Middle East

Minnesota Lawmaker Shot Dead, Another Wounded in Targeted Attack
Minnesota Lawmaker Shot Dead, Another Wounded in Targeted Attack

A gunman shot two Democratic state lawmakers in Minnesota early Saturday, killing one and her husband and wounding the other, in what the northern US state's governor said were "politically motivated" attacks. The shootings came at a moment of deep political divisions in the United States, as thousands prepared to take to the ...

Iran-US Mediator Oman Says No Nuclear Talks on Sunday
Iran-US Mediator Oman Says No Nuclear Talks on Sunday

A sixth round of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington planned for this weekend has been cancelled, mediator Oman said Saturday, following waves of Israeli attacks on Iran. "The Iran US-talks scheduled to be held in Muscat this Sunday will not now take place," Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said in a post on X, adding that "diplomacy ...

How Much Damage Has Israel Inflicted on Iran's Nuclear Program
How Much Damage Has Israel Inflicted on Iran's Nuclear Program

Israel's strikes on Iran have taken aim at its nuclear facilities, amid fears that the Islamic republic is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, an accusation Tehran denies. Experts told AFP that while the attacks might have caused some damage to Iran's nuclear program, they are unlikely to have delivered a fatal blow. What Is the Extent ...

Israel Strikes Iranian Targets for Second Consecutive Day
Israel Strikes Iranian Targets for Second Consecutive Day

Israel's military on midday Saturday said it was "currently" launching attacks for the second consecutive day on several sites across Iran as it kept up its campaign targeting the Islamic republic's military and nuclear sites. The Israeli military announced that it had eliminated more than 20 senior Iranian military officials in ...

Baghdad Asks Iran to Avoid Strikes on US Targets in Iraq
Baghdad Asks Iran to Avoid Strikes on US Targets in Iraq

Baghdad has asked Tehran not to target US interests on Iraqi soil, a senior security official said Saturday, as Washington's ally Israel and Iran traded blows, heightening tensions across the region. The government in Baghdad is a close ally of Tehran but also a strategic partner of Iran's arch-foe, the United States, which has some 2,500 troops ...

Can Ahmad al-Sharaa Deliver on His Anti-ISIS Policy?
Can Ahmad al-Sharaa Deliver on His Anti-ISIS Policy?

Ahmad al-Sharaa, once a senior figure in the jihadist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has emerged as a central player in post-Assad Syria. Since taking power in December 2024 in a country ravaged by 13 years of war, Sharaa has positioned himself as a pragmatic and reform-minded leader, both to foreign governments and Syria’s deeply ...

Strikes, Drones, and Retaliation: Iran's Mullahs Now Fight for Survival, Not Victory
Strikes, Drones, and Retaliation: Iran's Mullahs Now Fight for Survival, Not Victory

Once again, the Middle East has awoken to the metallic taste of war. But this time, it wasn’t merely a warning shot but rather a slap in the face. Israel launched its “Operation Rising Lion” against Iran, targeting nuclear sites, ballistic missile bases, military airports, and even high-ranking figures deep within the regime’s security ...

Israel-Iran Conflict:  What We Know More than 24 Hours After it Started
Israel-Iran Conflict: What We Know More than 24 Hours After it Started

Israel struck Iranian nuclear and military facilities with a barrage of missiles on Friday, killing several top officials and prompting a counter-attack by Iran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's attack on its arch-rival would last "as many days" as needed, and cited Israeli intelligence that Tehran was approaching the "point of no ...

Striking the Head of the Snake
Op-edStriking the Head of the Snake

The past twenty months have been devastating for Iran's Arab proxies, and seen a major reversal of fortune for Iran's leaders. But until June 12, Iran had not faced an existential threat despite its evident weaknesses and miscalculations in the conduct of its regional war against Israel. That reality changed overnight with Israel's dramatic ...

Marines Deploy in Los Angeles Ahead of Mass Anti-Trump Protests
Marines Deploy in Los Angeles Ahead of Mass Anti-Trump Protests

Armed Marines arrived on the streets of Los Angeles Friday, part of a large deployment of troops ordered by Donald Trump that has raised the stakes between the US president and opponents claiming growing authoritarianism. Men in fatigues and carrying semiautomatic rifles were seen around a federal building, where passersby questioned why they ...