RED LINES CROSSED, A REGION ON THE BRINK

As the smoke clears from the US airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, the world stands at a geopolitical crossroads, anxiously anticipating Tehran's response.

- DR. WAIEL AWWAD Senior International Journalist, West Asia Strategist

The strikes—unprecedented in their scope and timing—have triggered a wave of uncertainty across West Asia, the Middle East, and beyond. Analysts are now debating whether Washington's action was a calibrated deterrent designed to placate Israeli pressure and to appease Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or whether it marked the opening salvo of a broader, more devastating war against Iran that could spiral into full-scale regional conflict? In either case, Iran's next move will likely define the trajectory of a conflict that threatens to redraw alliances, disrupt global energy markets, and upend the fragile balance of power in the Gulf.

The United States' entry into the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran marks a pivotal and perilous shift with global implications. What began as a regional confrontation now threatens to spiral into a broader geopolitical crisis, with key trade routes—such as the Strait of Hormuz—hanging in the balance. Washington faces a stark dilemma: pursue escalation and regime change or push for containment through urgent diplomacy. Either path carries heavy costs.

West Asia is once again on the brink of a wider regional war. The Gulf States were caught in the crossfire, particularly Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, and the UAE; the war represents a nightmare scenario. Economically interdependent with both the West and Asian powers and militarily reliant on US security guarantees, they now face missile threats, oil shipment disruptions, and the spectre of domestic unrest. The region's economic model, built on stability and energy exports, is directly at risk.