In its 150 years of operations, the Suez Canal has been through wars and high-stakes power struggles as it imposed itself as a vital international waterway.

Iran announced on Wednesday further steps walking back on its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.

Following are the main armed groups in Mali, where authorities are battling a jihadist insurgency and conflict rages between ethnic communities.

- Group to Support Islam and Muslims (GSIM) -

Key dates in the relationship between Iran and the United States:

Iran has worked to turn sweeping anti-government protests in Iraq from a threat to its hard-earned influence over its neighbor into an opportunity for political gains, analysts say.

In Lebanon too, where similar rallies against corruption and government inefficiency have broken out, Iran's main ally Hizbullah has managed to maintain its influence.

Forty years ago, Islamist students stormed the US embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days in a crisis that came to symbolise the long and bitter standoff between the two countries.

The Islamic State supremo Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who President Donald Trump on Sunday confirmed was killed during a U.S. military operation in Syria, had been announced dead several times since 2014. Here is a recap:

Russia was never a colonial power in Africa, but it has a long history of ties with the continent.

The withdrawal of U.S. forces from northern Syria was a win for President Vladimir Putin, strengthening Russia's role as the key foreign player in the war-torn country.

Turkey's military offensive against Kurdish fighters in Syria has sparked alarm and anger in the European Union, but diplomats say concrete measures in the form of sanctions are unlikely.