EDITORIAL: Tensions in the Middle East have ratcheted up exponentially following Iran’s retaliatory attack against Israel on April 13 in response to a raid by the latter on its consulate in Syria on April 1, with the region on the brink of a major escalation that threatens to spiral into a full-scale war. The Iranian attack consisted of hundreds of drones and missiles, 99 percent of which, according to the Israeli military, were intercepted with help from the US, the UK, Jordan and France.
Hypocrisy on the part of major powers was on full display following the attack, with Iran facing recriminations from Western leaders on account of its retaliation, while at the same time their silence following the Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria earlier in the month had been all too palpable. As pointed out by the Iranian envoy to the UN, Tehran was exercising its “inherent right to self-defence” after the “Security Council … failed in its duty to maintain international peace and security” following Israel’s act of aggression in Damascus.
While Israel now ponders its response to the unprecedented attack, according to The Guardian, the initial signs emanating from Tel Aviv indicate that its forces remain on high alert and that its leadership had approved both “offensive and defensive action”; however, a formal decision regarding the contours of the Israeli response has still not been arrived at by its leadership. The view at the UN and at major world and regional capitals is one of trepidation, with the consensus being that there must be no further escalation of hostilities.
The White House, thankfully, has made it clear to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US would not become part of any retaliatory measure against Iran, with President Joe Biden urging Israel to “think very carefully and strategically” about how it responds to the Iranian act, with the focus being on “how to slow matters down and think through things”. It is clear, therefore, that despite its vociferous and stubborn backing of Israel since October 7, the last thing the Biden administration wants in an election year is the opening up of another theatre of war; especially as the ongoing hostilities in the Russia-Ukraine conflict have already fostered much global instability. That war, it must be noted, has over the last two years left the global economic order in considerable disarray besides resulting in needless loss of lives. For Pakistan, a resultant steep increase in oil prices will have a damning effect on its economy leading to further inflation and pressure on its meagre foreign currency reserves.
It is no surprise then that there is urgency even among Israel’s allies to ensure that there is no further escalation in the Middle East, and not just because of the human cost that such a conflict may entail, but also due to the region being home to some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, which have already faced a significant upheaval following Houthi strikes on ships traversing the Red Sea, disrupting global trade.
It is vital to note that the major concern here now lies in Israel’s history of disproportionate responses, compounded by the brutal tendencies of PM Netanyahu and his ultra conservative allies in government, who are not exactly renowned for exercising restraint or for having any regard for international law or sanctity of life. In the past, Netanyahu had threatened to hit Iran’s nuclear facilities, something that could have catastrophic consequences for world peace if it were to transpire.
It is then crucial that Israel’s Western allies act with alacrity to persuade it to show restraint and moderate its response. Any further escalation from this point on will only serve to prolong the misery of the Palestinians, jeopardise any chance there may be of a ceasefire in Gaza, and potentially plunge the wider region into a cycle of violence and volatility that it can ill-afford.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024