The loss of a parliamentary majority won by Hezbollah and its allies in 2018 is a reversal for the terrorist group, a dominant force in Lebanon for years with unwavering support from Iran, and may present Sunni Muslim-led Saudi Arabia with new possibilities for reasserting sway in Beirut.
Spurred on by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, both countries applied to join NATO. The alliance sought to seal their accession in record time, yet Turkey presented a demand for the Nordic countries to halt support for Kurdish groups and to lift their bans on some sales of arms to Turkey.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz's revelation Tuesday regarding Iran's nuclear program was "the last call to the world to stop burying its head in the sand and stop Iran before it's no longer possible," says Eli Bar-On, an expert on missiles and advanced weapons systems.
The impact of the war in Ukraine continues reverberating around the Middle East. It is possible that Russia will see it has more to gain by following a path of mutual interest with Israel, but the Israeli military must be prepared for a dangerous alternative scenario.
Shiite Hezbollah is well-positioned to capitalize on the fragmentation of the Sunni bloc, and the estimate is that even if the terror group loses the elections, it will explore other venues to maintain its hegemony.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, elected president following the death of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, has forged a new axis with Israel against the Islamic republic and other radical regional forces and is regarded by many as the savviest Gulf ruler.
Putin invaded Ukraine to prevent the country from joining NATO only to have Finland and Sweden – two countries famous for their neutrality – decide to join the military alliance precisely due to the war.
Neither side wants to admit nearly a year of indirect negotiations may have failed and so no one is willing to call it quits, US diplomats say.
Many democratic gains from 2011 were reversed, partly because governments could follow the activities of opponents on social media sites and make arrests if they were criticized.
The backing the Gaza-based terrorist group receives from Hezbollah and Iran are helping the group establish itself in southern Lebanon, which suits its interests as long as occasional rocket fire doesn't escalate into a full-scale war.
