Archives Iran - Page 14 of 20 - New Eastern Outlook

The China-brokered deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran and the Russia-brokered deal between Saudi Arabia and Syria gave a glimpse into how the shifting dynamics of global geopolitics are changing regional alignments. China and Russia need the Middle East on their side to be able to effectively challenge – and even reverse – the US-dominated system. The past few months have seen some success in this behalf, evident from the fact that many countries in the Middle East are no longer following the US dictates and that some are even challenging the US (Saudi), seeking concessions from it (Turkey), with countries like Iran already being in a perpetual tussle with Washington…

Given the continued conflict between Israel and Iran in the absence of a direct physical link, the struggle for influence in border territories has captured the interest and attention of both Tel Aviv and Tehran. In fact, the Israeli policy of occupying the Golan Heights in western Syria (Quneitra Governorate) in 1967 had the objective of strengthening Israel’s security zone. In turn, security concerns and Israel’s need for fresh water were factors in the 1967 Six-Day War’s decision to take control of the West Bank of the Jordan. Since then, 90% of Jordan’s water has been used by Israel to provide the population with drinking water…

Israel is a small country and is ranked 46^th in the world in terms of land area. Since Israel’s creation in 1948 at the tragic expense of the Palestinians, the state has been worried about its lack of strategic depth as well as its antagonistic Arab neighbors. Its internationally recognized borders leave it just 137 kms across its widest and 14 kms at its narrowest points. Moreover, Israel’s population is small and it relies on reservists as their on-ground combatants juxtaposed to Arab countries and their historically large standing armies. To make things worse, Israel’s…