Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was said to have personally intervened with the White House to persuade US President Donald Trump to pause his controversial Project Freedom in the Hormuz Strait
It remains unclear who is behind the leaks and what agenda they serve. But the timing is suspect, given that Syrians are finally seeing some accountability for the crimes their loved ones suffered.
Recently published documents show a US no longer willing to finance an international system that doesn't reflect its strategic priorities and allows its adversaries a seat at the table
There are two clear camps: one that stands against peace with Israel and one that blames Hezbollah for all the country's problems, and neither side has an appetite for nuance.
Instead of rejoicing over some form of justice being served, some have instead used the arrest as an opportunity to criticise the Sharaa government, hurling lofty insults from their ivory towers
While much is at stake for both sides in this seemingly intractable dispute, neither Trump nor Iran appears to be backing down from their entrenched positions
It is essential that Damascus permits political space for citizens to voice grievances without fear. Failure to do so risks a return to state repression that Syrians rose up against in 2011.
An Israeli diplomat recently told Lebanese Shiites that Israel did not see them as the enemy, but it is a difficult argument to make given the death and destruction. Is there a better way?