From Beirut to Baghdad and Sana’a… Can This Moment Be Generalized?

What the Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is attempting—at least on the level of political discourse—is nothing less than reclaiming the definition of the state from the grip of the “mini‑state.” His speech opens the door to a larger question: could what happened in Beirut be a precursor to what might one day unfold in Baghdad or Sana’a? In Iraq, the state remains hijacked by parties and militias whose loyalty to Tehran often outweighs their loyalty to Iraq itself. Every attempt to restore national decision‑making crashes into a wall of entrenched interests, weapons, and ideology. In Yemen, the country has become an Iranian dagger pointed at Saudi Arabia’s side, held firmly by the Houthis—who control territory, weapons, and a doctrinal narrative […]