Islam

• A drone attack that killed three American troops and wounded at least 34 more at a base in Jordan has increased fears of a widening conflict in the Middle East – and the possibility that the U.S. may be further drawn into the fighting.
• President Joe Biden vowed to respond to the assault, blaming Iran-backed militias for the first U.S. military casualties in months of such strikes in the region.
• The Conversation turned to Sara Harmouch, an expert on asymmetric warfare and militant groups in the Middle East, to answer these and other questions.

What do we know about the group that claimed responsibility?

• Al-Muqawama al-Islamiyah fi al-Iraq, which translates as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, has claimed responsibility for the drone attack.
• However, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq is not a single group per se.
• Rather, it is a term used to describe an umbrella organization, which, since around 2020, has included various Iran-backed militias in the region.
• This deliberate strategy hinders direct attribution and poses challenges for countries attempting to identify and retaliate against the precise culprits.

What do they hope to achieve in attacking a US target?

• Since the beginning of the conflict in October 2023, Iranian-backed militias have repeatedly struck American military bases in Iraq and Syria, recently expanding their attacks to include northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border.
• The attack in Jordan forms part of a strategy by Iranian-backed militias to counter Washington’s support for Israel in the Gaza conflict.
• But it is also aimed at advancing a wider goal of pushing U.S. forces out of the Middle East entirely.

What role did Iran have in the attack?

• But the Islamic Resistance in Iraq is known to be part of the networks of militia groups that Tehran supports.
• Iran, through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, has provided such militias with money, weapons and training.
• By doing so, Iran maintains plausible deniability when it comes to attacks carried out by its proxies.

What options does the US have to respond?

• The Biden administration faces complex dynamics when it comes to responding to attacks linked to Iranian-backed militias.
• This strategy has been employed in the past, yet it has not significantly curbed Iran’s or its proxies’ aggressive actions.
• The concern is that while such strikes are precise, they may not be enough to deter ongoing or future attacks.
• The Biden administration’s need to balance a strong response with the geopolitical consequences highlights the difficulties of navigating a tense and evolving situation.

How might the attack affect the wider Middle East conflict?

• How the U.S. responds could reshape the Middle East’s geopolitical landscape and influence the dynamics of proxy warfare in the region.
• A strong military response from Washington might deter Iranian-backed militias from future attacks, but it could also provoke them into taking more aggressive actions.
• In the short term, any U.S. retaliation – especially if it targets Iranian interests directly – could escalate tensions in the region.

Sara Harmouch does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

• SINGAPORE, Jan. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Kurdistan International Islamic Bank for Investment and Development ("KIB"), a leading Islamic financial institution in Iraq, has embarked on a digital transformation journey with the adoption of iMALTM , the industry-leading Islamic core banking platform from Azentio Software , a Singapore-headquartered technology firm owned by funds advised by Apax Partners.
• The omnichannel solution will accelerate customer onboarding and digital adoption, while simplifying our banking operations across channels, applications, and mobile phones."
• With its feature-rich portfolio, iMALTM will help KIB address the stringent demands of digital transformation.
• The new version comes with exceptional features and functions that are imperative to operate according to the rules of the Islamic Sharia.

• The panel discussions delved into the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and investment opportunities in Qingtian County.
• The World Anti-Corruption Conference 2023 (WACC) in Jakarta, Indonesia, convened global leaders, experts, and practitioners at the Royal Kuningan Hotel.
• Cheah Chyuan Yong concluded the conference during the closing ceremony address with 200 participants, declaring WACC as an annual global initiative, dedicated to combating corruption and emphasizing role of empowerment in strengthening anti-corruption efforts.
• The ISI, under Cheah Chyuan Yong's leadership, is gearing up to host the Inter-Regional Business Forum (IRBF) on March 7th and 8th, 2024, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

• The intervention represents a significant level of escalation in the Middle East and is indicative of just how volatile the region has become.
• While the Houthis claim their attacks are in retaliation for Israel’s war against Hamas, it’s actually more complicated.
• It has done this despite the best efforts of the west (and Israel) to deter its aggression and contain its influence.

Revisionist state

• In short, Iran is a revisionist state – it wants to change the regional order – and its belligerent behaviour is likely to continue.
• Now the larger (and recurring) problem the west must address is how to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear capability.
• A nuclear-armed Iran would arguably represent the greatest threat to Israel’s national security and the international liberal order.

Empire, Islam and revolution

• Much of Iran’s national identity constitutes a mixture of revolutionary fervour, Shia Islam and a form of nationalism focused around Iran’s pre-Islamic history, notably the Persian empire during the Achaemenid dynasty (550-330 BC).
• Meanwhile, power resides with individuals – such as supreme leader Ali Khamenei – who were influential in Iran’s revolutionary period (1979).
• As a former imperial power and a country that experienced revolution, Iran presumes that it has the natural right to intervene in other country’s affairs.
• The coup is thought to have fostered the conditions for the 1979 revolution.

No nukes

• It would fundamentally disrupt the balance of power in the region and could lead to a spiralling arms race with Saudi Arabia.
• So the UK’s main foreign policy in the Middle East must be to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear arsenal.
• The current UK government understandably does not want to escalate tensions and it may want to pursue a risk-free policy in the region.

Ben Soodavar does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.