West Asia stands at the intersection of power, faith, and conflict. Endowed with vast energy reserves and control over vital maritime chokepoints, the region has long been shaped by rivalries, shifting alliances, and enduring disputes. At its core remains the Palestine question—a fault line that continues to define the region’s political and strategic landscape.For a fleeting moment, change seemed possible. The Abraham Accords of 2020, the Saudi-Iran rapprochement in 2023, and talk of Saudi-Israel normalization hinted that decades of hostility might yield to diplomacy. That hope shattered on 7 October 2023, when Hamas launched a devastating attack on Israel, igniting the deadliest war Gaza had seen in decades.Israel’s military response quickly escalated into a regional crisis.

West Asia stands at the intersection of power, faith, and conflict. Endowed with vast energy reserves and control over vital maritime chokepoints, the region has long been shaped by rivalries, shifting alliances, and enduring disputes. At its core remains the Palestine question—a fault line that continues to define the region’s political and strategic landscape.For a fleeting moment, change seemed possible. The Abraham Accords of 2020, the Saudi-Iran rapprochement in 2023, and talk of Saudi-Israel normalization hinted that decades of hostility might yield to diplomacy. That hope shattered on 7 October 2023, when Hamas launched a devastating attack on Israel, igniting the deadliest war Gaza had seen in decades.Israel’s military response quickly escalated into a regional crisis.

West Asia stands at the intersection of power, faith, and conflict. Endowed with vast energy reserves and control over vital maritime chokepoints, the region has long been shaped by rivalries, shifting alliances, and enduring disputes. At its core remains the Palestine question—a fault line that continues to define the region’s political and strategic landscape.For a fleeting moment, change seemed possible. The Abraham Accords of 2020, the Saudi-Iran rapprochement in 2023, and talk of Saudi-Israel normalization hinted that decades of hostility might yield to diplomacy. That hope shattered on 7 October 2023, when Hamas launched a devastating attack on Israel, igniting the deadliest war Gaza had seen in decades.Israel’s military response quickly escalated into a regional crisis.