Is West Asia Beelining For A Wider Regional War?
The geo-political atmosphere in West Asia is in a state of soup-shambles. Reportedly, Hamas, Iran, Lebanon, and Israel are prepping for tallying their scores against their enemies. Israel hit Lebanon, Hezbollah retaliated. Israel hit Beirut, which killed Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur. Then came the assassination of Hamas political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, while he was in Tehran. Now, Iran is preparing for the ‘special mission”, in response to the embarrassment caused by the assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran. Hamas promised to ‘severely punish’ the cowardly act of assassinating Haniyeh. Though Israel did not take responsibility, both Hamas and Iran accuse Tel Aviv of the crime.
All this happened while diplomacy was at its peak, grappling to curb possibility of conflagration of the war in the region.
Hezbollah said they are “prepared for the worst” as the country braces for an impending Israeli retaliation following last week’s deadly strike in the occupied Golan Heights. Though Hezbollah denied the accusations of striking Majdal Shams football field that killed 12, including children and teens, Israel has blamed Hezbollah for the strike. Golah Heights is an Israeli-controlled area. The attack is the in Israel or Israeli-annexed territory since Hamas’ October 7th attack that sparked the ongoing Gaza war.
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Shukur, the Hezbollah commander who was reported to be killed by Israel, in the attack following the Golan Heights attack, was said to be responsible for the attack. Hours later the attack in Beirut, Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated. The killing is considered as the most brazen breach of Iran’s defenses in years.
When taken together, the seniority of both the targets in their groups, the sensitivity of the location at which they were assassinated, and their near simultaneity were viewed as a particularly provocative escalation, leaving the region vulnerable to greater destructions.
The Houthis in Yemen are also getting ready to “inevitably” mount a military response to Israel’s recent “escalation”. Responding to Haniyeh’s assassination, Houthis said, “the criminal enemy’s involvement in targeting the martyr (Haniyeh) has elevated the battle to a wider scope and greater dimensions, the consequences of which will be dire for the enemy, God willing”, as per the statement published by the group’s Al-Masirah TV channel.
It is not clear as of yet, how Hamas is going to react to the assassination of one of their founding leaders. The group has repeatedly asserted that they are well prepared to lose their members on the path of liberation, and their assassinations will only strengthen the group’s fire to battle for their homeland, Palestine.
Read also: Who Are Houthis, The Fierce Supporters Of Hamas
At the same time, the movement also said that the “cowardly act that will not go unpunished”.
So, it is only matter of time when the geo-political equation in West Asia be toppled upside down, as Israel and Hezbollah do not appear to back down from starting a full-scale war, and it would be only a matter of time when West, who has been provoking the fragile atmosphere, be dragged into the bloodbath.
The so-called superpowers, who has been slaying in lies they concocted might not have the upper hand this time. As they have tested the patience of other countries in the Middle East enough, a strong retaliation is guaranteed. The Arab nations who turned paralyzed when it comes to taking strong action and strongest voice in supporting the Palestinians at the face of brutal and barbaric Israeli genocide will also face the music, it appears.
