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

Al Majalla offers political and economic analysis about how we got here and what the future may hold

The US is betting that a sustained blockade can force Iran to make concessions on Hormuz. Iran is betting that rising economic pressure from the strait's closure will force the US to blink first.

Any agreement that restores traffic through the strait will bring immediate relief, but repairing the damage wrought by war—and restoring confidence—will take far longer

A bit of both. It enabled its rise as a regional power, then helped weaken it, and may now help prevent its complete defeat.

Does the declaration recently signed in Riyadh indicate a gradual transition towards a regional security architecture that will assume responsibilities long borne by external naval powers?

The UN says the group draws upon substantial domestic sources of finance, while the US believes that part of its funding moves through oil-smuggling and money-laundering networks linked to Iran's IRGC

Regional and global players have begun to realise that the threat posed by the Yemeni militant group requires comprehensive and decisive action