Iraqi authorities and Shia religious figures are pressuring Iranian-aligned militias to avoid attacks that could draw retaliatory strikes. As tensions rise, Iraq balances ties with Iran and the U.S. while striving to stay out of a widening regional war.
Browsing: Geopolitics
Regional reactions to Iran’s protests vary: Israel hopes for regime collapse but remains cautious; Gulf states expect the regime to survive; Lebanon’s Hezbollah faces funding threats; and Turkey fears both instability and a newly rival pro-Western Iran.
Once advocates for U.S. strikes on Iran, Gulf capitals now seek restraint, using their diplomatic ties with Tehran to avoid being caught in the crossfire. They view unpredictable U.S. support for Israel as a growing risk to regional stability.
To salvage Trump’s Gaza plan, Europeans and Arabs must offer joint implementation support while insisting on Palestinian decision-making, PA inclusion, and Hamas’s negotiated disarmament. This initiative aims to correct the plan’s sidelining of Palestinian sovereignty and lack of political horizon.
The STC’s capture of Yemen’s eastern border with Oman shattered Muscat’s security, forcing unprecedented coordination with Saudi Arabia to expel the separatists. The episode shows that neutrality offers no protection, only a fragile hope of containing regional spillover.
Fighting between Syrian forces and the SDF highlights the failure of U.S. mediation to implement a lasting political and military integration deal. Stalled Israel-Syria talks further show Trump’s diplomacy lacks the detailed process needed to resolve core security disputes.
Despite mediating in Gaza and Sudan, Egypt’s foreign policy is constrained by economic struggles and a risk-averse stance. Its alignments with Qatar and Turkey are tactical, seeking investment and influence, but will likely result in continued reactive, low-impact diplomacy.
“The United States’ current approach is not working and may even play into Ansar Allah’s, and by extension Iran’s, hands. A better alternative is a multidimensional long-term security strategy that ties maritime security to the Yemeni peace process… acting accordingly.”
“The success of the Houthis, who have paralyzed about 12 percent of international trade, distracting the West, suits the Russian side just fine. Moscow is not prepared to risk its remaining allies for the sake of international stability.”
“Europe’s push for greater strategic cohesion and autonomy is held back by poor relations between France and Turkey. Forging a common agenda around Ukraine and Black Sea security could be the place to start… conversion of necessity into results.”