Non-state actors play an outsized role in the region's conflicts and wars. Hezbollah is a prime example of how these actors have blurred the lines between militancy and national governance.
People who have fled the cross-border clashes in Lebanon's south warn that the world is underestimating the extent of fighting while the country is ill-prepared for a breakdown in rules of engagement.
A former key figure in the global politics of our region tells Al Majalla what went on between Trump and Assad – and points to what might be next for him – when international experience countsrnrn
The deliberate escalation of Iranian proxies against US forces in the region is clearly intended as a warning against continued American support for Israel's war on Gaza
The back-to-back events of al-Kahaleh and Ain al-Hilweh have brought Lebanon on the verge of what many fear could lead to a repeat of the tragic events that triggered the civil war back in 1975
The de-escalation trend being driven by Arab states is undoubtedly an encouraging development for the region, but until the underlying root causes of instability are resolved, crises will continue.
Netanyahu did not realise his goal of ending Iran's nuclear programme and regime change, and Iran stood alone in its war with Israel, as global and regional allies left it to fend for itself
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