Sunday’s drone strike on an American military outpost near the Jordan-Syria border, which claimed the lives of at least three US personnel and wounded dozens more, will be an emotional turning point for Washington. Although more than 27,000 people in the Middle East – the vast majority of them Palestinian civilians – have died since October 7, this is the first time the growing regional conflict has claimed the lives of American soldiers and this will generate understandable anger in the US.
US President Joe Biden has promised to “hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing”. If recent history is any guide, a series of limited strikes, perhaps against militia targets in Iraq or Syria, will be the likely American response. Nevertheless, vengeful retaliation that lacks a strategic awareness of the possible consequences risks perpetuating the region’s current deadly spiral.
Repeated retaliation is not what the world needs. The reality is that a deeper problem plagues today’s Middle East, the roots of which must be addressed in order for such attacks to be prevented in the future. Ending the occupation of Palestine is crucial to charting a path towards peace. The region finds itself divided between an ideologically driven Iran and those who reject its attempts to wield unearned influence through Tehran’s network of dangerous armed proxies that claim to act under the flag of “resistance” to the West and its allies.
This struggle for dominance is exacerbated by the war in Gaza, in which the US has played a dubious role owing to its political and military cover for an Israeli operation so egregious that it has led to the country facing accusations of genocide in the International Court of Justice. But even if US troops were to leave the Middle East tomorrow – and current talks involving the Iraqi government may lead to such a withdrawal from that country – it is extremely unlikely that Iran-aligned groups would recede from the picture as they continue to undercut state structures.
For now, some form of retaliation by the US can be expected. Not only did Sunday’s attack claim American lives, it also took place in Jordan, thereby setting a worrying new precedent that Washington will regard as requiring a robust response. Mr Biden is also facing the looming political challenge posed by Donald Trump who, as an American isolationist, will capitalise on the fact that under the current administration, the US is embroiled in conflicts from Ukraine and Gaza to Iraq and the Red Sea.
But Iran is also emmeshed in a dangerous game, heightening the risks faced by its own population in any escalating conflict. This situation is not helped by the continuing seizure of commercial ships in regional waters by Iranian forces, something that has prompted the US to strengthen its naval presence in the region.
There is no doubt that Washington is between a rock and a hard place. It is compelled to respond after losing troops but the risk of a misstep worsening regional tensions is high. Breaking the cycle of violence is the real challenge for all those in the Middle East – and there are many – who rightly regard this chronic threat of war as something that must be consigned to the past. A good first step would be by ending the war in Gaza, followed by a viable path to a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel to ensure long-term stability of the region.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The five pillars of Islam
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
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Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The specs: 2018 Jeep Compass
Price, base: Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.4L four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.4L / 100km
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
65
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Match info
Who: India v Afghanistan
What: One-off Test match, Bengaluru
When: June 14 to 18
TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD, 8am starts
Online: OSN Play (subscribers only)
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The specs: 2018 Peugeot 5008
Price, base / as tested: Dh99,900 / Dh134,900
Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 240Nm @ 1,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.4-inch IPS LCD, 400 nits, toughened glass
CPU: Unisoc T610; Mali G52 GPU
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 64GB, up to 512GB microSD
Camera: 8MP rear, 5MP front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm audio
Battery: 8200mAh, up to 10 hours video
Platform: Android 11
Audio: Stereo speakers, 2 mics
Durability: IP52
Biometrics: Face unlock
Price: Dh849
LEADERBOARD
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Word for Woman is Wilderness
Abi Andrews, Serpent’s Tail
Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
- Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
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Asia Cup Qualifier
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Tuesday
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