Italy is reported to be preparing a full withdrawal of its military personnel from Iraq, as the broader foreign troop presence in the country winds down.

Germany and five other major EU contributors are threatening to block Brussels’ proposed €2 trillion budget unless the spending plan is cut back substantially.

Reuters reports that the last U.S. troops are due to leave Iraq by Sept. 30, bringing a 23-year military presence that began with the 2003 invasion to an end.

Sudan has sharply escalated its rhetoric against the UAE at the UN, accusing Abu Dhabi of helping prolong the war through its alleged support for the Rapid Support Forces.

Anthropic is warning prospective investors that the same AI technology driving its growth could also pose “catastrophic or existential risks to humanity.”

Lebanon’s army has received a new batch of U.S.-supplied military vehicles, adding to Washington’s long-running support for the country’s armed forces.

An Iranian passenger jet was stopped from leaving Istanbul after Turkish enforcement officers moved to seize the aircraft over an unpaid debt.

Reuters reports that the U.S. is set to complete its military withdrawal from Iraq by Wednesday, closing a 23-year chapter that began with the 2003 invasion and later shifted to the fight against ISIS.

Saudi Arabia has restored crude exports from Yanbu after a 17-day shutdown of its East-West Pipeline, reopening one of its main routes around the Strait of Hormuz.

BREAKING | Trump has publicly rejected reports that his administration offered Iran sanctions relief or access to frozen funds, saying no such offer was made.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held talks with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi on Monday, with regional security high on the agenda.

Netanyahu’s office has formally confirmed his previously unannounced visit to Abu Dhabi, saying he traveled there with his wife and a senior security delegation at the invitation of UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed.

Trump says the U.S. is close to winning the war with Iran, predicting the conflict will end “very soon” and arguing that American intervention prevented a far wider nuclear crisis.

A rare Germany-Russia meeting has triggered a political backlash in Berlin, with critics saying Sergei Lavrov used the encounter to make Germany look weak.

Former German vice chancellor Robert Habeck says Germany’s historical responsibility toward Israel should not prevent open criticism of how the country has conducted the war in Gaza.

Trump is doubling down on his promise of a $5,000 payment to every American adult if Republicans keep control of both chambers of Congress.

UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting says Britain was right to support U.S. defensive operations during the Iran conflict, while stressing that the war itself was not one London chose.

Iranian officials are increasingly doubtful that Tehran and Washington can reach a deal to end the fighting and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz before the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 3, Bloomberg reports.