Orientul Mijlociu

The sudden demise of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash has ignited speculation and raised critical questions about the future trajectory of US-Iran relations. This event occurs against a backdrop of heightened tensions between Iran, the US, and its regional ally, Israel, further complicating an already delicate diplomatic landscape. Raisi’s presidency was marked by a steadfast commitment to Iran’s hardline policies, particularly in the face of economic adversity exacerbated by stringent US sanctions. His close ties to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei positioned him as a key figure in Iran’s power structure, wielding considerable influence over the country’s domestic and foreign affairs.

This is part two of a two-part series that explores developments autocratic Arab rulers and US policymakers ignore at their peril. This two-part series explores developments autocratic Arab rulers and US policymakers ignore at their peril. This two-part series explores developments autocratic Arab rulers and US policymakers ignore at their peril. The series is based on an essay published in Horizons. Part 1 looked at the region as a whole as well as Hamas’ standing in Gaza eight months into the war. Part 2 focuses on the war’s potential fallout in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

This tragedy brought to light some serious questions that should be addressed by the Iranian authorities throughout the course of the investigation or at least by their media surrogates during upcoming press appearances.

Sunday’s helicopter crash that claimed the lives of the Iranian President, Foreign Minister, two other VIPs, and the crew has been the subject of conspiracy theories since it happened, with some even implying that Azerbaijan was complicit in this incident, though that line of thought was discredited here. Regardless of whatever the newly launched investigation determines was the cause, there are still five uncomfortable questions to be asked of Iran, which are as follows:

The chief prosecutor of the world’s top war crimes court sought arrest warrants Monday for leaders of Israel and Hamas, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over actions taken during their seven-month war.

From May 13 to 14, Israel celebrated the 76th anniversary of its independence. Today, on May 15, Palestinians remember the Nakba.

The Nakba, which means “catastrophe” in Arabic, refers to the mass displacement of Palestinians that occurred during the creation of the state of Israel from 1947 to 1949.

Throughout history, fringe religious Zionist parties have had limited success in achieving the kind of electoral victories that would allow them an actual share in the country’s political decision-making.

The impressive number of 17 seats won by Israel’s extremist religious party, Shas, in the 1999 elections, was a watershed moment in the history of these parties, whose ideological roots go back to Avraham Itzhak Kook and his son Zvi Yehuda Hacohen.

For many people, the question is inflammatory. The crimes of the German Nazis were of such magnitude that comparison with any other historical violence is invidious. The genocide of the Jews was deliberate and methodical and intended to eliminate every last one. The goal was the same with the Romani and Sinti people. By comparison, the Israelis – currently accused of genocide — are rank amateurs. They have so far killed some 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza out of a population of 2.3 million.

Hamas said it had “no ties to any acts targeting Jordan” and that it only sought to target Israel

Amman said Wednesday that it foiled a weapons smuggling attempt by a militia supported by an unnamed country in late March. An official Jordanian source added that there had been several attempts to smuggle weapons into Jordan recently including Kalshnikovs and 107mm Katyusha rockets, the Jordanian News Agency reported.

Latest Developments

Israel conducted a precise strike on a Hamas war room and weapons depot hidden inside of a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) school located in Nuseirat in Gaza, Jerusalem announced on May 14. Israeli intelligence believes that Hamas recently used the war room to organize attacks against Israeli troops operating in central Gaza. Ten of the 15 terrorists eliminated in the strike were members of Hamas’s elite Nukhba Force who likely participated in Hamas’s October 7 massacre in southern Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.