Attacks by Hezbollah and an Iraqi militia appear to be a calculated step by Tehran to widen the arena of conflict in a bid to raise the costs for its adversaries
Media reports show pro-Hezbollah charities using online platforms to solicit donations via digital wallets to circumvent sanctions. In Lebanon's cash economy, that is a dangerous game to play.
Hezbollah's long-serving leader was killed in a powerful Israeli airstrike in Beirut one year ago. Now that the dust has settled, a clearer picture of his downfall can be seen.
The combined effect of the shocks to the Assad regime and Hezbollah's operational capacity has been to transform, rather than end, illicit cross-border economies like arms and captagon
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.
Even if it stays on the sidelines of the US-Iran war, the country is fragile. Unlike larger economies that can absorb shocks in global markets, it has little room to cushion the impact.