Israel’s Pyrrhic Victories: Does Making a Desert Give You Peace?

After the Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon and the retaliatory airstrikes by Iran, the region seems more than ever on the verge of fallout.
Israel keeps switching its targets while increasingly engaging in the conflict, always winning battles but never truly finishing the war. It seems stuck in a series of Pyrrhic victories: they inflict such a devastating toll on the victor that any true sense of achievement is denied and long-term progress is irreparably damaged. There is no strategy, only one goal: survival, at every cost.
Is the Israeli attempt to eliminate and make a clean slate of every enemy -which it’s not even realistic- really enough to finally be reassured? Will Israel ever truly stop fighting? And how can the total destruction of everything around create solid foundations for the future?

The Expanding Front: Israel, Lebanon, And The Regional Escalation Of The Conflict 

The intense phase of the war is moving towards Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where mutual attacks between Iran-backed group Hezbollah militias and the IDF army are now escalating, raising concerns about the possibilities of a regional, transnational and multilevel war.

Lebanon: When everything went South

The conflict between Palestine and Israel has heavily impacted the southern region of Lebanon, exacerbating the situation across the entire country. Israel’s motivations, including concerns over border security and control over certain territories, add complexity to the conflict, particularly in the South. Despite diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing further escalation, internal divisions within Lebanon continue to pose challenges.

How Many Retaliations Create A War? Israel And Iran’s Deterrence Dilemma

Israel has carried out a military strike on Iran in response to Tehran’s attack last Saturday. While no material damage seems to have occurred, this mutual show of force that prioritizes war deterrence over de-escalation increases dramatically the level of tension in the region.

When The Besieged Becomes The Besieger: How Destroying Gaza Could Backfire And Jeopardize Israel’s Foreign Relations

Israel spent the last fifty years working to normalize regional relations and alleviate the innate tension around the birth of the Israeli State. But now, just as Netanyahu’s government is conducting the most aggressive military operation in Gaza, the web of regional relations built so laboriously is starting to tremble. How are Israel’s foreign relations being shaped by its approach to this conflict?

Security Watch: Can Riyadh and Tehran Achieve a Lasting Détente?

Historically rivals on both geopolitical and sectarian grounds, the tripartite agreement between Saudi Arabia, the Islamic Republic and China is a diplomatic coup that could offer prospects for growth and stability in the Arabian Peninsula over the long term.

The New Normal/La Nouvelle Normalité/新常態: From the Resumption of Diplomatic Relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran to Xi’s Visit to Russia – The Strategic Game Between China and the US Behind the Scenes

Following the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, many international scholars began to explore the role of China in the Russo-Ukrainian war. However, it is still difficult for China to play the role of mediator. Firstly, the Russian-Ukrainian war is by its very nature a proxy war, with the US’s strategic goals to weaken Russia economically and make European countries more dependent on the US militarily. China will not be able to reverse US strategic objectives until the US domestic environment changes. Secondly, as China is a long-term challenger to US hegemony at its core, the US also wants to worsen China’s relationship with the EU by tying China and Russia together through the Russo-Ukrainian war. The EU does not have confidence in China’s neutrality in the Russo-Ukrainian war. If China wants to mediate the Russo-Ukrainian war, it must win over the EU and seek a consensus, so that both sides can force the US and Russia to act prudently on the Russo-Ukrainian war.

Let’s Tune In: The US retaliates to attacks in Syria

On Wednesday, US troops stationed in the South of  Syria attacked bunkers in Deir el-Zor province after a Syrian attack. These US attacks took place because of the aggressions the US troops were subjected to last week. the US thinks the attacks have been made by the Tehran-backed militias even if the Iranians denied it.