Seth J. Frantzman

The meetings in Washington between the US, Israel, and Lebanon are important, but it remains to be seen what concrete changes can emerge. 

Iraq is at a turning point as militias begin procedures to disengage from the PMF and potentially hand weapons to the government amid US pressure.

Iran claimed this is “conducted in response to a series of US military attacks.”

Qaani threatened that if the US or Israel did escalate militarily in Gaza and Lebanon, new fronts could open, and traffic in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could mirror the situation in the Strait of Hormuz

Countries across the region will closely watch which parties are on the rise in Jerusalem over the next few months.

A senior Iranian commander said sites that produce military equipment are "completely hidden from the enemy's view," signaling to the US and Israel that Iran is still managing to produce weapons.

US Envoy Tom Barrack has played a key role in US policy in the Middle East over the past year. He was appointed Special Envoy to Syria last year. He is also the US Ambassador to Turkey.

Although Hamas only controls half of Gaza, it still runs the lives of 2 million civilians and seeks out new leadership amid targeted eliminations by the IDF.

The attacks illustrate how Iran is seeking to keep up the pressure on Kurdish opposition groups. Many of these groups have forces and bases in the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq.

It’s not clear whether Ankara is posing as a neutral power or seeking to portray itself as similar to most European and NATO powers that also remained outside the war.