As the war between Israel and Iran enters its seventh day, many are rightly asking what the endgame is. The answer to that question is surprisingly straightforward: without de-escalation and talks, just about every outcome is bad in one way or another.
As civilian casualties mount, buildings are reduced to rubble and fear sets in across the Middle East, a volatile situation is made even worse by demands for surrender, veiled threats to kill a head of state and an ineffective international response, the latest example of which was the G7 summit’s failure to produce a comprehensive roadmap for peace.
Amid this uncertainty, talk of regime change in Iran has emerged. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that the abrupt end of the Iranian government could be one outcome of his country’s unilateral military action. In a separate interview, he urged the Iranian people to rise up and topple their rulers.
Such reckless talk does not constitute a responsible strategy. Aside from the affront to Iranian sovereignty, regime change would have serious consequences. The reality is that regime collapse not regime change would be the likely outcome. Whether Israel’s leadership thinks their country’s security will be improved by living in a wildly destabilised region seems to be a question that it has failed to consider.
On the contrary, Israel’s attacks have created a self-fulfilling prophecy. Iran’s fear of being attacked has been confirmed and there is the danger of Tehran widening its retaliation or activating its remaining armed proxy forces if it senses that defeat is close.
Given the current escalation, international mediation remains the only realistic option for defusing this crisis. This is not a far-fetched call; there is widespread regional support – including from US partners – for de-escalation and talks. A joint statement from Arab and Islamic countries on Monday called for a “swift return to the path of negotiations as the only viable means to reach a sustainable agreement regarding the Iranian nuclear programme”.
For that path to negotiations to be successful, the institutions of multilateralism need to take the lead
For that path to negotiations to be successful, the institutions of multilateralism need to take the lead. In a statement released on Tuesday, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said the UAE was calling on the UN and the Security Council “to fully uphold their responsibilities by preventing further escalation and taking urgent and necessary measures to achieve a ceasefire and reinforce international peace and security”.
Such measures are needed immediately. The longer this war goes on, the only certainty will be more uncertainty. No amount of scenario planning or wargaming by either side can predict how this crisis will end, and armed conflicts often develop their own, uncontrollable momentum. There may be precious little trust between the warring sides, but the only credible strategy left is to listen to the sound counsel of Arab and Muslim countries when they say it is time to talk.
Second ODI
England 322-7 (50 ovs)
India 236 (50 ovs)
England win by 86 runs
Next match: Tuesday, July 17, Headingley
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
Afro%20salons
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Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP
Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan
Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri
Final results:
Open men
Australia 94 (4) beat New Zealand 48 (0)
Plate men
England 85 (3) beat India 81 (1)
Open women
Australia 121 (4) beat South Africa 52 (0)
Under 22 men
Australia 68 (2) beat New Zealand 66 (2)
Under 22 women
Australia 92 (3) beat New Zealand 54 (1)
