Iran is trying to turn its de facto grip on the Strait of Hormuz into permanent control via a toll system. Will a standoff over the waterway scupper talks?
Iran has long seen the Strait of Hormuz as leverage, but this war has, for the first time, allowed it to test that power - and Tehran is unlikely to give it up
As speculation mounts about whether US troops will be deployed in Iran, analysts say any ground operation would be narrow and tactical, rather than large-scale
Mojtaba Khamenei's appointment as Supreme Leader underscores the rise of hardline factions and the IRGC in Iran amid an existential war for the Islamic Republic
Hariri is hinting at a return to politics, but Lebanon's political landscape - and its regional backers - have shifted in ways that may limit his leverage
Iran's Islamic Republic has endured, but persistent crackdowns, economic hardship, and growing public disillusionment make its long-term prospects unclear
