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Looking ahead: Seismic changes brought to the Middle East


The sad backdrop of the year was Israel's relentless attacks on Hamas in Gaza; the misery of trapped Palestinians; and the distress of the armies of Israel, and their families.


Children of Gaza

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But the game changer was a much bigger offensive: Israel took on their enemy, Iran.

In September, in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “I have a message for Tehran's spies: If you hit us, we will hit you.”

Armed with billions of dollars of American weapons, Israel attacked Iran's puppet militia, Hezbollah, in Lebanon, with ground forces, and from the air.

Israel also killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and captured hundreds of preachers leaving Hezbollah fighters devastated and demoralized.

Ayatollah Khamenei put on a brave face, telling his supporters earlier this month, “By God's divine power… our resistance will now expand.”

But the regime is humiliated. Even the hundreds of cruise missiles fired by Iran at Israel were mostly intercepted, and did little damage.

Tehran also lost in Syria, when its friend, the dictator Bashar al-Assad, was overthrown by Islamic fighters who swept into the main cities and declared victory.

2024 has been a year of seismic changes in the Middle East, and only one thing is certain: the region will never be the same again.

Add to the mix Donald Trump, whose foreign policy will be (to say the least) disruptive, and 2025 could offer a fragile peace…


Story produced by Mark Hudspeth. Editor: Chad Cardin.



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