The Deadlock of Unstable and Opportunistic Politics

13/07/2026

The operation launched by the United States and Israel against the Iranian regime on 28 February continues with different tactics. However, no definitive result is yet in sight. This is because the policy being pursued is built upon a strategy of ambiguity and executed in an unstable manner.

The clauses of the memorandum of understanding to initiate negotiations, announced between the US and Iran on 17 June, continually fail to be upheld. The parties involved are merely trying to buy time by basing their actions on unilateral policies driven solely by self-interest. The Israeli government, for instance, has made its aversion of the memorandum clear to the global public through numerous statements. It did so from the outset.

The reason the geopolitical landscape in the Middle East is frequently described as elusive and unstable stems from the traps the various parties have set for one another in the past. Because the diplomatic subterfuge and political hypocrisy of the Iranian Mullah regime have been exposed, the US is utilizing similar tactics to corner Iran, forcing it to contradiction itself.

Aware of the plans the Mullahs are pursuing both domestically and globally, the US and Israel are implementing a scenario akin to a cat-and-mouse game. Striking Iranian forces, resources, and allied groups at will, while US President Donald Trump remarked during the peace talks process that “such incidents are normal,” deepens the political crisis in the Mullah regime.

A multi-faceted strategy is being employed to ensure the regime cannot reform itself and cannot effectively govern society again. While shortages in arms and ammunition are being addressed on the one hand, intensive diplomatic talks are being conducted on the other hand to persuade all Arab nations to adopt a more robust stance against Iran.

Furthermore, the agreement signed between the Lebanese government and Israel has prioritized the dismantling of Hezbollah. While efforts continue to unite all political factions inside Lebanon against Hezbollah, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, who seized control of the Syrian government in December 2024, is also being directed against Hezbollah. Israel is working on various fronts, including Syria, to pressure Hezbollah, to restrict the organization to a limited domestic sphere of influence, and force it to capitulate.

The reason why Hezbollah, despite its pro-Iran policies, refuses to abandon hostilities against Israel is the direct consequence of a unilateral and outdate sectarian policy. This flawed political course yields no constructive value for society or the future. The confrontation between HTS and Hezbollah, two similar religious groups adhering to different sects, can result in nothing but devastation.

The underlying cause behind the failure to resolve the crises in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq is the hostile approach that these fundamentalist, racist, and sectarian armed groups take toward everyone else. Some have targeted the Jews, some the Christians, some the Yezidis, some the Druze, some the Alawites, some the Kurds, and others have aimed to eradicate all of them combined.

The current status quo in the Middle East, driven by racist and religious politics based on monocultural uniformity, is the root cause of conflict, darkness, and opposition to the international community. These status-quoist, uniformitarian groups and states, reject any form of progress, compromise with diversity or coexistence beyond their own immediate interests. Consequently, social chaos, economic depression, poverty, and political crises deepen with each passing day.

Iran refuses to accept solutions aimed at building a political, democratic, peaceful, and pluralistic society. The Iraqi state has mutated into an arena where different factions clash and conspire against one another. The efforts of certain forces, relying on the Iranian Mullahs, to obliterate diverse identities in Iraq and dominate the entire state mechanism have escalated to a level of madness. Meanwhile, the most backward, deceptive, and ugly tactics are being employed in Syria, where a treacherously provocative policy is being implemented. Since deceit is taken as the baseline, elections, parliamentary appointments, courts, institutions, and the entire functioning of the state have been tethered to a system built on falsehoods.

In Turkey, a process initiated 21 months ago, which remains without a mutually agreed-upon definition, is transforming into a theater of deception and manipulation through power games. While the passing of constructive, inclusive laws that serve regional peace are expected to be enacted, the invocation of the 30-year-old repent-and-return-home laws demonstrates that the classical mindset remains unchanged.

Observing the sheer contradictions of Middle Eastern politics, international powers led by the US and Israel have deciphered the secrets of the structures, dictators, kings, mullahs, religious cults, and tribes dominating the region. The American President has become the lead actor in the unstable regional politics of the Middle East. Middle Eastern leaders are nothing more than mere extras. Their misguided actions driven by self-interest have led to ridicule and discredited them as untrustworthy rulers in the eyes of their societies. Therefore, the Middle East stands in dire need of restructuring and the adoption of modern, democratic ideals. For it is only when interests function to the benefit of every individual and resources are distributed fairly, that we can free ourselves from hostile mindsets and liberate ourselves from being mere pawns in someone else’s game.

The views expressed in this op-ed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of SyriacPress.