The senior leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, has died. This is a great loss for the Middle East. It could significantly impact US foreign policy, Iran, Israel, and the Middle East.
This news became the reason for celebrations in Sunni groups. Israel, with the support of Biden’s administration, has succeeded in weekending Hezbollah. By disrupting their communication systems, Hezbollah’s operations have been seriously impacted.
Hezbollah is important for both Iran and the Syrian government led by Bashar al-Assad, whom they supported during the Syrian civil war. Nasrallah’s death also makes Saudi Arabia and its allies more powerful. This changes the balance of power in their favor, at least for now. The situation remains fluid, and how these changes will unfold will depend on various political dynamics in the region.
Due to religious differences, the fight between Iran and Saudi Arabia continued for many years. The main difference between the beliefs of Sunni and Shia Muslims.
Recently, Sunni groups have had a very tough time. They were not getting successful in removing the Assad government in Syria. They also faced many challenges during the fight between Houthis. Additionally, Iran is a great supporter of the Houthis. This situation became the source of many tensions. It has made Sunnis feel ashamed.
After the October 7 attacks, the US also greatly supports Israel, and the main priority of this nation is Israel’s safety. The nation also wants to keep the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf shipping routes safe.
After Israel’s military action in Gaza, the Houthis targeted ships in the Red Sea.
The United States is trying to stop more wars in the Middle East, especially those between Israel and other countries. This is because more tensions could cause bigger problems for the region and the world.
Soon, the presidential election will be held in the US. Kamala Harris has a desire to avoid any conflict in the Middle East. Recently happened incidents have weakened the Iranian government. Iran is the nation that is already dealing with the protests, particularly from women opposing strict hijab laws.
This Shia theocracy, known for funding Hezbollah, is losing credibility, but it has a strong ability to stay in power.
Additionally, Israel’s politics were not stable before the Hamas attack on October 7. Benjamin Netanyahu received much criticism as his nation was not happy with him. The divisions within Israel are still evident, creating ongoing challenges for the leadership. As tensions rise in the region, both the U.S. and Israel must navigate these issues carefully, as they can impact domestic politics and international relations. Overall, the situation remains complex, requiring attention and thoughtful responses from leaders.
Netanyahu is grappling with many problems and is fighting to stay in power. To distract people’s attention, he increased conflict with various groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Both of these groups have great support for Iran. With these ongoing conflicts, Netanyahu hopes to shift the attention of people from his political complexities and challenges.
However, by pushing the conflict too far, Israel risks bringing its enemies together rather than weakening them. This could create more problems for Israel in the long run.
The focus of the Biden administration should be more on civilian deaths in Gaza and Lebanon. The opinion of American citizens is also different. Some support Kamala Harris and Biden, while others oppose their actions. The administration needs to show more worry for the humanitarian side. This is the only way to avoid further criticism.
Many believe there will be no lack in the Biden administration’s support for Israel. No matter, they care about civilians’ deaths or not.
At the same time, Iran likely sees these events as a reason to push harder for nuclear weapons. After these losses, Iran now needs more weapons than past. This is a significant concern for the world. If Iran gets nuclear weapons according to his desire, then this will cause more complexities.
In short, while the US supports Israel, a bigger worry is how these events are making Iran want nuclear weapons even more, and that should concern everyone.
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The New York Center for Foreign Policy Affairs (NYCFPA) is a policy, research, and educational organization headquartered in New York State with an office in Washington D.C. NYCFPA is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan, institution devoted to conducting in-depth research and analysis on every aspect of American foreign policy and its impact around the world. The organization is funded by individual donors. The organization receives no corporate or government donations.