The IRGC doesn't just defend the state, it runs it. To wave the white flag wouldn't just mean giving up its arms; it would mean dismantling the organisation and its patronage networks.
Is the Red Sea moving toward an ordered space governed by capable states or toward a grey zone edging toward disorder? Read our February cover story to find out.
In places like Yemen, Sudan, and Somalia, which all have long coastlines along key maritime routes, the authority of the state and its institutions needs to overcome the forces of disorder.
In Yemen, Somalia, and Sudan, the state has ceased to function as it should. This has led to problems not just on land but at sea, making this trio one big and urgent international issue.
Whether American military action triggers a rapid collapse of Iran's regime or gradually erodes it over time, all paths lead to one destination: the end of the Islamic Republic
Riyadh wants to help Yemen's various southern factions come up with creative solutions. It wants a unified Yemen, but other parties have a different agenda, complicating efforts to hold a conference.
From a US military build-up in the region to Trump's growing unpopularity at home, several factors could influence his decision on whether or not to attack
Is Washington's intention genuine, or an attempt to slam the brakes on Cairo's growing assertiveness in Horn of Africa politics and debilitate its hard-won leverage?
Former Médecins Sans Frontières president Rony Brauman explains to Al Majalla how Israel's war on Gaza has produced unprecedented suffering and exposed the collapse of international law
Washington weighs the desire to avoid a protracted war with offsetting the appearance of defeat, as Tehran debates whether to consolidate gains before conditions shift or press perceived advantages
Israel's parliament approved a draconian death penalty law last week that only applies to Palestinian prisoners, in a move that the UN says "would constitute a war crime"