Middle East

The storming of the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump extremists has shocked America's allies, and prompted denunciations. They've called it an assault on democracy, and urged a peaceful transfer of power.

After three years of disagreement and rising frustrations between the two U.S. allies, Saudi and Qatari leaders met Tuesday to sign an agreement that lifts current restrictions on Qatar.

The U.S. has brokered a deal between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, ending a long feud that undermined the Trump administration's strategy in the Persian Gulf.

It's the second time Iran has announced its hope to arrest Trump. The country says it won't stop pursuing him, even after he leaves the government later this month.

Iran seized a South Korean-flagged tanker in Persian Gulf waters on Monday and detained its crew. The move comes as Iran ramps up uranium enrichment, raising tensions with the United States.

The move is likely to increase tensions during President Trump's final weeks in office. Separately, Iran seized a South Korean oil tanker in the Persian Gulf, South Korea said Monday.

The story of Lebanese migrants on a doomed boat in September highlights the continuing attempts to get across the Mediterranean Sea — where over 1,000 migrants died in 2020.

Tensions again increase between the U.S. and Iran, as the first anniversary approaches of the American drone strike that killed an Iran's top military commander.

Iran has exceeded some limits of the 2015 agreement in the past but this move would mark a notable step toward strengthening its nuclear capacity. The U.S. withdrew from the pact in 2018.

A court in Saudi Arabia has sentenced Loujain al-Hathloul, a prominent Saudi female activist, to five years and eight months in prison. NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with her sister Alia al-Hathloul.

One year after the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, NPR correspondents discuss what happened since and what Iran policy might look like under the Biden administration.

As the clock ticks farewell to a terrible, horrible, very bad year, TikTok brought moments of joy. Here's what ticked the boxes for TikTok devotees.