Syria's future is not being decided in Damascus alone. It is being shaped in Suwayda, in Ankara, in Tel Aviv, in the northeast, and in Doha and Moscow as much as in Washington.

Egypt entered 2026 with $163.7 billion in external debt and its heaviest repayment schedule in modern history. A decade of IMF programmes stabilised the economy without reducing its dependence on external financing, leaving no buffers when the Iran conflict began.

Ending a war and shaping what comes after are two entirely different undertakings — and the second demands as much strategy as the first.

Greece moved faster than any other European state when the Iran conflict began — deploying frigates, F-16s, and Patriot batteries while maintaining it was not involved. Greek-operated Patriots intercepted Iranian missiles over Saudi Arabia. A US carrier strike group was serviced at Souda Bay. The gap between Athens's stated position and its operational footprint is not accidental.