Despite the Iran-Saudi agreement, Lebanon remains in a political deadlock

While the recent Saudi-Iran deal, mediated by China, gave the Middle East some hope, it placed uncertainty on Lebanon, where a months-long presidential vacuum has aggravated the country's institutional stagnation and a long-standing economic catastrophe.

Lebanon, a small Mediterranean nation whose governing elite has historically been associated with foreign powers to maintain influence and economic stability, has suffered as a result of the rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

The Lebanese pound lost more than 90% of its value in 2019 due to an economic catastrophe, and the ruling class—which has been widely held responsible for the financial collapse—failed to stop the currency's precipitous decline.

Since last year, the nation has only had a caretaker administration and no president.

The deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which is expected to result in the full restoration of diplomatic ties between the two nations after a seven-year break, has the power to alter the regional order.

After the Arab League was suspended due to President Bashar al-Assad's ruthless suppression of pro-democracy uprisings more than ten years ago, Saudi Arabia has already campaigned for Syria, an ally of Iran, to be reinstated.

In Yemen, the agreement looked to have facilitated the release of a large number of Houthi prisoners held in Saudi Arabia and supported by Iran, opening the door to the possibility of peace in the troubled nation.

However, the Saudi-Iran agreement appears to be even more dormant in light of the impasse over the presidency between Lebanon's warring parliamentary blocs.

Nasser Yassin, the environment minister in Lebanon, told Al Jazeera that "unlike in Yemen, the Saudi-Iran deal will not reflect on Lebanon's political reality in the near future, except in terms of preventing further escalation among local allies."

Since previous President Michel Aoun's term ended at the end of October, Lebanon has been without a head of state, a position that by tradition must be held by a Maronite Christian.

Comments

1 Saudi Move & Impact On West Asian Geopolitics

As one of the most influential players in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia's actions have far-reaching consequences for West Asian geopolitics. In recent years, we've seen several moves from this powerful nation that are shaking up traditional power dynamics and creating new alliances. From its diplomatic spat with Qatar to its growing relationship with Israel, Saudi Arabia is making bold moves that could change the face of West Asia as we know it. Join us as we dive into the geopolitical implications of Saudi Arabia's latest actions and explore what they mean for the future of this critical region. Saudi Arabia has long been a dominant force in the Middle East, wielding its oil wealth and religious influence to shape regional politics. Its alliance with the United States has given it even greater sway on the global stage, making it a key player in shaping West Asian geopolitics. However, Saudi Arabia's role in the region is not without controversy. Its support for conse

Fights break out as Kurds protest the French government's denial of a terrorist attack

Following the murder of three Kurds in what is being considered to be a probable racist incident , there have been widespread protests in Paris. The fact that the authorities did not view the attack at a Kurdish centre as a terrorist act has enraged the Kurdish diaspora in Paris. A 69-year-old man opened fire on a crowd of individuals early on Friday morning at the Ahmet-Kaya centre on Rue d'Enghien in the 10th arrondissement. One of the three victims is badly injured. All of the dead were Kurdish community members who passed away both inside and outside the cultural centre. Agit Polat, a spokesman for the Kurdish centre, charged that French officials "yet again failed to safeguard us... This is a terrorist attack in our eyes, according to the AFP news agency. In the afternoon, a number of protestors, largely from the Kurdish diaspora, got into a fight with the police outside the centre and in the streets close by, throwing rocks and torching trash cans. Police use

Verbal spat between Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel judicial overhaul

The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, turned down United States President Joe Biden’s suggestion that the Israeli government “walks away” from a plan to overhaul the country’s legal system. A verbal spat between the two close allies took place on Wednesday. The US President and Israeli Prime Minister exchanged a few words on judicial changes in Israel. On Tuesday, reporters asked Joe Biden about Israel’s judicial overhaul planned reforms. Biden reportedly said, “I hope he (Netanyahu) walks away from it.” He said that the Israeli government “cannot continue down this road” and urged compromise on this plan to overhaul the country’s legal system. Subsequently, the Israeli PM said that his country makes its own decisions. He reportedly said in a statement, “Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends.” Netanyahu’s latest comments came a day after he delaye

Newsaholic

Search This Blog