Can Iran and Israel Find a New Equilibrium?
The New York Times
Even with peace talks underway, the region is far from stable.
The Middle East is still in a state of volatile uncertainty after the latest exchange of missiles between Israel and Iran.
Last weekend, Israel destroyed much of Iran’s air-defense system, as well as a major Iranian missile plant. This week, two top Iranian officials threatened to continue the cycle of retaliation.
“We have never left an aggression unanswered in 40 years,” said Gen. Ali Fadavi, the deputy commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, according to Iranian media.
In my column several weeks ago, I looked at how the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas, the Israeli invasion of Gaza, and the widening war between Israel, Iran and Iranian-backed militant groups have destabilized the equilibrium of power in the Middle East. The new mix of uncertainty and aggression threatens to spiral into all-out war.
Even with dual-track peace talks underway to resolve conflicts between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the region is far from stable. Add in the uncertainty of the U.S. election next week, and the prospect of re-establishing an equilibrium seems even more remote.
I talked to experts on game theory and international relations about how they see the situation, and what they expect in the coming weeks and months.
U.S.-backed fighters said they had reached a truce with Turkish-supported forces in a northern Syrian town. The head of the U.S. military’s Central Command visited Syria and Iraq.
Israel has said it is striking Syrian military sites and chemical weapons stockpiles to prevent them from falling “into the hands of extremists.” The rebels who toppled the Assad government began laying out their plans.
The fighters who forced Bashar al-Assad into exile began the complex task of governing the Syrian capital. New York Times reporters entering the country saw relics of the deposed regime on the highway from Lebanon.
After just a few days of rapid advances, the rebels appeared to control Syria’s capital. They said they would work with a top official in President Bashar al-Assad’s government. Mr. al-Assad’s location was unclear.
A centuries-old bell rang and an archbishop knocked at the Gothic cathedral’s great doors, which reopened for a V.I.P. ceremony after its monumental reconstruction. It opens to the public on Sunday.
Two war monitoring groups said Syria’s military had pulled out of a number of Damascus suburbs where anti-government protests erupted. The movements could not immediately be confirmed.
President Yoon Suk Yeol said he would not seek to impose martial law again and that he would leave his fate to his party. Lawmakers will vote on whether to impeach him later on Saturday.
The leader of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s own party has backed impeachment, on which the National Assembly is set to vote on Saturday.
The military has spent decades trying to rehabilitate its image and win public trust after a brutal past. Its role in President Yoon’s martial law raised a specter from that era.
Top military officials offered the first inside account of when President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. Mr. Yoon faces impeachment on Saturday, and massive protests against him are planned.
President Yoon Suk Yeol’s attempt to break a political deadlock by imposing military rule collapsed within hours, leaving him with few defenders. A vote to impeach him could come as soon as Friday.