In response to Israel's striking of Iran's consulate in Syria, Ayatollah Khamenei's statement of "retaliation will be given" has heightened the possibility of the regional proxy war escalating into direct conflict. Since October 7th, Netanyahu has been attempting to expand the conflict by targeting Hamas and Shia militia objectives in both Beirut and Syria. The relatively controlled continuation of the "regional war" relied on Iran and Hezbollah refraining from militarily supporting Hamas. However, Khamenei's remarks suggesting that striking the Iranian consulate would mean targeting Iranian soil have also put Washington on high alert.
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The Biden administration has been under pressure, as reported in the media for some time, to bring an end to military operations, facilitate humanitarian aid, and address the post-war governance of Gaza, especially considering the lack of positive response from the Netanyahu government. Reports suggested that Netanyahu's government did not respond positively to these requests, and there were indications that Washington's patience was wearing thin. The latest news, where Biden reportedly told Netanyahu that the ultimate solution is a two-state resolution, was quickly countered by Netanyahu stating that this possibility is not on the table, creating a significant setback for Washington. With these statements, Netanyahu not only declared the obvious but also made it clear that under his leadership, there would be no genuine peace process, embarrassing the American President, his biggest supporter, in the eyes of the public.
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The United States has been doing almost everything to otherize and alienate Türkiye throughout the last decade. The damaging steps taken by the last three U.S. governments, namely Barack Obama, Donald Trump and the current Joe Biden administrations, show that anti-Türkiye policy has become the state policy.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Kazakhstan earlier this week to attend the 10th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). In addition to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov, Erdoğan met his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev and attended the meeting of the OTS heads of states. The Turkish leader returned to Türkiye following his meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Friday.
The Biden administration hasn't fundamentally altered its unwavering support for Israel since the beginning of the crisis. However, in the face of heavy criticism from the international community, regional countries, and even its own party and American public, especially in the past two weeks, it has started emphasizing the humanitarian crisis more. As Washington increasingly finds itself isolated on the international stage, it has begun to add qualifiers, such as the need to protect civilians and ensure humanitarian aid access, while reiterating its full support for Israel. Reports have also suggested that Israel is preparing for a large-scale invasion of Gaza, but Washington is recommending a narrower operation that takes into account the safety of hostages and civilians. The change in rhetoric seems to reflect the administration's growing awareness of the need to alleviate public pressure.
In the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the ongoing Israeli retaliation, is there anything different in the U.S. government’s response this time around?
After U.S. President Donald Trump had the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain sign the Abraham Accords on Sept. 15 at the White House, people have been wondering which Arab country will be next.
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Despotic Arab regimes must cooperate with western states, Israel to maintain power, says analyst
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This critically important book includes chapters both contextualizing and discussing the U.S. administration’s Jerusalem declaration in great detail. Various sections authored by American, Latin American, European, and Turkish authors examine the international responses to the U.S. President Trump’s declaration.
The 'Deal of the Century' announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Jan. 29 has been handled by the global media in a way that can be considered novel. That discourse, the like of which we have seldom ever encountered, was reflected both in written content and in photos. Images provided by global news agencies like Reuters and AP revealed content that can be viewed as "critical of Israel." Various mainstream media organizations ranging from The Guardian, Washington Post and BBC to The New York Times have published pieces and opinions criticizing the "Deal of the Century."
The most recent decision made by the U.S. government can be considered the last nail in the coffin of the international system. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that the U.S. will soften its position on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
When the French and the British carved up the Middle East, the Golan Heights was part of the French mandate. It was not part of the Palestinian territories, where the Israelis claimed their authority. And after the mandate was abolished for the current nation-states, the Golan Heights was naturally left for Syria.
U.S. President Donald Trump took yet another step to legitimize Israeli expansionism after recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital last year. 'After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the state of Israel and regional stability', Trump tweeted. Governments around the world reacted harshly to that decision.
Two meetings took place earlier this week in Warsaw and Sochi that were crucial for the future of the Middle East.