How Major Powers are Seeing the Conflicts in the West Asian Region

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• What Israel is Doing?
• What is the Position of the Arab States on West Asian Conflicts?
• What is the Approach of the West, Russia and China Towards West Asian Conflicts?
• What is the View of New Delhi on West Asian Conflicts?

Why in News?

• The terrorist attacks by Hamas (on October 7, 2023) on Israel has sparked the West Asia crisis.
• On the anniversary of the October 7 attacks, the article tries to analyse the current scenario from the perspective of Israel, West, the Arab states in the region, and New Delhi.

What Israel is Doing?

• Attacks on Gaza:
  • Since the October 7 attacks, operations by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have caused a heavy death toll in Gaza.
  • While the international opinion in favour of Palestinian statehood has strengthened over the past year, Israeli political opinion rejecting Palestinian sovereignty has strengthened at the same time.
  • For the time being, the initial criticism of Israel's security apparatus's October 7, 2023, failure has faded away.
• Attacking Iran-backed “axis of resistance” groups:
  • Israel has made an effort to maintain its military edge against the Iran-backed - Hezbollah (Lebanon-based) and the Houthis (Yemen-based) - by carrying out strikes in Syria, Yemen and Lebanon.
  • Both (Hezbollah and Houthis) were carrying out rocket and missile attacks on Israel since late last year.
  • The Houthi attacks disrupted international shipping in the Red Sea, and imposed economic costs on countries far beyond the theatre of the conflict.
• Ignoring calls for peace: Israel has ignored a call for ceasefire by the UNSC and US advice of restraint.
• Retaliating Iran: Israel also retaliated after Iran launched an unprecedented cruise missile and drone barrage against it (in April), and has vowed to make the regime in Tehran pay for a second wave of aerial attacks on October 1.

What is the Position of the Arab States on West Asian Conflicts?

• Remained committed to the goal of geo-economic reset:
  • Major Arab powers such as Saudi Arabia and UAE have remained committed to the process of a geopolitical and geo-economics reset in the Middle East that was underway before October 2023.
  • But the war has brought the issue of Palestinian sovereignty front and centre, with all the regional powers beginning to see it as a necessary condition for long-term peace.
• Maintaining relations with both Israel and Iran:
  • Rather than giving up on attempts to restore relations with Israel, these countries seem to be trying to use it as leverage to resolve the Palestine issue.
  • This can be drawn from the sustenance of the 2020 Abraham Accords despite the highest death toll in Gaza in decades.
  • According to the Abraham Accords, the regional stability needed for economic development requires peace with not just Israel, but also Iran.
  • As a result, Saudi Arabia stayed out of the US- and UK-led naval coalition to strike at the Yemeni (Houthis) group.

What is the Approach of the West, Russia and China Towards West Asian Conflicts?

• West:
  • Pro-Israel:
    • Led by the US (which successfully mediated between Iran and Israel in April), the western countries have warned all actors against further escalation, and committed to humanitarian aid for Gaza.
    • However, they stand by Israel, in case it breaches any red line.
  • Awaiting the US presidential election: This is because the incoming administration may seek to enable (under Donald Trump) or curb (as Kamala Harris) Israel’s war effort.
  • Russia: The war in Ukraine limits President Vladimir Putin’s ability to influence Middle Eastern events, despite Moscow having shown interest — including hosting Hamas and Iranian leaders in October 2023.
• China:
  • In the midst of the crisis, Beijing has sharply criticised Israel while concentrating on strengthening its strategic and economic ties with Iran and the Arab world. 
  • However, China remains restrained in its security and military involvement in the Middle East - a long-standing position that has ensured continued US dominance in the region.

What is the View of New Delhi on West Asian Conflicts?

• Telephonic diplomacy:
  • The Indian PM spoke to Netanyahu on the phone both in October 2023 and 2024, expressing concern and offering solidarity.
  • He also spoke to President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine, reiterating India’s commitment to the two-state solution.
• Keeping terrorism issue and the question of Israel and Palestine separate:
  • This has allowed New Delhi to express sympathy and support for Israel after the October 7 terrorist attacks while refraining from backing its two-state solution of Palestinian sovereignty.
  • Emphasising the close connection between sustainable peace and a two-state solution, India has continuously supported UNGA resolutions that demand Israel to leave the occupied territory.
• India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor:
  • Prior to the new crisis, India sought to spearhead the effort to capitalise on the regional reset through the planned India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.
  • However, the success of India's connectivity ambitions hinges not just on a truce in Gaza and Lebanon but also on how the Arab governments handle the aftermath of the conflict.

Q.1. What were the 2020 Abraham Accords?

The Abraham Accords are bilateral agreements on Arab–Israeli normalisation signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain on September 15, 2020.

Q.2. What is the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)?

The IMEC will comprise two separate corridors, the east corridor connecting India to the Gulf and northern corridor connecting Gulf to Europe. The corridor will provide reliable and cost-effective cross-border ship to rail transit networks to supplement existing maritime routes.

Source: Expert Explains: A year of war in West Asia