, October 28, 2016. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin - RTX2QU7H

Did Iran’s foreign minister write to Tillerson?

An Iranian hard-line member of parliament has claimed that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is engaged in correspondence with the US secretary of state.