The Pentagon says Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is sending additional bomber aircraft and Navy warships to the Middle East to bolster the U.S. presence in the region.

Many American voters are concerned that the ongoing situation in the Middle East will escalate into an even broader conflict.

Global oil prices are falling sharply after a retaliatory strike by Israel over the weekend targeted Iranian military sites rather than its energy infrastructure as had been feared.

Israel has unleashed predawn airstrikes against military sites in Iran.

Israel has attacked Iran with pre-dawn airstrikes in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired on Israel earlier this month.

Israeli military strikes are targeting Iran’s armed proxies across a nearly 2,000-mile stretch of the Middle East and are threatening Iran itself.

Oil prices climbed this week as unrest in the Middle East escalated.

Wars, a refugee crisis, famine, and artificial intelligence could all be recognized with Nobel Prizes.

Iran launched at least 180 missiles into Israel, the latest in a series of escalating attacks in a yearslong conflict between Israel and Iran and its Arab allies.

U.S. stocks pulled back from their records after a sharp escalation of tensions in the Middle East raised worries about potential disruptions to the flow of oil.

The Pentagon says is sending a “few thousand” additional troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to be prepared to defend Israel if necessary.

A U.S. Navy replenishment ship operating in the Middle East has sustained damage and the cause is under investigation.

The Pentagon says the U.S. is sending a small number of additional troops to the Middle East in response to a sharp spike in violence between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon that is raising the risk of a greater regional war.

The U.S. is sending several additional Air Force fighter jet squadrons to the Middle East, beefing up what has already been an increased military presence there as the region teeters on the brink of all-out war.

The U.S. has imposed sweeping sanctions against hundreds of firms across Russia, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, accusing them of providing products and services that enable Russia’s war effort and aiding its ability to evade sanctions.

The Pentagon says Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a guided missile submarine to the Middle East and is telling the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to sail more quickly to the area.

Bob Woodward’s next book, continuing a long tradition of election year releases, will focus on the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and their place in American presidential politics.

Top U.S. national security leaders are calling for calm in the Middle East and say they are directly pressing Israel, Iran and others to avoid escalating the conflict.

The Pentagon has announced that the U.S. will move a fighter jet squadron to the Middle East and maintain an aircraft carrier in the region.

The Pentagon has announced that the U.S. will move a fighter jet squadron to the Middle East and maintain an aircraft carrier in the region.

The helicopter crash in which Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreign minister and other officials were killed is likely to reverberate across the Middle East, where Iran’s influence runs wide and deep.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to China this coming week as Washington and Beijing try to keep ties on an even keel despite major differences on a range of issue, from the Middle East to opioids.

Israel’s military chief says Israel will respond to Iran’s weekend missile strike.

Big banks warned of an uncertain year ahead after mixed financial results during the first quarter in an environment of stubbornly high inflation and geopolitical clashes in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere.

Iran has marked the 45th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution amid tensions gripping the wider Middle East over Israel’s continued war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

After three years of exceptional sales growth, McDonald’s is returning to Earth.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers is raising concerns over a series of recent U.S. military strikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels.

The U.S. Navy’s top Mideast commander says Iran is “very directly involved” in ship attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels during Israel’s war against Hamas.

Henry Kissinger's legacy in the Mideast is the pursuit of what's possible, not necessarily peace, in one of the world's most intractable conflicts.

Countries in the Middle East that have normalized or are considering normalizing relations with Israel are coming under growing public pressure to cut those ties because of Israel’s war with Hamas.

Thousands of years of history are hard to sum up in one article on the internet, but here, the KSAT Explains team is breaking down some of the key conflicts that have transpired involving Israel, Gaza and its surrounding areas since Israel gained its independence in 1948.

Russia has issued carefully calibrated criticism of both sides in the war between Israel and Hamas.

The White House is developing “prudent contingency planning” to evacuate Americans from the Middle East in case the Israel-Hamas war spreads into a broad regional conflict.

The Pentagon has sent advisers, including a Marine Corps general versed in urban warfare, to Israel to assist in its plans to conduct a ground assault in Gaza.

Fifty years after the 1973 Arab oil embargo, the current crisis in the Middle East has the potential to disrupt global oil supplies and raise prices.

The explosion of Israeli-Palestinian violence has Arab leaders faulting a Biden administration policy that moved away from big U.S. pushes for a broad Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are meeting with national security officials as the Israel-Hamas conflict intensifies, according to the White House.

Officials in Kuwait and Lebanon have moved to ban “Barbie” as the film is set to open across the Middle East.

Jill Biden will promote women and youth empowerment and plans to attend a royal wedding in Jordan during an upcoming trip to the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.

This photo gallery highlights some of the most compelling images made or published by Associated Press photographers in the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan in March 2023.

Economies across the Middle East and Central Asia will likely slow this year as persistently high inflation and rising interest rates bite into their post-pandemic gains.

A rights group says in a new report that security agencies and government officials across several countries in the Middle East and North Africa have been using social media platforms and mobile dating apps to crack down on LGBTQ people.

A Russian arms dealer, his son and a group of front companies across Asia, Europe and the Middle East and their leadership have been targeted for U.S. sanctions in an effort to quell Russia’s access to weapons to continue its invasion of Ukraine.

Patriot missile systems have long been a hot ticket item for the U.S. and allies in contested areas of the world as a coveted shield against incoming missiles.

The U.S. team’s victory over Iran at the World Cup was closely watched across the Middle East.

Polish soldiers have begun laying razor wire along Poland’s border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.

The top U.S. military commander for the Middle East boarded a U.S. ballistic missile submarine in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday.

They literally run the country.

The eastern Mediterranean and Middle East are warming almost twice as fast as the global average, with temperatures projected to rise up to 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century if no action is taken to reverse the trend, a new report says.

The United States military says it flew a pair of nuclear-capable B-52 long-distance bombers over the Middle East in a show of force, the latest such mission in the region as tensions remain high between Washington and Tehran.

Agreements to unblock Ukrainian grain stuck at Black Sea ports for nearly six months of war also gave a boost to Russia's food and fertilizer.

President Joe Biden has wrapped up his four-day visit to the Middle East.

President Joe Biden's visit to the Middle East comes as the region is experiencing dramatic changes and struggling to address deep problems.

The World Health Organization says the number of coronavirus cases rose by 18% in the last week, with more than 4.1 million new cases reported globally.

The United Nations says prices for world food commodities like grains and vegetable oils have reached their highest levels ever because of Russia's war in Ukraine.

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan — when the faithful fast from dawn to dusk — has begun in much of the Middle East, where Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent energy and food prices soaring.

Senior U.S. commanders tell Congress that the complete U.S. military withdrawals from Afghanistan and Somalia last year have made it more difficult for the U.S. to counter terror groups that aspire to attack America and its allies.

The World Health Organization says the number of new coronavirus cases and deaths globally have continued to fall in the past week.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has brought up deep divisions in the Middle East, where Moscow has made itself a key player in recent years.

The Saudi foreign minister says his country views Cyprus as a “bridge” between the Middle East and the European Union, helping the 27-nation bloc “understand what’s going on” in the region.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike group to stay in the Mediterranean Sea region rather than move on to the Middle East, amid worries about the buildup of thousands of Russian troops near the Ukraine border.

Officials say that after months of study, the Pentagon has decided no immediate major changes are needed in the global positioning of U.S. forces.

The World Health Organization says the number of coronavirus cases has risen in Europe for the fifth consecutive week, making it the only world region where COVID-19 is still increasing.

A climate change conference will underscore to policymakers in the Middle East and the east Mediterranean that the switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is needed urgently because greenhouse gas emissions are helping to drive up regional temperatures faster than in many other inhabited parts of the world.

The European Union has promised to help Lithuania cope with an influx of migrants from the Middle East and Africa, which the Baltic nation says has been encouraged by authorities in neighboring Belarus as part of their standoff with the West.

A top U.S. commander says that as the United States scales back its military presence across the Middle East to focus on great power competition with China and Russia, it risks giving those two countries a chance to fill the gap and expand their influence around the Gulf.

The top U.S. commander for the Middle East says finding better ways to counter attacks by small drones across the region is a top priority and that the U.S. is still behind the curve on solutions.

Surges in violence and scenes of civilian suffering are testing President Joe Biden’s resolve to wrench America’s foreign policy focus and troops away from the hotspots of the Middle East and Afghanistan.

The top U.S. commander for the Middle East says he will make recommendations to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in early June on how to monitor and fight terrorist groups in Afghanistan from beyond its borders after all American forces withdraw.

Economies across the Middle East are recovering from the coronavirus pandemic faster than anticipated.

The Biden administration is moving again to increase U.S. assistance to the Palestinians as it fires up a new Mideast policy that is directly opposite of the one pursued by its predecessor.

The United States says it is giving $15 million to vulnerable Palestinian communities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a boost to the West Bank where the Palestinian Authority had only secured 10,000 doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine and 2,000 shots from Israel for the roughly 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank. But in recent weeks, it has inoculated over 100,000 Palestinian laborers in the West Bank who have permits to work inside Israel and its West Bank settlements. Wennesland said the U.N. and its partners will continue to support Palestinian vaccination efforts, expressed appreciation for Israel's essential role in deliveries, and urged support for the Palestinian COVID-19 response. U.S. envoy Thomas-Greenfield announced the $15 million contribution as Israel awaits the final results from Tuesday’s fourth parliamentary elections in two years.

The Biden administration is mulling over Americas role in Syrias ongoing conflict as the U.S. tries to break away from Middle East wars. AdDealing with Syria's war will test the Biden administration's determination to focus on Asia and not the Middle East. Hence Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's Middle East tour this month. “If this is the security future of the Middle East, we’re all in trouble,” Jeffrey warns. It was the Syrian war that sparked that debate, when President Barack Obama first considered military strikes there, said Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat and member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

A pair of B-52 bombers flew over the Mideast on Sunday, March 7, 2021, the latest such mission in the region aimed at warning Iran amid tensions between Washington and Tehran. (U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Josh W. Strickland via AP)DUBAI – A pair of B-52 bombers flew over the Mideast on Sunday, the latest such mission in the region aimed at warning Iran amid tensions between Washington and Tehran. The U.S. military's Central Command said the two B-52s flew over the region accompanied by military aircraft from nations including Israel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The U.S. Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, which patrols the Mideast and often has tense encounters with Iran, declined to comment on the footage. However, the Gulf of Oman saw a series of similar attacks in 2019 that the U.S. Navy then blamed on Iran.

A U.S. airstrike targeting facilities used by Iran-backed militias in Syria appears to be a message to Tehran delivered by a new American administration still figuring out its approach to the Middle East. Kirby said the operation in Boukamal, Syria, sends an unambiguous message: President Biden will act to protect American and coalition personnel. In the meantime, relations with Iran have been further strained as the country's proxies become more assertive, with Iran-backed militias increasingly targeting U.S. interests and allies. Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby said the operation in Boukamal, Syria, sends an unambiguous message: “President Biden will act to protect American and coalition personnel. By striking Syria, Biden joins every American president from Ronald Reagan onward who has ordered a bombardment of countries in the Middle East.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks to reporters after arriving on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, at sea. Austin told sailors on the USS Nimitz Thursday that he hopes to avoid long ship deployments like the more than 10 months they just spent at sea. (AP Photo/Lolita Baldor)Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told sailors on the USS Nimitz Thursday that he hopes to avoid long ship deployments like the more than 10 months they just spent at sea. Standing in the ship's hangar bay, Austin said he will make a decision soon on whether to send a carrier back to the Middle East, where the Nimitz had been. The Nimitz’s lengthy deployment was largely due to decisions to keep it in the Middle East last year and this year to serve as a deterrent to Iran.

WASHINGTON – The Biden administration on Tuesday told Egypt that human rights will be “central” to its policy in dealing with the key Arab state and major American partner in the Middle East. It was not immediately clear how the new emphasis on human rights would manifest itself. The Trump administration had largely given Egypt's leadership a pass on human rights. Ad“The secretary raised concerns over human rights, which he emphasized would be central to the U.S.-Egypt bilateral relationship, and Egypt’s potential procurement of Su-35 fighter aircraft from Russia,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. However, rights groups accused authorities of targeting families of activists and rights defenders living abroad, in an apparent attempt to intimidate critics.

(AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)TRIPOLI – Libyans on Wednesday marked the 10th anniversary of their 2011 uprising that led to the overthrow and killing of longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi. Many have their eyes on a recently appointed government tasked with leading Libya through elections later this year, with hopes of unifying the divided nation. Celebrations began late on Tuesday in the capital, Tripoli, where people gathered in the city's main square amid tight security. AdThere were also celebrations in the eastern city of Benghazi, once known as the birthplace of Libya’s 2011 uprising. AdLibya has become one of the most intractable conflicts, along with Yemen and Syria, left over from the 2011 uprisings.

Iran on Thursday received its first batch of foreign-made coronavirus vaccines as the country struggles to stem the worst outbreak of the pandemic in the Middle East. (Saeed Kaari/IKAC via AP)TEHRAN – Iran on Thursday received its first batch of foreign-made coronavirus vaccines as the country struggles to stem the worst outbreak of the pandemic in the Middle East. Also Iranian state TV quoted Tehran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, as saying that Iran has ordered 5 million doses from Russia. ISNA quoted Mohammadreza Shanehsaz, head of Iran’s food and drug organization, as saying Thursday’s shipment included only 10,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine. It is also planning to import some 17 million doses of vaccine from COVAX and millions from other countries.

NEW YORK – A U.S. Army soldier was arrested Tuesday in Georgia on terrorism charges after he spoke online about plots to blow up New York City's 9/11 Memorial and other landmarks and attack U.S. soldiers in the Middle East, authorities said. The 20-year-old soldier, also known as Cole Gonzales, was with the Third Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, when he thought he was communicating with the Islamic State online about the terrorism plots, Biase said. According to court papers, he expressed his frustration with the U.S. military and his desire to aid the Islamic State group. The criminal complaint said he then provided training and guidance to purported Islamic State fighters who were planning attacks, including advice about potential targets in New York City, including the 9/11 Memorial. This month, according to the complaint, Bridges sent a video of himself in body armor standing before an Islamic State flag, gesturing support.

Joe Biden has an Iran problem. On Monday, Iran not only announced it had resumed advanced uranium enrichment in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal but also seized a South Korean-flagged oil tanker and its crew. But, Biden and his top national security aides have laid out their approach to Iran in broad strokes. Biden, himself, supported the Iran deal but with some reservations. At the same time, Biden aides have said Iran cannot win sanctions relief unless and until it respects the deal.

A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., is refueled by a KC-135 Stratotanker in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020. The United States flew strategic bombers over the Persian Gulf on Wednesday for the second time this month, a show of force meant to deter Iran from attacking American or allied targets in the Middle East. Because of the potential for escalation that could lead to a wider war, the U.S. has sought to deter Iran from additional attacks. Iran denied involvement but was blamed by the United States for that attack. That flight was repeated this week, with two B-52s flying nonstop from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and heading home Wednesday after cruising over the western side of the Gulf.

The long-range heavy bombers, which are capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons, are a formidable sight and are flown less frequently in the Middle East than smaller combat aircraft, such as American fighter jets. Iran has blamed the death on Israel, which has been suspected in previous killings of Iranian nuclear scientists. Bomber deployments and short-term flights to the Middle East and Europe have been used in the past to message Iran, a few times in the last two years. According to officials, the bombers flew out of Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana on Wednesday and conducted the flight into Thursday. Bombers from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota flew a similar mission in late November.

Rouhani said Wednesday that U.S. sanctions are making it difficult for Iran to purchase medicine and health supplies from abroad, including COVID-19 vaccines needed to contain the worst outbreak in the Middle East. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)TEHRAN – Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that U.S. sanctions are making it difficult for Iran to purchase medicine and health supplies from abroad, including COVID-19 vaccines needed to contain the worst outbreak in the Middle East. He said even simple transactions to purchase medicine from other countries had become extremely difficult and that it can take “weeks” to transfer funds. Rouhani said authorities are nevertheless doing what they can to buy vaccines from abroad, hoping to deliver them to high-risk individuals as soon as possible. Iran has reported more than 50,000 deaths from the coronavirus out of more than a million confirmed cases — the worst outbreak in the Middle East.

But the ship was ordered to return last week to provide additional security while the troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan continue. No timeline was given, but the U.S. military official speaking Monday made it clear that the change is open-ended, and it's not clear when the ship's crew will return home. The potential Iranian threat has become an increasing concern in recent weeks following the killing of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. Iran has blamed the death on Israel, which has been suspected in previous killings of Iranian nuclear scientists. The military official said the U.S. is aware of Iranian attack planning and threats, and that some are more mature, while others are aspirational.

He said a solution must come from a joint effort by diplomatic, security and humanitarian organizations. The U.S. also has about 3,000 troops still in Iraq; on Tuesday the Pentagon announced that Trump had ordered a drawdown to 2,500 in Iraq with no change for Syria. Trump has pushed for the repatriation of foreign fighters in Syria, but their home countries have largely refused to take them back. In the short run, McKenzie said, IS is in no position to pose a major security threat to the United States. The al-Qaida extremist group and like-minded militants also are severely hobbled but not eliminated, he said.

Worst off in the region has been Iran, where infections have soared in recent months, filling up hospitals and driving up the death toll. Iran shattered its single-day death toll six times in the last two weeks, bringing the total count of fatalities past 43,400 — the highest in the Middle East. From Pakistan, Faisal Sultan, special assistant to the prime minister for national health services, told reporters the winter surge had arrived. Tunisia is another country that thought its worst virus days were in the past, only to see cases soar in recent weeks. “We cannot — and should not — wait until a safe and effective vaccine becomes readily available for all," he said.

But those comments and subsequent statements in interviews with conservative media did not acknowledge that it's Biden who will become president then. Pompeo's weeklong tour takes him to France, Turkey, Georgia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Pompeo has had a notoriously frosty relationship with the press, and it was unclear if he planned to take questions from reporters. Instead, Pompeo will meet with religious leaders to highlight his promotion of religious freedom. Yet, at his news conference Tuesday, Pompeo roundly dismissed a question about whether Trump's unfounded protests have created problems for U.S. credibility.

DUBAI – Emirates Group, the owner of the Middle East’s biggest carrier, reported Thursday it lost $3.8 billion in the first half of the year, its first net loss in over three decades after the pandemic wiped out air travel. Even when restrictions were loosened, passenger traffic was still down 95% from pre-pandemic levels. Last year, Emirates carried around 58 million, helping Dubai’s airport maintain its claim of the world’s busiest for international travel. “We began our current financial year amid a global lockdown when air passenger traffic was at a literal standstill,” said Chairman Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Emirates Group’s cash position fell sharply to $5.6 billion from $7 billion six months earlier.

DUBAI – The number of reported coronavirus cases has gone over 3 million in the Middle East, an Associated Press count showed Friday, with the true number likely even higher. Across the Mideast, there have been over 75,000 deaths attributed to the virus by health authorities, the AP count relying on reported figures by individual countries shows. There have been 2.5 million recoveries from the virus causing the COVID-19 illness. In the Mideast, the hardest-hit nation remains Iran, which served as the initial epicenter of the virus in the region. In Iran alone, authorities say there have been over 600,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, with some 477,000 recoveries and 34,000 deaths.

Netanyahu has repeatedly insisted the deal establishing ties with the UAE amounted to “peace for peace" and that arms deals were not part of the agreement. "Only yesterday did we give our approval to this deal,” Netanyahu said. The UAE deal has been hailed by the U.S. and Israel as a historic breakthrough. It paved the way for Bahrain and on Friday, Sudan, to follow suit in establishing formal diplomatic ties with Israel. Netanyahu's governing partner, Defense Minister Benny Gantz, has said he was kept in the dark about the UAE deal until the last minute.

Well before the coronavirus swept across the globe, several Mideast countries had been struggling with issues ranging from lower oil prices and sluggish economic growth to corruption and high unemployment. The IMF projects the Lebanese economy will see one of the region's sharpest economic contractions this year at 25%. The pandemic has only pushed the country further to the brink after a wave of anti-government anger before the virus struck. Meanwhile, wealthy Mideast oil exporters are expected to see their economies contract by 6.6% in 2020, the IMF said. Gulf Arab states, however, are expected to see average economic growth of 2.3% next year.

The three foreign minister meet for talks in the German capital. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said it was a “great honor that the Israeli and Emirati foreign ministers have chosen Berlin as the location for their historic first meeting" since the two countries agreed to normalize relations in a U.S.-brokered deal. “The most important currency in diplomacy is trust, and I am personally grateful to both of my colleagues for placing this trust in Germany,” Maas said in a statement. Maas said “courage and trust” are what is needed in the Middle East peace process. “I hope that Berlin can offer a good framework to discuss further steps on this path.”

Hundreds of people amassed on the sun-washed South Lawn to witness the signing of agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. While the UAE, Bahrain and other Arab countries support the Palestinians, the Trump administration has persuaded the two countries not to let that conflict keep them from having normal relations with Israel. Other Arab countries believed to be close to recognizing Israel include Oman, Sudan and Morocco. "We are very down the road with about five different countries, Trump told reporters before the ceremony. Theyre very wealthy countries for the most part ... some are extraordinarily, like UAE, Trump told Fox & Friends in an interview before the ceremony.

President Donald Trump has been nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for his effort brokering a historic deal normalizing relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, according to reports. Israel and the UAE are expected to sign the deal at a White House ceremony on Tuesday. Late Tuesday, Netanyahu tweeted he was proud to leave for Washington next week at the invitation of President Trump and to participate in the historic ceremony at the White House to sign the deal with the UAE. The UAE-Israel ceremony will come just a month after the agreement to establish full diplomatic relations was announced on Aug. 13. The historic deal delivered a key foreign policy victory to Trump as he seeks reelection, and reflected a changing Middle East in which shared concerns about archenemy Iran have largely overtaken traditional Arab support for the Palestinians.

COPENHAGEN A far-right Norwegian lawmaker said Wednesday that he has nominated U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the Middle East. He said he nominated Trump on Wednesday, adding that Donald Trump meets the criteria for the Nobel Peace Prize. Any national lawmaker can nominate someone for the Nobel Peace Prize. Nominations must be sent to the Norwegian Nobel Committee by Feb. 1. The Norwegian Nobel Committee doesnt publicly comment on nominees.

WASHINGTON The United States is reducing its troop presence in Iraq this month from 5,200 to 3,000, the top American commander for the Middle East said Wednesday, as President Donald Trump tries to make good on his campaign promise to get the United States out of endless wars." During a visit to Iraq, Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, said the reduction in Iraq reflects U.S. confidence in the ability of U.S.-trained Iraqi security forces to handle the militant threat from the Islamic State group, which entered Iraq from Syria in 2014. They invaded Iraq in 2003 and left in 2011 but returned in 2014 after the Islamic State group overran large parts of Iraq. McKenzie said the remaining U.S. troops would continue advising and assisting Iraqi security forces as they attempt to root out remnants of the Islamic State group, sometimes called ISIS. In response to the Soleimani killing, Iran on Jan. 8 launched a ballistic missile attack on al-Asad air base in Iraq, which resulted in traumatic brain injuries to more than 100 American troops.

WASHINGTON Israel and the United Arab Emirates will sign their historic deal normalizing relations at a White House ceremony on Sept. 15, U.S. officials said Tuesday. The officials said senior delegations from both countries will likely be led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Emirati Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Zayad, the brother of the UAE crown prince. The ceremony will come just a month after the agreement to establish full diplomatic relations was announced on Aug. 13. The The historic deal delivered a key foreign policy victory to President Donald Trump as he seeks reelection, and reflected a changing Middle East in which shared concerns about archenemy Iran have largely overtaken traditional Arab support for the Palestinians. That announcement has been followed by the first direct commercial flight between the countries, the establishment of telephone links and commitments to cooperate in numerous areas.

TEHRAN Iran surpassed 20,000 confirmed deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday, the health ministry said the highest death toll for any Middle East country so far in the pandemic. Iran suffered the region's first major outbreak, seeing top politicians, health officials and religious leaders in its Shiite theocracy stricken with the virus. Iran reported its first coronavirus cases and deaths on the same day in February the Mideast's first outbreak of the virus yet it only saw its highest single-day spike in reported cases in June. On Wednesday, Iran reported over 350,200 confirmed cases, with 20,125 deaths, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said. It cited near-daily death tolls of 200 from the virus in Iran.

WASHINGTON Elements of the Islamic State group are working to rebuild in western Syria, where the U.S. has little visibility or presence, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East warned on Wednesday. In the region west of the Euphrates River where the Syrian regime is in control conditions are as bad or worse than they were leading up to the rise of the Islamic State, said Gen. Frank McKenzie. And that, he said, fuels concerns about the radicalization of people particularly the youth in the camps, which officials worry are breeding grounds for IS insurgents. Many fled as the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces cleared out the last pockets of land held by IS last year. We can either deal with this problem now or deal with it exponentially worse a few years down the road.