Rami al-Rayes

Recent political developments have affirmed that the country is at a dangerous and unprecedented turning point, perhaps even more delicate and critical than the civil war period (1975–1990), when barricades were raised and the Lebanese were split as a result of local schisms and foreign influence…

It is now indisputable that Lebanon is no longer part of Iran’s sphere of influence. This exit is among the most prominent outcomes of the wars unfolding across the region that began on October 7, 2023, with the Gaza War and included a 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel. Most importantly, of…

Lebanon’s conundrum has entered a new phase after Hezbollah rebuffed the major political strides of the government, most notably its reaffirmation of the principle that arms must remain monopolized by state and its subsequent endorsement of the proposal that US Presidential Envoy Tom Barrack had…

The extraordinary accelerating shifts that have unfolded in the Middle East in recent months suggest that the region can expect even more in the coming weeks, months, and possibly years. The scale and depth of these changes witnessed in several "Sykes-Picot" countries, so to speak, mean that their…

It is clear that Lebanon has entered an obscure, dark phase. There is no clear way out, nor an understanding of the costs and losses the country will incur. Indeed, Israel has been attacking Lebanon for two months now, and it is set to continue for the weeks between now and the transfer of power in…

One of the key flaws in the Lebanese political system, alongside its deeply rooted sectarian and religious divisions that have obstructed any real progress toward equality among its citizens, is the absence of constitutional, political, and judicial accountability in all its forms. This critical…

The Lebanese are in between two dramatically different states: a restrained war is raging on the southern front, while things are normal in other areas of the country. We see the villages on the border paying dearly on behalf of the entire country. The residents are being killed and their homes and…

It has become clear that China is reconfiguring its foreign policy. Building on its unprecedented economic growth, China can gradually expand its political influence in many regions across the globe. The Chinese seem to be taking the opposite approach of the US, which expanded its influence…