Opinion

Both sides are clambering to bolster their negotiating hand, but it may all hinge on NATO membership. A deal-breaker, says Putin. A must, says Zelensky. Let's talk, says Trump

Allowing an ill-disguised Israeli land grab contravenes international rules and norms, shattering the credibility of a system that is supposed to apply to all while threatening Syria's fragile rebuild

Gaza has been obliterated, Lebanon battered, Yemen bombed, Iran targeted, Hezbollah decimated, and Syria utterly transformed. Last year tore up the script and shook the region to its core. What next?

Voices from Tehran have been alone in seeking to stoke civil war after the fall of Assad, as a 45-year ambition to export the Iranian revolution lies in ruins

The latest US move to sanction Pakistan's ballistic missile programme, as well as its closening ties with India, has ruffled feathers in Islamabad

Al-Jolani has a chance to learn from the Taliban's mistakes. The decisions he now makes will have major consequences for Syria's future and that of the region.

Assad's fall serves as a warning to regional players who champion one-dimensional perspectives and approaches that fail to capture the depth and breadth of the intricate dynamics at play

Integrating armed factions, particularly the SDF, will be key, as well as agreeing on an inclusive new government that can unify a country that has been plagued by division

Some states would rather see a criminal regime in power than risk the rise of political Islam. The plotting could have already started, which could see a possible resurgence of Assad loyalists.

How these delegations navigate Syria's delicate web of power dynamics will determine whether they contribute to a peaceful and inclusive transition—or deepen the country's fractures

The Houthis' willingness to maintain their attacks against Israel runs the risk of escalating its confrontation with Israel

The challenges facing any new government in Damascus are numerous and substantial, but the early signs are good. Over the coming months, the science of nation-building will be needed