Desperate effort in West Asian quagmire
By Afifeh Abedi
Regional affairs expert
Although the Americans claim that their extensive air raids in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen are retaliatory strikes following the drone attack on a US base in Jordan known as “Tower 22” and the killing of three service members, but in fact, these attacks should be seen as the continuation of US military support to Israel in the ongoing Gaza war.
Almost four months have passed since the outbreak of the war between Palestinian resistance groups in the Gasa Strip against the Israeli offensive which has killed more than 27,300 Palestinians. However, Israel has not yet achieved its declared goal of destroying Hamas. It was crystal clear from the beginning the goal was nothing more than a pipedream.
Therefore, Washington is trying to set the scene in West Asia in such a way that the war in Gaza is taken off the global focus and any cease-fire or agreement to end the war in Gaza is not seen as yet another defeat for Israel as such a failure will seal the deal on the unprecedented intelligence, security, and military blow delivered by Operation Al-Aqsa Storm to America’s strategic ally Israel. In the same vein, reports about Israel’s gradual withdrawal from Gaza and a potential cease-fire, amid US attacks on the Axis of Resistance, should be seen as parts of a single puzzle.
Hamas does not seem to be on the ropes in the Gaza war, and this will be yet another setback for Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet. The war in Gaza has led to the resurgence of the Axis of Resistance in West Asia. Meanwhile, the foundation of the Axis of Resistance lies in opposition to the existence of Israel and the US order in West Asia. America’s stubborn resistance to end the Gaza war also demonstrates its strategic concerns about the situation in the region.
In essence, Washington is trying to prevent new regional arrangements that would undermine its regional influence in West Asia. This is being sought by bolstering military presence in the region, strengthening Israel, and maintaining the existence of its strategic partner in the region. These conditions serve as catalysts accelerate the transformation in the world order. In other words, the US perceives the ongoing rivalry in West Asia as an integral part of a power struggle within the regional order, the international sphere, and the transformation in the world order.
The changing regional and global conditions have presented strategic limitations for the United States. The number of conflict zones for the US has increased while its tools for addressing them remain limited. Saudi Arabia, a traditional ally, has caused long-term doubts for Washington due to its balanced policy between the United States, China, and regional rivals like Iran.
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