At a time when Amman's security ties with Washington are being questioned, asserting its custodianship role over Al Haram Al Sharif could win it favour at home

As Washington's ability to protect its bases across the Middle East has been substantially weakened by the US war on Iran, Iraqi Kurds look for ways to shield themselves from further entanglement

The experience of Lebanon and Syria in the 1970s is more useful as an analytical lens for understanding the thinking behind US calls for al-Sharaa to intervene than as a practical blueprint for action

Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad speaks to Al Majalla about Islamabad's diplomatic role in the talks between the US and Iran, its balancing act between Tehran and Riyadh and the Mecca Pact

Shaibani held several calls with the Mossad chief days before the strike, explaining why the airport's runway was being rehabilitated and that it had no hostile intentions, but Israel bombed it anyway

Beijing used to simply finance infrastructure projects in America's backyard, but its involvement has deepened in recent years and now goes beyond economics

Balancing the competing interests of regional and global stakeholders is no easy task. Can the president keep Syria from becoming an arena for regional conflict?

Al-Zaidi's push to take arms out of militias' hands and bring them under state control is exposing deep political divisions and challenging the government's authority at home and abroad

Syria's new post-Assad leadership is working to sever Iran's reach by shoring up its borders with Lebanon and Iraq, and by closing in on cells operating in the country

Despite losing its dominant position in Syria, Moscow still sees opportunities in oil, military cooperation, and access to Africa