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Lauren Toms

lmeier@washingtontimes.com

Lauren Toms is a national security reporter for The Washington Times, covering national security committees on Capitol Hill, foreign affairs, defense, and diplomacy. She began covering politics at CNN during the 2016 presidential election, working closely with the national security and justice teams, and later joined Axios as an editor specializing in international and military coverage.
Lauren holds a master's degree in U.S. law from Washington University in St. Louis school of law, and a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communications from the George Washington University school of media and public affairs. She can be reached at ltoms@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Lauren Toms

In this Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, file photo, U.S. soldiers, part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) walk west of Kabul, Afghanistan. A coalition of veterans and military-family groups are calling on states to make sure that troops stationed overseas get their 2020 general-election ballots with plenty of advance time so they can vote and postmark them in time to be counted. (AP Photo/Hoshang Hashimi, File) **FILE**

Top U.S. Mideast commander casts doubt on future of Afghan peace deal

The Pentagon will withdraw a third of its 13,000 combat troops in Afghanistan by the summer, the top U.S. general commanding Middle East operations said Tuesday, but the removal of the remainder of the force is in serious question amid ongoing violence by the insurgent Taliban movement.

March 10, 2020
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani (center) held his inauguration with second Vice President Sarwar Danish (right) and first Vice President Amrullah Salehnistan on Monday. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

U.S. peace talks in doubt as Afghan leaders feud

It was the very definition of divided government -- Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his top rival, Abdullah Abdullah, staged rival inauguration ceremonies a day before the U.S.-backed Kabul government is supposed to set down for peace talks with the insurgent Taliban movement.

March 9, 2020
Defense Secretary Mark Esper testifies to the Senate Armed Services Committee about the budget, Wednesday, March 4, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Mark Esper voices concerns about Open Skies Treaty

Senate Democrats clashed sharply with the Pentagon on Wednesday over President Trump's latest move to shift $3.8 billion from defense funds to finance the construction of his border wall.

March 4, 2020
In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani speeches before the heads of banks, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. Iran's president said Thursday that there is "no limit" to the country's enrichment of uranium following its decision to abandon its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal in response to the killing of its top general in a U.S. airstrike. (Office of the Iranian Presidency via AP)

Iran enriched uranium stockpile tripled, UN watchdog warns

Iran is rapidly increasing its stockpiles of enriched uranium and could have more than a ton of the nuclear substance on hand, marking a significant violation of a landmark 2015 international nuclear treaty, a United Nations nuclear watchdog warned Tuesday.

March 3, 2020
In this Feb. 24, 2020, photo, newly graduated Afghan National Army march during their graduation ceremony after a three-month training program at the Afghan Military Academy in Kabul, Afghanistan. Many Afghans view Saturday's expected signing of a U.S.-Taliban peace deal with a heavy dose of well-earned skepticism. They've spent decades living in a country at war -- some their whole lives — and wonder if they can ever reach a state of peace. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul) **FILE**

Pompeo to witness U.S.-Taliban peace deal signing

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will attend the signing of a landmark peace agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban in an official ceremony expected to be witnessed by a host of global officials, President Trump announced Friday.

February 28, 2020
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo testifies during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing in Washington, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Mike Pompeo, House panel spar during tense Iran hearing

Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Friday sparred with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over a host of issues throughout a two-hour hearing on the administration's policy justification for the fatal January strike on former Iranian Quds force commander Qassem Soleimani.

February 28, 2020
Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, left, and Navy Adm. Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations, participate in the dignified transfer for Ensign Cameron Joshua Kaleb Watson, Seaman Mohammed Sameh Haitham and Seaman Apprentice Cameron Scott Walters, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. A Saudi gunman killed the three people in a shooting Friday at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen) ** FILE **

Navy officials: Budget shift hinders fleet goals

The U.S. Navy's top civilian official is pushing back on the Trump administration's latest game of tug-of-war with Congress over moves to divert Pentagon funds to pay for a Mexican border wall and nuclear modernization.

February 27, 2020