Papal appeal for peace in the Middle East. THEThe Pontiff invites us to pray “for the Palestine and Israelso that there is peace, so that dialogue bears good fruit: no to war, yes to dialogue”. On the solemnity of Pentecost it is a prayer that Pope francesco raise for the end of all wars. “May the Spirit lead the leaders of the nations and all of us to open doors of peace“, invokes Jorge Mario Bergoglio. “Give rulers the courage to carry out gestures of dialogue, which lead to put an end to wars“, states the Pontiff, with the thought of both Middle East and the latest developments in Ukraine, especially on the front Kharkiv. Stefano Polli has been deputy director of the Ansa agency since 2014. Previously he was editor-in-chief of diplomatic service and the foreign editorial staff of Ansa. AND been a special correspondent, following important matters events such as the first Gulf War, the wars in the Balkans, the Albanian civil war, the Ethiopia-Eritrea war. He has also participated in some of the most important European and international summits (EU, UN, G7, G20, NATO). He interviewed Fidel Castro exclusively in Cuba and was among the very first Western journalists to go to Cuba in 2000. North Korea. He is an analyst of international politics and diplomacy, and professor of journalism at Lumsa University.
Challenge
“Iran’s challenge in the Middle Eastern ‘Great Game’ remains there on the table, too after the death of President Raisibut in medium term, something could begin to change – explains Polli -. The mullahs’ foreign policy strategy in recent years it was centered on three points very clear. Isolation of Israel and limited increase in tension with it Jewish state, strategic alliances with other autocracies, starting with Russia, and a cautious approach to Sunni world, starting with Saudi Arabia. The war in Ukraine and the one in Gaza, where Iran has carried out and continues to carry out a important rolehave on the one hand made the first two points evident and pushed, but they also stopped the path of the third point, the one that could have potentially drawn a new Middle East“. Polli continues: “The war in Ukraine led to a close military alliance with Russia, to which Iran supplied, among other things, drones which were one of the strengths of the counteroffensive in Ukraine. The war in Gaza brought the tension with Israel at very high levels culminating with the first Iranian attack on Israeli territory and Tel Aviv’s response. In both cases, fortunately, the two contenders they kept their foot firmly on the brake limiting themselves to more symbolic attacks than anything else. In the awareness that we had reached the edge of a devastating cliff war regional“.
New dialogue
“But the war in Gaza has had the effect of blocking the dialogue started between Saudi Arabia and Israel for an agreement similar to those of Abraham which had already linked the Jewish State to Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Sudan. This was one of the most notable side effects in the new geopolitical design of the Middle East expanded – analyzes Polli -. Iran is the sponsor of movements such as HezbollahHouthis and Hamas from Tehran are financed and politically supported as well as receiving war supplies, know-how and training. The attack on October 7 had an important political significance precisely in blocking the new dialogue between Tel Aviv and Riyadh. But, at the same time, it also stopped the thaw between Tehran and Riyadh who had recently reconnected diplomatic relations after years of frost and tension.” The expert highlights that the architect of this rapprochement was China which has been increasing its influence in Medium Orient, in the Mediterranean and Africa. In this phase, however, the dialogue between Israel and Saudi Arabia has restarted in an underground manner. Raisi’s sudden death will not change Tehran’s posture any time soon, but early elections will they will probably force Tehran’s leaders to address in advance the issue of the succession of Khamenei, 84 years old and, according to recurring rumors, seriously ill. It is no mystery that Raisi, a very tough man in fighting his opponents and in ferociously repress street protestswas in pole position for a natural succession to Khamenei.
Middle East in flames
Stefano Polli adds that i Pasdaran they are becoming progressively more powerful and that the role of the army is growing greatly. The internal balances of the regime are in short changing, however much they can change within a rigid and autocratic system. This situation could lead to changes within the balance of the regime, also in the direction of further greater harshness in the regime international projection of Tehran. “If there is no ceasefire and the appeal is not heard, it is a cause for further suffering and the fire produces more fire.” He is convinced of this Cardinal Matteo Zuppi. In Gorizia the president of the CEI spoke on the conflict between Hamas and Israel on the sidelines of a meeting lectio magistralis at the Department of Diplomatic Sciences. “All wars concern us, even those that seem like more distant and limited. They are always truly pieces of the world war. They worry us a lot and we really must continue to do everything we can to achieve peace. This is why the Pope asks for the cease-fire with such insistence.” Speaking to the young people present, future diplomats, the president of the CEI insisted that we must “strengthen diplomacy, believe in diplomacy, which is not just pastries and a waste of time, but is what can allow identification tools capable of resolving the conflicts that exist and will exist not with the logic of the strongest or with that of weapons, which is fearful, as well as unacceptable and never resolves conflicts, but worsens them, but rather with the right“. For the cardinal “there is a need for a lot of diplomacy and also humanitarian diplomacy. Of those who deal with humanitarian issues, which generally should be everyone, because we are not islands, can help diplomacy, that is, to understand each other, build bridges, learn a common languageto get to know each other.”
