War in the Gulf has left petroleum importers like Egypt urgently reviewing how to wean themselves off fossil fuels. Ditching the combustion engine is top of the list.
Tom Barrack travelled to Erbil to meet representatives from Iraq and Syria to discuss Kurdish-American cooperation and the need to tackle pro-Iranian militias
Recent strikes show how workers are beginning to use Syria's expanded civic space to make economic and social demands. The government should see this as a warning, but also an opportunity.
Even if diplomatic progress continues, the Strait could be closed again. As a result, the geopolitical risk premium attached to Gulf energy exports is unlikely to disappear entirely.
Last month's floods exposed gaps in coordination and governance. Addressing them now will determine whether the next rise in the river becomes a managed risk or another costly emergency.
An Israeli diplomat recently told Lebanese Shiites that Israel did not see them as the enemy, but it is a difficult argument to make given the death and destruction. Is there a better way?