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Spectator
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Why Muslim-majority countries have turned against Iran
Swift condemnations have poured in from the Muslim world castigating Israel for bombing Iran. The UAE condemned Israel 'in the strongest terms', Jordan spoke up against Israeli attacks 'threatening regional stability', Saudi Arabia denounced 'blatant Israeli aggressions', Turkey espoused 'an end to Israel's banditry', while various Muslim diplomatic groups, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), demanded 'international action' against the Jewish State. But cloaked underneath this predictably farcical rhetoric of 'Muslim unity' are the evolving interests of many of these states, which today align seamlessly with Israel. Saudi Arabia has described 'evil' Iran as the 'head of the snake' In Israel's immediate neighbourhood, Lebanese officials are blocking the depleted Iranian jihadist proxy Hezbollah from taking action against Israel. Meanwhile, the Ahmed al-Sharaa-led Syria, after toppling the pro-Iran Bashar al-Assad regime, has been negotiating a peace deal to recognise Israel and allow Syrian territory to be used to block Iranian attacks. Jordan, meanwhile, is directly intercepting Iranian missiles. This is similar to its downing of drones last year, as part of a regional military coalition featuring Saudi Arabia and the UAE that provided key intelligence against Iran. Turkey, too, reportedly had prior knowledge of Israeli strikes on Iran. Sunni Gulf states have seen Shia Iran as an imperial threat in the region since clerics took over Tehran following the Iranian revolution in 1979. They accuse Iran of backing Shia uprisings against Sunni rulers in countries like Bahrain, along with pushing militia in Iraq and Yemen to aspire to propel Shia regimes. Of course, these Sunni states, led by Saudi Arabia, have long used jihadist proxies to exploit the same Sunni–Shia fault-lines and thwart Iranian plans in order to maintain their own regional hegemony. Riyadh went a step further by formulating a military alliance of Sunni states, the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition, aimed at Iran and its Shia allies. But while the Sunni–Shia sectarian divide within Islam is 14 centuries old, in recent years the antagonism has crossed the weapons-grade threshold following the advent of a very modern threat: the nuclear bomb. When Israel struck Iranian nuclear sites and eliminated scientists along with key generals, it also inadvertently did so on behalf of leading Sunni regimes that have long been petrified by the prospect of Iran building a nuclear weapon. Saudi Arabia, which has described 'evil' Iran as the 'head of the snake', has repeatedly condemned the US nuclear deal with Iran in 2015. It has also regularly urged other Muslim-majority countries to reject 'Iranian terrorism'. Only a couple of weeks ago, Saudi defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman warned Iranian officials to accept US president Donald Trump's offer of a new nuclear agreement or face the Israeli strikes that followed a little over a fortnight later. A similar message was delivered by the UAE to Iran in March. The Gulf states normalising relations with Israel are doing so as part of their modernising bids. This entails shunning violent Islamic laws and codes, from which their erstwhile antisemitic rhetoric against the Jewish State originates. This move is critical in order to diversify their petro-economies, which require regional stability to attract global investment. While sanctions-hit Iran has even more to gain financially by embracing moderation and peace in the region, it does not have a monarchy that could simply flip the switch on decades of spreading radical Islam and jihadist militancy. Self-identifying as 'resistance' against the West and Israel and flying the 'flag of Islam against infidels' is a matter of survival for the clerics in Tehran, even as the writing is on the wall for Iran's rulers following the fall of their proxies in Syria and Lebanon. If the Iranian regime is to go, it should ideally be toppled by the Iranians, who have lived under its brutalities for almost half a century, with local protests and attacks against the clergy increasing in recent years. While there are fears among the Iranian populace that the war could cause destruction similar to that seen in Gaza, there are millions of Muslims across the region who have suffered at the hands of Iran and its militias, and who would celebrate the demise of Iranian clerical rule – even if it is Israel that is to deal the final blow. And the Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia, have already laid the groundwork to pose as the saviours and custodians of these Muslims in the aftermath of Israeli strikes they are officially condemning. Saudi Arabia has conveniently distanced itself from what is, in effect, the execution of its plans against Iran by officially normalising relations with Tehran following a China-brokered deal in 2023, after seven years of severed ties. This has allowed Riyadh to publicly pose as a mediator in Iran's nuclear talks with the US, while it covertly delivers Israeli threats to Tehran and continues to inform Washington of its intention to acquire nuclear arms. Like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Turkey have their own plans to lead the Muslim world once the only non-Sunni claimant for the same – Iran – is effectively sidelined. All of these states, however, need Israel to eliminate the Iranian regime so as not to completely alienate Shia populations. Public hostility towards Israel will continue to grow in these countries as they quietly celebrate the gains of the Jewish state.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
We've used just 5% of total potential: Iranian general says only 30% of military strength deployed, warns they are escalating slowly
Ceasefire will help weakened enemy, says Iran 'Pakistan will nuke Israel' Live Events MORE STORIES FOR YOU ✕ « Back to recommendation stories I don't want to see these stories because They are not relevant to me They disrupt the reading flow Others SUBMIT Pakistan's defence minister calls for Muslim unity Rising toll from Israel-Iran missile exchange (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Iranian Revolutionary Guard senior commander General Mohsen Rezaei has claimed that Iran has deployed only 30 per cent of its current military capabilities and just 5 per cent of its total potential in the ongoing conflict with Israel. He warned that any ceasefire at this stage would allow Israel to regroup and restart attacks. 'We have not yet used all of our weapons, nor the Strait of Hormuz , nor oil, nor naval power, nor the capabilities of our friends and allies,' Rezaei said during a televised hinted that Tehran is ready to intensify military operations further if required. Rezaei said agreeing to a ceasefire now would be a strategic mistake. 'Agreeing to a ceasefire at this stage would only reignite conflict allowing a weakened enemy to regroup,' he warned. According to him, Iran is 'steadily intensifying its military campaign,' and the military has deliberately escalated operations slowly.'One of the reasons we are gradually escalating operations is to give people the opportunity to leave the area,' he in the week, Rezaei also claimed that Pakistan had assured Iran it would retaliate with nuclear weapons if Israel launched a nuclear strike on Iranian territory.'Pakistan has assured us that if Israel uses a nuclear bomb on Iran, they will attack Israel with a nuclear bomb,' said comment was made on Iranian state television, but no Pakistani official has publicly confirmed or responded to the June 14, Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif addressed the national assembly, saying, 'Israel has targeted Iran, Yemen, and Palestine. If Muslim nations don't unite now, each will face the same fate.'He also urged Muslim-majority nations to sever diplomatic ties with Israel and called on the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to create a joint strategy in launched a coordinated wave of airstrikes across Iran on June 14, targeting military and nuclear infrastructure. In response, Iran launched missile attacks into Israeli territory. Despite growing casualties and regional tensions, Iran has signalled that the conflict could escalate further.
India.com
a day ago
- Politics
- India.com
Brotherhood Is Dead? Why Muslim Nations Won't Unite Against Israel Despite Rising Tensions With Iran
New Delhi: Recent appeals by Pakistani leaders calling for Islamic solidarity in defense of Palestine and Iran have gained little traction across West Asia. Despite dramatic rhetoric, historical declarations and shared religious identity, real political unity continues to elude the Muslim world. Deep internal divisions, regional rivalries and competing alliances have left the Islamic bloc fractured – especially as the Israel-Iran conflict pushes the region closer to a broader confrontation. Back in 1974, during the second summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) held in Lahore, Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had made a stirring plea – declaring Pakistan's commitment to Islam and vowing support for Muslim causes worldwide, even if it meant bloodshed. At that time, most Arab nations had not recognised Israel, Iran had not undergone its Islamic revolution and regional alignments looked very different. Fast forward to 2025, the situation has drastically changed. Several Arab countries, including Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan, have normalised ties with Israel. Iran and Saudi Arabia, long-time regional rivals, still eye each other warily despite recent diplomatic breakthroughs. Once envisioned as a force for collective action, now appears largely symbolic in conflicts involving Israel. The current war between Israel and Iran, now entering its second week, has revealed the limitations of any pan-Islamic response. While Iran continues to launch missile and drone strikes in retaliation for Israeli attacks on its nuclear and military infrastructure, most Muslim-majority nations have responded with caution, if at all. Pakistan's defense minister recently urged Muslim nations to unite against Israeli aggression. However, the response has been tepid. Internal fractures remain. Gulf nations, for instance, fear both Iran's regional ambitions and Israel's growing influence. Some host American military bases and rely on the US for defense support. This limits their ability and willingness to openly oppose Tel Aviv. A vocal critic of Israel, Turkey maintains diplomatic ties with it and has cooperated with the United States in the past. Even President Erdogan, who condemned Israel's recent actions and warned of catastrophic consequences, has walked a tightrope – navigating between nationalist rhetoric and realpolitik. Experts point out that religious identity alone is not enough to drive geopolitical unity. Talking to BBC, former Indian ambassador Talmiz Ahmad said that the rivalry between Iran and Israel is rooted in strategic competition, not faith. Alignments in West Asia, he said, are based more on national interest than any religious solidarity. He added that Pakistan's renewed calls for Islamic unity stem in part from its geopolitical repositioning. After years of strategic alignment with the United States, Pakistan is now seeking to strengthen its ties with Turkey and Iran. Still, the military, political and economic constraints of these alliances limit how far they can go in confronting Israel or the United States. Meanwhile, the Palestinian issue, often cited as a unifying cause, no longer serves that purpose effectively. The ground realities in Gaza and the West Bank have changed. Preoccupied with domestic challenges and wary of regional instability, Arab states have shifted priorities. With Iran facing increasing isolation, and Israel's military campaign showing no signs of slowing down, concerns are mounting over what a weakened Tehran might mean for the regional balance of power. Analysts argue that if Iran suffers a strategic defeat, it could mark a turning point in West Asia, further empowering Israel and cementing U.S. influence across the Gulf. Russian and Chinese interests would also be impacted. Having already lost influence in Syria after Bashar al-Assad's exit, Moscow faces the risk of being pushed out of West Asia entirely. Beijing, heavily reliant on Gulf oil, could see itself more beholden to American allies in the region. Islamic unity, in this context, remains an elusive goal – undermined by long-standing rivalries, complex alliances and shifting strategic interests. The war between Israel and Iran may be religiously charged in rhetoric, but on the ground, it is a geopolitical contest where common faith is overshadowed by national interest.
Business Recorder
a day ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Ishaq Dar to represent Pakistan at 51st OIC FMs session in Türkiye
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit Istanbul, Republic of Türkiye, to participate in the 51st Session of the Council of the Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) being held on 21 and 22 of this month. During the plenary session, he will share Pakistan's perspective on the developments in South Asia, following the ceasefire arrangement between Pakistan and India and the situation in the Middle East, after Israel's recent aggression against Iran and other regional states, the Foreign Office said in a statement. Reaffirming Pakistan's steadfast commitment to the Palestinian cause, the Deputy Prime Minister will emphasise the pressing need to establish peace in the Middle East and provide humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. Ishaq Dar will reiterate Pakistan's unwavering commitment to the objectives and principles of the OIC and its efforts to address the issues confronting the Muslim Ummah. He will also urge the international community to take decisive actions to combat the escalating tide of Islamophobia and to urgently address other contemporary global challenges, including rising extremism and terrorism and climate change. On the sidelines, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister will hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other OIC member states. Prior to the Council of the Foreign Ministers, Ishaq Dar will participate in the award ceremony for the grant of 'OIC Youth Forum Grand Youth Award' to the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The Star
a day ago
- Politics
- The Star
Tok Mat to lead M'sian delegation at OIC foreign ministers meet in Istanbul
PUTRAJAYA: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan will lead Malaysia's delegation to the 51st Session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Istanbul, Turkiye, from June 21 to 22, 2025. Wisma Putra, in a statement Thursday (June 19), said that the meeting will involve the participation of foreign ministers and representatives from 57 OIC member states. "The Foreign Minister will deliver a National Statement highlighting Malaysia's views and position on issues of common concern under the OIC, such as the situation in Palestine and their right to self-determination," said the ministry. The National Statement will also address the rise of Islamophobia and all forms of hatred towards religion, emphasise economic cooperation, and initiatives that Malaysia has undertaken in pursuing the objectives of the OIC, it added. With the theme of "OIC in a Transforming World", this meeting is expected to deliberate and agree on common approaches for addressing the political, socio-economic, and cultural challenges faced by the Ummah, through the adoption of the Istanbul Declaration and nearly 146 proposed resolutions, the ministry stated. The meeting also serves as a platform to expand cooperation and solidarity among OIC Member States in promoting peace and security for the Ummah and the global community at large, particularly amid the current escalating tensions in the Middle East region, it said. - Bernama
