The Kremlin's economic indicators are causing unease, while smaller states in Russia's sphere of influence are eyeing opportunities to reduce their reliance on Moscow. What will the year ahead bring?
His possible appointment does not bode well for bridging the gap between Tehran and the West over a range of political issues—perhaps most crucially, Iran's nuclear programme
His recent appointment as a national security advisor adds to the trend of more pragmatic sections of the establishment—who advocate negotiating with the West—coming to the fore
The Zangezur Corridor, a route through Armenia linking Azerbaijan and Türkiye, will be built and managed by Americans and will pass along the Iranian border, creating winners and losers
Baghdad wants good relations with Washington, but its ties with Tehran run deep. Under increased pressure, it may have to pick a side once and for all.
A pressure campaign by Washington to curb Tehran's influence over Baghdad seems to be yielding results, but any moves to disarm Iran-allied militias could stoke serious violence
The conflict has forced Russia to scale back its global footprint and NATO to boost its defence spending. Meanwhile, China and Middle powers have emerged as key beneficiaries.
As the US and Iran head to talks in Geneva, competing forces are pulling Trump in opposite directions. There are only two "good" scenarios in front of him, and neither will be easy to achieve.
His arrest is the first for a British royal in modern history and comes after it was revealed he had passed confidential state documents to US financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein
Faris Al-Muhanna dreams of one day creating a digital archive to safeguard the history and memory of Lebanon's most iconic artist for future generations