Middle East

Command decisions: CENTCOM chief Brad Cooper's ups and downs in shaping Trump's war on Iran

MILITARY AFFAIRS: New revelations on Iran's Hormuz blockade, Cooper's secret call to Zamir, US base vulnerabilities, missile threats, and CENTCOM's influence on the war's strategic goals.

US CENTRAL COMMAND chief Adm. Brad Cooper has played a pivotal role in shaping American military strategy toward Iran and the wider Middle East. Here, he testifies before lawmakers in Washington in May.
Hamas members look on as they escort members of the Red Cross towards an area within the yellow line, in Gaza City, November 12, 2025.

Attacks against Saudi airport kill three, PM staff accused of fudging Oct. 7 records

Posters featuring portraits of the late Alireza Tangsiri and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are held by attendees of a funeral procession for IRGC Navy Chief Alireza Tangsiri, alongside other senior naval commanders and their families who were killed in US-Israeli strikes in late March, on April 1, 2026.

Israel assassinated Iran's navy chief over fears he could lead a more dangerous IRGC - exclusive

Houthi supporters gather in solidarity with the movement as fighting escalates across several fronts, in Sanaa, Yemen, October 7, 2026. Houthi supporters gather in solidarity with the movement as fighting escalates across several fronts, in Sanaa, Yemen, October 7, 2026.

Houthis abduct, indoctrinate kids to believe they are fighting Jews, Yemeni journalist tells 'Post'


Israeli spy Eli Cohen may have been buried near Damascus barracks, Syrian official claims

“We said the Israelis would not let the matter go and would try to obtain his remains, so each of us began suggesting a place where he could be buried,” Jawish told Al Majalla.

Reproduction of an Israeli stamp being issued to honour the Mossad intelligence agency spy Eli Cohen who was hanged in Damascus

'Finding Peace in the Promised Land': From the Israel Trail to a new path for peace - review

In a region long portrayed as a graveyard of peace plans, Author Aryeh Green refuses to accept despair as our inevitable destiny and trailblazes a way forward.

WALL OF PEACE.

Trump’s friendship with Erdogan ignores Turkey’s hosting of Hamas - opinion

Maybe Trump is enamored by the flattery that he’s received from Erdogan, who knows just how important it is for the American president to hear how wonderful his efforts are in trying to broker peace.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomes US President Donald Trump at Ankara Airport, who is paying an official visit to Turkey ahead of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7, 2026.

The US and Israel must come to Saudi Arabia’s aid - opinion

The Saudis soon realized that in the Middle East at least, the military and terrorist power Iran and its proxies possessed would prevail over Saudi’s financial clout. Hariri was assassinated in 2005.

Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman meets UAE Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, September 29, 2026.

The dream of normalization with Saudi Arabia clouded Netanyahu’s judgment - opinion

Three years after October 7, it is becoming increasingly clear that the question of normalization with Saudi Arabia lay at the heart of the calculations and thinking on both sides.

 Illustrative image of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman

USS George H.W. Bush anchors in Thailand for recreational visit after Middle East deployment

A local mayor had estimated that each US service member from the Lincoln could spend up to 3,000 baht ($89) per day during the visit.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) transits the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 15, 2026.

Netanyahu instructs NSC to appoint overseer, probe security aspects of flydubai hijacking

The Transportation Ministry rejected responsibility for conducting intelligence background checks on foreign airline pilots.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen during a cabinet meeting, in Jerusalem, January 3, 2023

Yemen launches counteroffensive against Houthis, flydubai hijacker's motives under investigation

Pete Hegseth says US 'hell-bent' on keeping Iran from achieving nuclear weapons • Iran delays renewing Hamas financial support over failure to undermine West Bank stability • Iran executes detainee

A US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle is refueled by a KC-135 Stratotanker while patrolling the skies over the Middle East.

US remains 'hell-bent' on preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, says Hegseth

The US defense secretary said Trump would have every military option available, maintained that Washington controls the Strait of Hormuz, and acknowledged that Iran is attempting to rebuild its damag

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth salutes as he delivers his 2026 "State of the Force" address to US junior officers and enlisted leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Virginia, US, September 30, 2026.

Trump, Vance discuss Iran, Yemen with top security aides at secret Camp David meeting - Axios

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA director John Ratcliffe, and Gen. Dan Caine all attended the meeting, according to Axios.

US Vice President JD Vance (L) welcomes US President Donald Trump to the stage on the second day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center on September 10, 2026 in Dallas, Texas.