A sudden spike in regional tensions has gripped the Middle East as Israel strikes Syria, a fragile ceasefire collapses in Sweida, and Iran's Khamenei issues a sharp warning to the US and Israel.

A video clip circulating on social media in recent months shows Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Shara, astride a handsome black horse in a sand riding ring with a few thick palm trees. He is alone, wearing a trim leather jacket, as the high-stepping horse circles within the ring.