After Iranian generals were killed in Damascus, Tehran will feel it needs to hit back, not least because Iranians demand it. Doing so without declaring all-out war is the tricky bit.
When France set up a meeting to boost Lebanon's state military, it seemed so easy and clear. If only. Alas, very few things are easy and clear in Lebanon and the Middle East.
Non-state actors play an outsized role in the region's conflicts and wars. Hezbollah is a prime example of how these actors have blurred the lines between militancy and national governance.
People who have fled the cross-border clashes in Lebanon's south warn that the world is underestimating the extent of fighting while the country is ill-prepared for a breakdown in rules of engagement.
A former key figure in the global politics of our region tells Al Majalla what went on between Trump and Assad – and points to what might be next for him – when international experience countsrnrn
The deliberate escalation of Iranian proxies against US forces in the region is clearly intended as a warning against continued American support for Israel's war on Gaza
The back-to-back events of al-Kahaleh and Ain al-Hilweh have brought Lebanon on the verge of what many fear could lead to a repeat of the tragic events that triggered the civil war back in 1975
When Israel considers its next move after Iran's retaliatory attack, it is not simply calculating the cost and benefits of a response but will also be creating a new equation for future exchanges.
From the Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus to Iran's retaliation on Israel, the Syrian leader has been acting strangely normal. Al Majalla gives a breakdown of the past two weeks.
The unprecedented Iranian retaliation was an attempt to reestablish its deterrence and remind the region of its capabilities, which were seemingly eroded over the years.
The world remains distracted by other conflicts and crisis, but with this large African country on the brink of famine and no end in sight to the fighting, there are warnings that Sudan could splinter
Its direct military action on Israel showed how the strategic calculus in a turbulent region has changed. Will the US try to use Iran's strike on Israel to hit back at Tehran and weaken it regionally?