Events over the past week have brought us one step closer to a region-wide war in the Middle East.
In the early hours of Friday 19 April, Israel carried out military operations against Iran. Explosions were seen and heard in the skies over the cities of Isfahan and Tabriz as Israel’s drones were shot out of the sky. Israeli media reported that targets were also hit in Iraq and Syria. This was Israel’s response to Iran’s 13 April drone and missile attack on Israel. Both sets of attacks resulted in no casualties and no serious damage.
But this is a serious escalation of a situation that is quickly spiralling out of control. How we understand what caused it and which policies are needed to de-escalate it are crucial.
On 1 April, Israel assassinated several of Iran’s high-ranking military officials by a drone strike on its embassy compound in Damascus. Any attack on a diplomatic mission is a violation of international law and is regarded as a breach of that country’s sovereignty. Still, the UN Security Council failed to condemn Israel’s actions.
David Cameron, the British foreign secretary, admitted during an interview with Sky News that the UK would take “strong action” against any country that attacked its consulates.
Such proclamations make it even more astonishing that the UK did not condemn Israel’s actions. Instead, the UK issued a statement appearing to justify Israel’s breach of international law by referring to Iran’s links with Hamas and Hezbollah.
‘Double standards’
I have given up crying “double standards” or “hypocrisy” because Britain has a long history of behaving as such in the Middle East, which is why no one there expects anything different.
Soon after its missile attack, Iran stated that it considered the matter to be “concluded”, but warned Israel of a larger attack if it retaliates, including strikes on US bases in the region if it backs Israel’s actions. Israel has now retaliated so Iran will no doubt be forced to respond.
How on earth did we get to this point?
I place the blame for this solely on western states that have given unconditional support to Israel and allowed it to act with impunity. Not just in the past six months but in the past 75 years. And not just to Palestinians, but also to its neighbours.
How much more violence must there be before Israel is forced to accept that Palestinians have the right to self-determination and that preventing this from happening is destabilising the whole of the Middle East?
If you think this is a war waged purely by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza before Iran’s actions on 13 April, think again.
In Gaza, Israel’s actions are causing immeasurable harm and suffering. Since 7 October, Israel has killed more than 33,000 Palestinians, injured over 76,000 others, displaced 75 percent of Gaza’s population, caused $18.5bn in damage to Gaza’s infrastructure, and created the conditions for mass starvation.
In May 2000, Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon after occupying it for 15 years. But since 7 October, there have been over 4,700 cross-border attacks. During these, Israel has killed over 70 Lebanese civilians and 300 combatants. Hezbollah has killed a dozen Israeli soldiers and five civilians.
But what has been the response of the US and the UK? To bomb Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the region, already ravaged by years of civil war and bombing by a Saudi-led coalition.
Over in Syria, Israel has repeatedly carried out air strikes, which have escalated in number and scope since 7 October 2023.
De-escalation
Hezbollah, the Houthis, Hamas, and Syria are regional allies of Iran, yet Saudi Arabia (like Israel) enjoys the support of the United States, so it is hardly out on a limb.
The threat of a region-wide war is now very real. A permanent ceasefire in Gaza and a strategy to end Israel’s apartheid regime over Palestinians is the only way to de-escalate the situation.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
