The escalating confrontation between the US, Israel and Iran is being framed in much of the international discourse as a battle between opposing camps: one defending stability and deterrence, the other resisting Western and Israeli dominance. But for the Arab world, this framing is dangerously misleading. The reality is far more troubling.
For decades, the Arab region has repeatedly found itself trapped in conflicts designed, driven or manipulated by external powers. The current escalation is another example of this grim pattern. Arabs must understand a basic and uncomfortable truth: neither Israel nor Iran is acting in the interests of Arab stability, sovereignty or prosperity. Both are pursuing their own strategic agendas and both have already extracted a devastating human price from Arab societies.
Those who still believe this confrontation represents a simple struggle between “good” and “evil” are missing the deeper geopolitical reality. The Middle East is once again becoming an arena where competing powers pursue influence, deterrence and ideological ambitions while Arab populations bear the consequences.
The region is again becoming an arena where competing powers pursue influence, deterrence and ideological ambitions
Hani Hazaimeh
Israel’s role in this equation is hardly ambiguous. For more than seven decades, Israel has occupied Arab land, defied international law and entrenched a system that continues to dispossess and oppress the Palestinian people. The ongoing tragedy in the Gaza Strip stands as one of the most devastating humanitarian crises of our time, while tensions in the West Bank continue to escalate through settlement expansion, military operations and systemic restrictions on Palestinian life.
Israeli leaders often justify their actions under the banner of national security. Yet the scale of destruction inflicted on Palestinian civilians has raised profound moral and legal questions worldwide. The region has watched, year after year, as Israeli military campaigns devastate Arab communities, while meaningful political solutions remain absent. For many Arabs, the perception is clear: Israel’s security doctrine continues to rely on overwhelming force and permanent domination rather than genuine peace.
But if Israel’s record in the Arab world is marked by occupation and military supremacy, Iran’s regional policy presents a different — but equally troubling — challenge.
Over the past two decades, Iran has pursued a strategy aimed at expanding its political and military influence across multiple Arab states. Through alliances with nonstate actors, militias and ideological networks, Tehran has steadily inserted itself into the internal dynamics of several Arab countries. The consequences of this strategy are visible across the region — from the fragile political landscape of Iraq to the protracted civil war in Syria and the ongoing instability in Lebanon and Yemen.
Iran presents itself as a champion of resistance against Israel and Western hegemony. Yet the practical outcome of its regional strategy has often been prolonged instability within Arab societies. Armed factions aligned with Tehran have become powerful actors in domestic politics, sometimes overshadowing national institutions and deepening sectarian divisions.
For ordinary Arabs, the result has been devastating. Cities have been destroyed, economies crippled and millions of people displaced. Tens of thousands — perhaps hundreds of thousands — of innocent civilians have lost their lives in conflicts that are frequently portrayed as ideological struggles but are, in reality, battles for influence and geopolitical leverage.
This is the painful truth the region must confront: Arab lives have repeatedly become collateral damage in power struggles that do not serve Arab interests.
Now, with missiles and drones inflicting damage across the region, the risks facing the Arab world are multiplying. Any full-scale war between Israel and Iran would not remain confined to distant battlefields. The Middle East is too interconnected — politically, economically and geographically — for such a conflict to remain limited.
Energy markets would be destabilized. Trade routes could be disrupted. Strategic waterways would face heightened security threats. More importantly, Arab societies would once again face the specter of expanded military confrontations, proxy warfare and humanitarian catastrophes.
The lesson from recent history is clear: when great powers and regional rivals escalate their confrontations, it is often the Arab world that absorbs the shock waves.
Arab lives have repeatedly become collateral damage in power struggles that do not serve Arab interests
Hani Hazaimeh
The region cannot afford to be drawn into a binary narrative that forces countries to align blindly with one side or another. Such a choice would only deepen divisions and prolong instability.
Instead, the Arab world must prioritize its own collective interests: regional stability, economic development and the protection of civilian populations. This requires strengthening diplomatic coordination among Arab states and investing in political solutions to regional conflicts.
Equally important is the need to revive a credible political pathway toward resolving the Palestinian issue. The absence of a just and sustainable solution has long served as a source of anger, instability and geopolitical manipulation across the region. Without addressing the root causes of this conflict, the Middle East will remain vulnerable to cycles of violence that extend far beyond Palestine itself.
At the same time, Arab governments must guard against the expansion of external influence that undermines national sovereignty. Stability cannot be achieved if regional actors continue to operate through proxy networks and armed factions that weaken state institutions.
The Middle East today stands at a critical crossroads. The growing confrontation between Israel and Iran is not simply another chapter in their long rivalry. It is a warning sign that the region could be drifting toward a wider and more destructive conflict.
For the Arab world, the path forward should not be dictated by the agendas of others. It must be shaped by a clear understanding of the region’s own priorities and by a firm commitment to protecting the lives, dignity and future of its people.
- Hani Hazaimeh is a senior editor based in Amman. X: @hanihazaimeh
Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News’ point of view
source https://www.arabnews.com/node/2636683
Categories: Arab World, Iran, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, War, War crimes, world war III