In an article for The Conversation, Ford School professor John Ciorciari described how the events unfolding in Israel and Palestine will likely deepen the struggle for influence in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran. “The long-standing Israel-Palestinian dispute is central to Iran’s regional strategy, which aims to drive a wedge between Israel and its neighbors and complicate U.S. relations throughout the Arab world,” Ciorciari noted. “So far, the Israel-Hamas war appears to be having precisely those effects.”
Ciorciari highlighted Iran's push for regional clout and the need for countries to prevent a wider war. “Over the past several decades, Iran has looked to grow its regional influence while exploiting the differences between the U.S. and Israel,” Ciorciari wrote. “Despite tension and anger across the region, the Biden administration’s effort to deter Iran and prevent a wider war aligns with the priorities of most Arab governments, which fear Tehran and its allies are deeply wary about domestic and regional stability.”
“Pressing for Israeli restraint may be the key both to mitigating the humanitarian crisis and to preventing Iran from emerging a winner from the war in Gaza,” Ciorciari concluded.
Read the full commentary: “The Israel-Hamas war deepens the struggle between US and Iran for influence in the Middle East”