Hezbollah and Amal are forging ahead with Lebanon’s May elections, their alliance firm and candidate lists unchanged.

Gulf states are borrowing heavily; the wisdom of each approach hinges on whether funds fuel productive development or recurrent spending.

Through a European lens, America’s political culture is shaped by its exceptional, violent, and anti-intellectual history.

Airpower alone cannot coerce a nuclear deal or topple Iran’s regime; history shows it hardens resolve.

Syria’s transition is threatened by sectarian tensions and a lack of transitional justice; minorities fear the new government.

Israel is backing armed gangs in Gaza—including criminals and ex-ISIS affiliates—to sow chaos and prevent Palestinian unity.

Washington is rewarding rebranded extremists while abandoning the SDF, its most reliable partner against ISIS.

Sudan’s war is not a breakdown of order, but the triumph of a new order where violence is expressive, not instrumental.

Turkey views Iran’s stability as a national security imperative, fearing collapse would trigger mass migration and empower Kurdish separatists.

Iran’s regime, reeling from strategic blunders since October 7, now faces another crossroads; defiance may be its last misstep.