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Turkey and Israel Vie for Middle East Influence as Tensions Spike

29 August 2026 at 12:03
Israel’s strike on a Syrian base to pre-empt the feared deployment of Turkish forces was part of a growing competition in the Middle East and beyond.

© Ugur Yildirim/Dia Photo, via Associated Press

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Turkey, this year. Analysts and officials fear the growing rivalry between Turkey and Israel could exacerbate volatility in the Middle East.

Saudi Response to Houthis’ Attacks on Ships May Be a New War

27 August 2026 at 14:59
Analysts say that weeks of Houthi attacks on Saudi targets have brought the kingdom and the Iranian-backed militia to the brink of full-blown conflict, and could open a new front in the Iran war.

© Khaled Abdullah/Reuters

A demonstration in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, in support of the Houthi militia last month. The Houthis, who control northern Yemen on Saudi Arabia’s southern border, are supported by Iran.
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