Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia and political party, has never been stronger in terms of its military and political power. But the challenges it faces are mounting, not least the prospect of a devastating war with Israel, as well as financial problems at home and growing corruption in its ranks.

After 18 years, it is hard for most Americans to picture the forever wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan actually coming to an end. Yet over the past week, there were growing signs that what seemed unimaginable could really happen soon, with a potential deal for a U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.