BRICS News shared The New York Times' initial report regarding Iran's shift in position on striking Israel.
Farnaz Fassihi wrote: "In mid-November, Iran dispatched a top official to Beirut to urge Hezbollah to accept a cease-fire with Israel. Around the same time, Iran’s U.N. ambassador met with Elon Musk, an overture to President-elect Donald J. Trump’s inner circle. And on Friday, it will hold talks in Geneva with European countries on a range of issues, including its nuclear program."
Previously, in late-October, Iran had been preparing to launch a large retaliatory attack on Israel, with a deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps warning, "We have never left an aggression unanswered in 40 years."
According to five Iranian officials and two former officials, Iran's shift in perspective was prompted by Donald J. Trump winning the Nov. 5 election, with concerns about an unpredictable leader who, in his first term, pursued a policy of "maximum pressure" on Iran.
Iran's decision was also driven by "Israel’s decimation in Lebanon of Hezbollah — the closest and most important of Iran’s militant allies — and by economic crises at home, where the currency has dropped steadily against the dollar and an energy shortage looms as winter approaches."
President Trump's first term echoed a peaceful influence on the Middle East, wherein under his leadership, the Abraham Accords were signed.
"The Abraham Accords are a series of treaties normalizing diplomatic relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco, facilitated by the U.S. Administration between August and December, 2020. In the span of five short months, these four Arab states joined Egypt and Jordan in making peace with Israel. The agreements were called “The Abraham Accords” in honor of Abraham - the patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam."
Following the signing of the Abraham Accords, a ripple effect occurred.
Israel and Bahrain announced a similar agreement in September of 2020: They initially signed a declaration of peace, agreeing to normalize diplomatic relations, negotiate a formal peace treaty, and not antagonize each other. Officials from the two countries then began working together on the details of how they would cooperate in various areas.
In October 2020, Israel and Sudan signed a normalization agreement in October of 2020.
While Palestinians and other factions feel betrayed by the signing of the Abraham Accords, their inception could pave way for more diplomatic agreements between countries in contention.
Under Trump's new administration, will the President sanction Iran further, or meet with Iranian leaders to strike a deal?
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11.29.2024