Seth J. Frantzman

Washington has used a combination of sanctions, terrorist designations, and rewards for information on militia leaders.

In recent years the Christian community has been split between some who supported Hezbollah and some who oppose Hezbollah.

The US had pressured Israel to adhere to a real ceasefire with Hezbollah. In the past, the ceasefires were only in name, and strikes continued against one another.

For Iraq, it doesn’t seem to matter if the Kurdistan Region is attacked, because then the region can’t sell oil or provide itself with gas for electricity.

While many public meetings have been on a kind hiatus in terms of the Abraham Accords, India, Israel, Greece and Cyprus have continued to hold key engagements.

The report adds that despite a push for a ceasefire and a new de-confliction concept in Lebanon, “it is estimated that Washington is using various tools simultaneously to try to disarm Hezbollah.”

The slow war in Lebanon, based on a doctrine from Gaza, has resulted in leaving Hezbollah in the field just miles from Israel's northern border.

The Norwegian Refugee Council notes that it leads “the Shelter Cluster in Palestine, which coordinates humanitarian shelter actors responding to emergency shelter needs in Gaza and the West Bank.”

As Iran-US talks continue in Switzerland, Pakistan is positioning itself as a key intermediary, with US Vice President JD Vance signaling strong support for its involvement.

Iraq’s new leadership is pledging state control over weapons, but questions remain over whether Baghdad can rein in powerful Iran-backed militias.