Sabre-rattling social media statements are par for the course with the US president, whose performative declarations keep everyone guessing, but do they produce lasting results?
There are few examples of successful US regime-change operations in history. And without permanent ground troop presence, these wins can easily be reversed.
When states are attacked, authority gravitates towards institutions capable of mobilising resources, enforcing discipline, and coordinating a military response
Cairo and Tehran have been at loggerheads since 1979, but the Iranian threat has always acted as a check on Israeli ambitions. If Iran is completely defeated, Israel will reign supreme.
The announcement last week that the US was pulling its 1,000 troops there has sparked worry, as American presence is seen as crucial for integrating the Kurds and fighting IS
Washington and Tel Aviv may think the key to ending Iran's regime is to kill its missile bank and capabilities, but sometimes strategy matters more than hardware
As support for Israel weakens across the US political spectrum, once-taboo questions about military aid, lobbying influence, and US backing are moving into the mainstream
Algeria is one of Africa's largest producers of hydrocarbons, and its proximity to customers in Europe makes it of growing interest as importers fret over a prolonged supply crisis from countries
Through extravagant processions led by palace women, the Mamluk state projected a message of power and prestige at home and abroad, turning the Hajj obligation into a soft-power tool