“Lebanon’s new leadership faces the challenge of moving away from this approach to adopt one that is more proactive and preserves Lebanese interests while protecting the rights of the refugees to self-determination… hope and opportunity can pave the way.”
Browsing: Geopolitics
“The Allon Plan’s parameters are flexible enough to offer some form of autonomy or minimal statehood. Ultimately, the plan also presents a compromise that can unite the Israeli left and right… drawing in Israeli extremists whose proposals offer no solutions.”
“The Hamas operation may have been unwelcome for Hezbollah, at least in its timing. Even if Hezbollah manages to sidestep a major Israeli offensive in the south, it’s difficult to conclude that October 7 has brought the party much benefit.”
“The United States is helping Israel to consolidate a zone of its own in the Levant. But reconstituting a world in which establishing and defending spheres of interest is the operating rule will mean a much more volatile global environment.”
The PMF is trading its revolutionary doctrine for a strategy centered on financial power and political protection. By exploiting fears of regional instability, the organization is consolidating control over state resources and patronage networks to prevent its dissolution or military integration.
Iraqi Kurds are questioning the selective use of American air defenses. Despite legislative promises to equip the Peshmerga, the failure to intercept missiles targeting civilian homes—while protecting distant targets—has fueled deep resentment and fears of being secondary strategic priorities.
The regional drive to disarm non-state actors has sparked a fierce sovereignty debate in Iraq. As Lebanon’s military secures its borders, Iraqi officials struggle to balance state-building goals against powerful militias that view their arsenals as non-negotiable shields against foreign occupation.
Trump’s pursuit of Greenland as “real estate legacy” has shattered the norm of territorial integrity within NATO. While military threats eased at Davos, the crisis forces Europe to abandon asymmetric reliance on Washington and finally activate its own strategic and economic autonomy.
Brookings experts warn that ousting Maduro is merely the start of a high-friction era. From potential NATO fractures over Greenland threats to emboldening Russia and China, the operation’s legal ambiguity and lack of a “day after” plan risk global instability and long-term debt crises.
Iraq must balance its hard-earned stability against renewed ISIS threats and Iranian pressure. As Washington considers its 2026 withdrawal timeline, Baghdad seeks a transition to a bilateral security framework that preserves sovereignty, strengthens national institutions, and reduces economic dependence on Tehran’s energy exports.