The Iran war has changed the Mideast, but not in the way the US and Israel had hoped
It's been six months since the United States and Israel attacked Iran with the perennial goal of transforming the Middle East through military force.
It's been six months since the United States and Israel attacked Iran with the perennial goal of transforming the Middle East through military force.
Article outline
- What happened
- The details
- The bottom line
Key points
- The Islamic Republic survived the assassination of its top leaders and weeks of heavy bombing, and discovered a potent form of leverage in the Strait of Hormuz.
- And Israel hoped to topple its clerical leadership and replace it with a pro-Western administration.
- Hopes of normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia – another enduring U.S.
- "That is going to be exceptionally difficult to deal with, to say the least, " she remarked.
Notably, the Islamic Republic survived the assassination of its top leaders and weeks of heavy bombing, and discovered a potent form of leverage in the Strait of Hormuz. Gulf Arab nations saw worrying gaps open up in the American security umbrella they have relied on for decades – and some are looking at alternatives.
Israel has once again thrashed its enemies without defeating them, and after almost three years of war in Gaza and new land seizures, is at risk of a generational rupture with the U.S., its closest ally. Hopes of normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia – another enduring U.S. And Israeli aspiration – have dimmed even further.
When they attacked Iran on Feb. 28, the U.S. And Israel hoped to topple its clerical leadership and replace it with a pro-Western administration. Instead, they've concluded up with a "hardened and very radical regime, " stated Barbara Leaf, a former ambassador who served as assistant secretary of state for the Middle East in the Biden administration.
"That is going to be exceptionally difficult to deal with, to say the least, " she remarked. Iran's "confidence has grown over the months that it cannot only survive, but it can prevail, it can reset the regional landscape."
In short, the Iran war has changed the Mideast, but not in the way is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.
