Bruno Finel

A rare Israeli strike in Aïn Saadé, in the Christian Metn district long considered safely removed from the conflict, has shattered the illusion of security in Lebanon's Christian heartland.

Donald Trump has issued his most explosive threat yet against Iran,  crude, capitalised and unmistakable in its intent. 

The concept of Taqiyya, the religiously sanctioned practice of concealment and misdirection, has been a cornerstone of the Islamic Republic's diplomatic toolkit for four decades. 

Lebanon's Foreign Minister Joe Raggi has failed. Despite considerable diplomatic effort, he has been unable to enforce the expulsion order issued against Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Reza Shibani, a man declared persona non grata by the Lebanese state and given a deadline to leave the country that has long since passed. 

One of Iran's most experienced and internationally respected diplomats has broken the silence that has enveloped Tehran since the outbreak of war. 

Emmanuel Macron has spoken. The Strait of Hormuz will not be forced open by military means. It would be "unrealistic," he told reporters during a trip to South Korea, a location that, one must admit, puts him admirably close to the action.

For weeks, Beirut's new leadership - President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam - assured the international community that Hezbollah had disarmed south of the Litani River. The message was reassuring. It was also, as it turns out, either dangerously naive or deliberately false.

Spain has taken an extraordinary step. Defence Minister Margarita Robles announced Monday that Madrid has closed its airspace to American military aircraft involved in operations against Iran, going even further than its earlier refusal to allow the use of jointly-operated bases. 

Leave it to France to find a way to defend the indefensible, and do it with such effortless diplomatic panache.

As diplomacy stalls, one geopolitical intelligence firm sees only one way out

From gas stations to drug trafficking, how Iran's proxy built a billion-dollar war chest.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Friday the signing of a landmark defense cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, sealed ahead of his meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh.