An epic journey on foot back up to the devastated north has been one of emotion, symbolism, and defiance. It has also confused those who do not understand the Palestinian psyche.

Alongside Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Ortagus is prepared to furrow brows in a region known for its sensitivities. In fact, she has already started.

The land between the Euphrates and Tigris yields oil, water, and wheat, to name but three, yet it has had no infrastructure investment for decades. As a result, it is unproductive. That could change.

Without a coordinated international effort to lift sanctions, Syria will struggle to secure foreign investment

Despite the fall of its long-time ally in Syria, Russia isn't retreating; it is adjusting—leveraging military assets and transactional diplomacy to pursue its strategic interests across the region

A national army was formed in August 1945 from remnants of French Troupes Speciales. In December 2024, the army fell apart amid a lightning HTS-led offensive that toppled the regime.

While Trump's comments on the US 'owning' Gaza sparked a firestorm of criticism, it also refocused attention on the urgent need to rebuild the Strip and recognise a Palestinian state once and for all

Syria's new interim president seems to be wavering between two choices: maintain ties with Moscow despite domestic and international opposition or sever ties and risk alienating a global power

Tehran must choose between reaching a diplomatic resolution that stops its nuclear proliferation or risk a military attack that destroys the programme and possibly ends the regime