Its strategic location at the entrance to the Bab al-Mandab Strait has incentivised various countries to establish military bases in the small African nation
Three factors that limit optimism over the deal are Iran's radicals, China's unwillingness to play a more significant security role in the region and Israel's fear over Iran's nuclear programme
The standoff in the Hormuz is not simply a question of whether Tehran can survive economic pressure, but whether Washington can sustain the pressure at an acceptable cost.
The Strait of Hormuz is now poised to become the primary arena of confrontation, with Iran relying on speedboat-driven guerrilla warfare to confront the US navy.
Former regime soldiers are stuck in limbo, as their undocumented status prevents them from working, travelling, and curbs family members' access to education, healthcare and social services