The recent Iran-Israel war has significantly altered the geostrategic and geopolitical dynamics of the Middle Eastern region. The war between the two sides has exposed the region to new threats.
Western Aggression and Regional Resistance in the Middle East
Moreover, the IDF has also targeted journalists, human rights watchdogs, and welfare workers in Gaza in its so-called war against Hamas. However, the United States and many other Western states have continuously been supporting these Israeli genocidal operations in Gaza. On the other hand, the Muslim countries are unable to find any considerable military or diplomatic support against Western aggression. Yemen and Iran-backed regional proxies showed some resistance against the Israeli and Western aggression. However, the United States and Israel have targeted these proxies groups as well.
Israel targeted Hezbollah in Lebanon. Meanwhile, the United States bombed Yemen’s Houthi-governed areas to stop their retaliatory strikes on Israel. The two genocide partners held hostile designs against Iran for a long. After the re-election of Donald Trump for the second non-consecutive term, nuclear negotiations between the US and Iran started to abstain the latter from developing nuclear weapons. However, Iran sought US assurances against potential Israeli attacks in the future. Washington did not provide any such guarantees and threatened Tehran with Israeli strikes if it did not sign the proposed deal.
Iran–Israel Confrontation and Its Strategic Implications
During the negotiations, Israel conducted unprovoked strikes on Tehran, targeting its top military leadership, and nuclear scientists. It also targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities. However, Israel cannot destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities. It sought US assistance in destroying Iran’s key nuclear infrastructure. Moreover, Israel wanted to involve the United States directly in its war in the Middle East, especially against Iran, to realize its Greater Israel ambition. However, the US officials initially remained hesitant to get involved in the Middle Eastern war.
Meanwhile, Iran retaliated against Israel. It targets Haifa port and other key Israeli strategic infrastructure through missiles. These attacks from both sides altered the geostrategic landscape of the region to a great extent. Over the years, Israel was perceived to be an impregnable power in the Middle East. The regional states had a strong perception that any sort of attack on Israel would be neutralized by its Iron Dome system. However, the Iranian strikes on Israel exposed the limitations of the Iron Dome system.
Iran inflicted heavy damage on Tel Aviv, challenging the long-held belief that Israel is invulnerable to attacks from regional powers. The recent war between the two sides illustrates that Israel cannot withstand a powerful military. Moreover, it demonstrates that Israel is unable to win the war against any regional power unilaterally. In addition, the alleged US coordination with Iran before bombing its nuclear facilities reflects that Washington does not want to engage in any regional war at Tel Aviv’s behest.
Post-War Realignments and Diplomatic Challenges
On the other hand, the Israeli attack on Iran has also exposed security fissures in the Iranian military. Israel used its spies to target top military officials and nuclear scientists in Iran, showing that the latter’s internal security is highly compromised. It also illustrates that Iran needs a strong Air Force, along with a robust spy network, to minimize damages in any future clash with Israel and the United States. On the diplomatic front, Russia, China, Algeria, and Pakistan demonstrated unwavering support to Tehran. Iran is expected to deepen its diplomatic and military ties with allied nations to deter future attacks.
At the end of the war, US President Donald Trump maintained that Iran informed his country via Qatar before attacking its military base in Doha. This maligned Tehran on the diplomatic front and demonstrated the weakness of its military capabilities. Furthermore, this shows that the Trump administration is highly unreliable and can go to any length to humiliate other powers. Iran’s successful missile strikes on Israel, Mossad’s heavy presence in Iranian cities, the United States’ hesitance to join Israel’s war with Iran, and Hezbollah’s silence during this war have significantly altered the regional geopolitical and geostrategic landscape.
The war between the two sides has stopped with a temporary ceasefire. Many in the region think that this ceasefire has put an end to the war between Iran and Israel. However, Israel’s history of ceasefire violations shows that this armistice will not hold for long. Israel will again attack Iran sooner or later to materialize its Greater Israel ambition. Both sides have suffered significant losses during this war. Iran needs to upgrade its military capabilities to ensure its sovereignty and security against any future Israeli aggression. Moreover, there is resentment amongst Muslims around the world due to no mention of Gaza in the ceasefire deal pertaining to the Iran-Israel war. Iran will have to revamp its diplomatic efforts to rebuild its perception as the supporters of Palestinians and to regain worldwide Muslim support and sympathy.
Taut Bataut – is a researcher and writer that publishes on South Asian geopolitics
