New Delhi — While the Middle East has long been shaped by a triangular contest between Iran, Israel, and the Gulf Arab states — primarily Saudi Arabia and the UAE — it is the escalating military confrontation between Iran and Israel that now poses the most serious threat to regional stability.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have traditionally been close allies of the United States and have even been encouraged by Washington to engage in peace agreements with Israel under the Abraham Accords framework.
The US and Israel continue to maintain a deeply aligned stance, particularly regarding Iran’s nuclear programme. Former US President Donald Trump strongly backed Israel’s opposition to Iran’s nuclear ambitions and insisted that Tehran must comply with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) before any reconsideration of sanctions.
Iran has consistently claimed that its nuclear programme is solely for energy generation, a position Israel has categorically rejected. The JCPOA outlined stricter monitoring measures, granting the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) greater access to Iranian sites and data.
President Trump, however, chose to intensify pressure on Iran to force compliance, resulting in a dangerous escalation.
Backed by strong US support, Israel launched a military strike on Iran on June 13. Iran retaliated by firing hypersonic missiles at Israel, some of which reportedly penetrated Israel’s Iron Dome defence system.
On June 21, the US carried out airstrikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — under an operation called Midnight Hammer, coordinated with Israeli intelligence. Seven B2 stealth bombers targeted Fordow and Natanz, dropping 14 bunker-buster bombs, while cruise missiles were launched from submarines at Isfahan. Notably, Fordow is located deep under a mountain near Tehran.
Following the strikes, Iran admitted to some damage but claimed the sites had been abandoned, with equipment relocated elsewhere. President Trump issued a stern warning, stating that any further attacks by Iran would provoke far deadlier responses unless Tehran returned to the negotiating table and signed the nuclear deal.
The UN’s nuclear watchdog reported no evidence of radioactive contamination at the targeted sites, while Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation announced the existence of an alternative uranium enrichment site at an undisclosed safe location.
Despite ongoing tensions, both Iran and Israel appear to be observing an undeclared ceasefire for now. However, the situation has evolved beyond a political or military rivalry — it has taken on deep-rooted ideological and religious dimensions.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the conflict as a “clash between Islam and Zionism” and spoke of the inevitable triumph of Islam over the Zionist regime. On June 6, he urged Muslim pilgrims at Mecca to pressure their governments to isolate Israel for its alleged atrocities in Gaza.
The ideological backdrop is complex. Shia fundamentalists in Iran oppose the capitalist ideology of the US, glorifying sacrifice and poverty. Meanwhile, Sunni radical groups draw from 19th-century Wahhabi jihadist legacies that targeted Western influence in Muslim territories, including Algeria, Arabia, and India.
The United States has long been viewed as the primary enemy by Islamic radicals — a sentiment cemented during the “War on Terror” against groups like the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and later ISIS.
Iran’s support for radicalised groups such as Hamas has heightened the threat to Israel. Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen’s Houthi rebels (Ansar Allah) act as Iranian proxies. Significantly, the Iran-Hamas alliance bridges the historic Shia-Sunni divide, transforming the conflict into a broader Islamic cause against the Jewish state.
The ideological drive behind this confrontation is rooted in jihad, considered by some as a fundamental religious duty, equivalent to the core pillars of Islam, calling upon believers to defend the Muslim community or sacrifice themselves when Islam is perceived to be under threat.
What the West labels as “Islamic terror” is, in the view of hardliners, a sacred obligation — an interpretation that finds fertile ground in the age of social media-fuelled indoctrination.
Currently, Israel and Iran face unprecedented levels of hostility, and faith-based conflicts rarely find easy resolutions. The US-Israel alliance must be prepared for a prolonged, attritional struggle.
Meanwhile, Iran’s deepening ties with China and Russia, driven by opposition to US influence, risk accelerating a return to Cold War-style global divisions.
On June 22, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened a Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Istanbul, condemning Israel’s military actions and calling for urgent UN intervention to prevent further escalation. Although the OIC’s general statement omitted any mention of the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, a separate release from the OIC’s General Secretariat expressed “serious concern” over the US attacks.
The Istanbul conference also announced the formation of a Ministerial Contact Group to engage international stakeholders in efforts to de-escalate hostilities against Iran.
Saudi Arabia, a leading OIC member, remains wary of both Iranian and Israeli dominance in the region. Riyadh is particularly sensitive to radical Islamist factions that denounce the Saudi monarchy as a “puppet” of the US. Consequently, the OIC may prefer diplomatic efforts to broker an agreement between Washington and Tehran.
India, which enjoys cordial relations with all three major players — Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Israel — should adopt a multi-pronged policy. This includes: zero tolerance for religious extremism and terrorism; advocating for democratic reforms and minority rights in the region; and promoting peaceful relations among all Middle Eastern nations. India, like the broader international community, has no interest in seeing the Iran-Israel conflict escalate into a global crisis.
While Israel’s determination to ensure its survival amid hostility from its neighbours is understandable, its military strength, advanced technology, and robust support from the democratic world — especially the US — should motivate it to pursue peace agreements. Israel must also halt the indiscriminate killing of Palestinian civilians, particularly women and children in Gaza, while targeting Hamas. It retains the right to confront Hamas but should collaborate with global partners to work toward a lasting solution to the Palestinian question.
A drawn-out war of attrition with Iran is unlikely to deliver a clear victory for Israel. The most viable path to global peace lies in compelling all parties to de-escalate military tensions and steering the Middle East toward peaceful coexistence.
With inputs from IANS