The War That Changed the Rules: What the Middle East and the World Are Learning from the U.S.-Israel-Iran Conflict

When the heads of the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization convene an emergency coordination meeting, it usually means that a problem has grown far beyond the boundaries of an ordinary regional crisis.

While the world remains focused on the war in Ukraine and tensions surrounding Taiwan, Washington and Tehran appear to be moving toward one of the most unexpected diplomatic agreements in recent years — a deal that could reshape the security architecture of the Middle East and restore stability to one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.

Iran has intensified its rhetoric toward the South Caucasus, signaling growing concern over a possible shift in the regional balance of power and the prospect of opening a transport route through Armenia’s Syunik region, which Tehran links to expanding United States influence.

A court in Ankara declared invalid the results of the 38th congress of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), held in November 2023, ordering the return of former chairman Kemal Kilicdaroglu to the party leadership. The decision triggered a political crisis within Turkey’s main opposition force and provoked protests outside the party headquarters in Ankara.