At a critical moment for Lebanon, the United States placed Tom Barrack in charge of difficult negotiations, yet he has proven to be the wrong man for the job.
Support for Israel has been a bipartisan stance in U.S. politics for decades, but the recent war in Gaza has pushed both parties in differing trajectories.
The recognition of a Palestinian state by a slew of Western countries does little to change things on the ground, but opens up the real possibility of Israeli backlash. Here European states will need to take a stand, and buy time as possible change in the U.S. brews.
A quiet realignment in the Middle East sees Tehran, Arab states, and Washington converge on de-escalation amid shared interests. As Iran's threat perception shifts, Arab diplomacy grows crucial, while the Trump administration's pragmatic approach offers a path for regional stability and cooperation.
Recent shifts in the Levant signal a transformative geopolitical landscape, marked by Bashar Assad's fall and Gulf states normalizing ties with Syria and Lebanon. As Iran retreats, regional powers must seize this moment to foster stability and collaboration, avoiding past mistakes.
