Much is made of links between Beijing and Tehran, but the true extent of their relations is more limited. Where there are alternatives, China takes them, with one eye on the US.

An unrealistic idea lures young people into seeking refuge in the illusions of the past to escape the cruelty of the present

Against the backdrop of geopolitical realignments, the burgeoning partnership between Iran and Pakistan can potentially recalibrate the balance of power in South Asia and beyond.

It remains to be seen if, going forward, Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in Syria or Lebanon—or against the PMF in Iraq—will elicit a direct Iranian response. Time will tell.

The two sides are making careful calculations—at least for now—but the conflict is changing, as are the political dynamics at work in dangerous times

The US and French withdrawal from the Sahel lets the Russians, Chinese, and Iranians in. Tehran, in particular, will be keen to buy Niger's uranium, despite this being a red line for Washington.

The Iraqi PM and Joe Biden stuck to the script, emphasising economic opportunities. No one mentioned US troop withdrawal, but Baghdad's tense relations with Iraqi Kurds did come up.

The two new countries were forged after the Balkans War in the 1990s. While tensions remain, they are evidence of what can be achieved with international support.

Cairo's worst fears could soon be realised and the mass exodus event it feared months ago could finally come to fruition

Israel has carried out a strike inside Iran in a development that pushes the region closer to all-out conflict