Israel, Syria: A head for Heights

Also: Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Ukraine, Russia, and Brazil.

At the foot of Mount Hermon (Golan Heights), Vasily Polenov, 1882, oil on canvas, State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

The five things you need to know today:

• ISRAEL. SYRIA. Netanyahu decides it’s no time to back down.

• IRAN. The regime looks vulnerable, but mostly from within.

• TURKEY. EGYPT. After events in Damascus, Cairo will wonder what’s next.

• UKRAINE. RUSSIA. China is called upon to resolve the conflict.

• BRAZIL. A political soap opera follows a well-known script.

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ISRAEL. SYRIA. A head for Heights

Netanyahu decides it’s no time to back down.

Benjamin Netanyahu said charges against him were an “ocean of absurdity” Tuesday, in his first appearance at a long-running court case. The US said it would ensure Israel's seizure of the Syrian side of the Golan Heights was temporary.

INTELLIGENCE. Netanyahu said Israel would keep the Golan Heights for “eternity” after seizing the former buffer zone in the wake of Bashar al-Assad’s ouster. There’s a security logic amid a fast-changing crisis, where an ex-Al-Qaeda offshoot now controls Damascus (Israeli tanks are allegedly 16 miles from the city; the IDF has conducted its largest-ever air raid to destroy what’s left of Syria’s arsenal). Yet occupation will only further complicate peace efforts.

FOR BUSINESS. There’s a political logic too. Opening a new front after defeating Hezbollah and Hamas keeps Netanyahu’s war leadership going as the noose tightens on his historic legal woes and his coalition government strains under ongoing rancour, from West Bank settlements to Haredi enlistment. Further, should Netanyahu be forced to participate in a Trump-led “grand bargain”, giving up the Golan Heights could be easier than the Gaza Strip.

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IRAN. Inside story

The regime looks vulnerable, but mostly from within.

The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps said Iran's power remained "undiminished" Tuesday, despite Syria's collapse. Infighting within the IRGC could force Ali Khamenei to sack Quds Force chief Esmail Qaani, London’s Telegraph said.

INTELLIGENCE. While maintaining external unity, the regime is in crisis, and Qaani may prove a useful scapegoat for, lest the blame move up to