Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will go off what his opposite number in Damascus does, not what he says. In the meantime, Israeli actions make a genuine peace more difficult.
There was visible warmth when the US and Syrian presidents met in the Oval Office last month, with some even speculating a Trump visit to Damascus. But there is much to do before that happens.
What began as a locally rooted trade in coca leaves and opium evolved into a transnational system of cartels that challenged governments, corrupted institutions, and destabilised countries
The legislation needed to make a strong bond unbreakable is still being discussed, but a $1tn in pledged investment and mutually beneficial commitments in technology help pave the path
The US is poised to use Israeli gas as a lever to keep Iran on the backfoot following its regional setback, and it could even use it to undercut Russia's economy
Washington seems to have changed its tone after the RSF committed atrocities in October, putting increasing pressure on the foreign backers of a paramilitary that now controls Darfur. What next?