News & Comment

At the very heart of the controversy around Ahmed al-Sharaa and his interim government in Damascus is the extent to which he has been able to shed the ideological lineage that is highly problematic not only from the point of view of the UK and establishing diplomatic bilateral ties, but first and foremost from the points of view of many Syrians, who both rejoiced at the overthrow of the brutal Assad regime and the conclusion of the 13-year multi-sided civil war but who have been cautious and fearful about the rise of the new al-Sharaa-led government and the challenges that the new government has faced in promoting a more inclusive, representative government."

There is an element of the US military giving President Trump options. They are broadening the menu of coercive tools that he can use to either inflict damage or threaten to do so on the Iranians, who are looking at ways to respond to effectively show that they can shrug that off, even if it would be tremendously painful."

Seizing the island would cut off Iran’s oil lifeline, which is crucial for the regime...Of course, with shipping via the Strait of Hormuz now stopped, they cannot sell oil anyway, but looking ahead, seizure would give the US leverage during negotiations, no matter which regime is in power after the military operation ends.”