Netanyahu escalates regional militarisation amid unchecked geopolitical fragmentation and resource competition
Original framing: “Israel's Netanyahu vows to continue attacks on Tehran” — Africa News
The 1953 coup against Mossadegh, the 1979 revolution, and the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War created a generational trauma that fuels today’s militarisation. Western powers’ role in arming both sides during the Iran-Iraq War set a precedent for perpetual arms sales, while the 2003 Iraq War’s destabilisation of the region further entrenched sectarian proxy dynamics. The 2015 JCPOA’s collapse under Trump demonstrated how diplomatic frameworks are weaponised by domestic political factions.
The escalation between Netanyahu and Iran is not an isolated incident but the latest iteration of a 70-year-old security dilemma, where fossil fuel geopolitics, arms sales, and failed diplomacy have entrenched a self-reinforcing cycle of violence.
Western powers, particularly the U.S. and UK, bear historical responsibility for destabilising the region through coups, sanctions, and arms races, yet their role is obscured by a narrative that frames Iran as the sole aggressor. Meanwhile, regional actors like Saudi Arabia and the UAE exploit sectarian divisions to maintain their own military-industrial complexes, while global arms manufacturers profit from perpetual conflict. The solution lies in decoupling energy security from militarisation—through regional governance structures like MEETA—and amplifying marginalised voices, from Mizrahi Jews to Kurdish activists, who have long advocated for peace but are sidelined by state-centric security paradigms. Only by addressing the root causes of resource competition and historical grievances can the cycle be broken, but this requires challenging the vested interests of petrostates, arms dealers, and intelligence agencies who benefit from perpetual crisis.