Lizzie Porter

Analysis: Can Iran and US de-escalate tensions after Soleimani killing?

Iran has promised revenge for the killing of top military commander Qassem Soleimani. The Islamic Republic’s response will be carefully calculated, but could lead to spiralling violence.

The difficulty of normality in Tal Afar, the former Daesh stronghold

Tal Afar was retaken from the terror group two years ago this month, but social and security challenges remain - and more than half of the city’s population hasn't returned.

Hezbollah deploys martyr rhetoric to raise funds and garner sympathy

Following US sanctions, the political and military group is using commemoration events to call for donations and build support for its anti-American rhetoric.

How the Sufis of Iraq became homeless

Persecuted by extremists, Sufis in Iraq sought shelter among other followers of mystical Islam in Baghdad. Their plight sheds light on nearly two million internally displaced Iraqis unable to return home.

Literature and lattes in Baghdad

Demand for books is growing in the city, so is the need for good coffee as Iraq steps out of the shadow of war and discovers a love of reading.

Hezbollah responds to Israeli provocation with a quiet yet watchful stance

Experts argue Tel Aviv's latest military move seems to be aimed at serving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's domestic concerns, especially at a time when a corruption scandal puts him in a tight spot.

The road to Karbala

Millions of Muslims are gathering in the Iraqi city of Karbala for Arbaeen, one of Shia Islam's most important annual events. What exactly is it and why is it so important?

Syrian refugees are unwelcome in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights

Refused refuge in the occupied Golan Heights, civilians displaced in southwest Syria face a new range of threats. Their plight lies in stark contrast with the Israelis flocking to the disputed region for war tourism just a few kilometres away.

Inside the mausoleums of Hezbollah’s secret Syria dead

Hezbollah has lost scores of fighters in Syria, yet families claim to be proud of their dead, who are glorified as "martyrs". Was the bloodshed necessary– and where do the bodies end up?

Survivors of Israeli massacre in Lebanon rebuild their lives

No one in the village of Qana is waiting for a miracle to heal the deep scars left by Israeli air strikes that slaughtered over 100 civilians in 1996 and 28 in 2006. But, with the help of younger generations, residents are determined to move on.