Qassem Soleimani spent years building a network of pro-Iranian proxies or state allies in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. Syria fell in December 2024. At the end of June, so did two others
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
For decades, Iran's supreme leader—first Khomeini, then Khamenei—pursued a strategy of backing regional militias to fight Israel, but with the 'resistance axis' in tatters, Iran is left to fight alone
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
As states race to embed algorithms in systems of reconnaissance, targeting, air defence, and military decision-making, a new layer of risk is taking shape