Beyond October 7: Paradigm Shifts in West Asia and the Imperative of a New International and Regional Architecture

Published in Ming Pao

The October 7, 2023 operation was a pivotal event in the developments of West Asia, dividing the political and security equations of the region and the world into eras before and after itself. This incident subjected the post-World War II international order to severe shocks, marking a definitive end to the policy of normalizing occupation and fabricating artificial peace. Therefore, this event was a “volcanic eruption” resulting from decades of accumulated oppression and injustice spanning the post-World War I and World War II eras in West Asia. It laid bare the contradictions and inefficiencies of the international legal system in upholding the right to self-determination of an oppressed nation, while loud and clear underscoring the urgent necessity to reform the existing international architecture to protect peoples under occupation, mass slaughter, genocide, forced displacement, and total blockade, and to stand firmly against injustice.

 

The October 7 event fostered a new perception in global public opinion regarding the rightful grievances of the Palestinian nation. The “storm of resistance” was reinforced, the ideology of countering hegemony expanded, and the prevailing logic of the current global governance came under severe pressure. Furthermore, the normalization process was halted, and divisions even emerged within the Western camp regarding the issue of occupation. Voices in support of the oppressed status of the displaced people under occupation rose this time—not merely in the streets and universities of the Global South—but within the universities and streets of Western nations, to the extent that the Palestinian issue found its way into the political and electoral arenas of certain Western countries.

 

In the wake of this event, a state of uncertainty prevailed across West Asia, which also impacted the conditions of the international system. The inefficiency of international institutions—including the Security Council—in containing this crisis became more evident than ever before, while unreserved U.S. support for the process of slaughter, genocide, the displacement of the Palestinian people, and the blockade of Palestinian territories served as an aggravating factor in escalating the crisis and expanding it to other regions.

 

The Security Council demonstrated that it has performed unsatisfactorily in the three areas of maintaining peace and security, resolving conflicts, and preventing war, effectively rendering itself a less effective actor in the global system.

 

At present, the West Asia region has become extensively unpredictable, and its security architecture has undergone profound transformations. The Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently emphasized the necessity of establishing an indigenous security framework in the region—with the participation of regional countries and without the interference of foreign powers—and, regarding the resolution of the Palestinian issue, has advocated for the holding of a free referendum involving all Palestinians, including Muslims, Christians, and Jews, with the aim of enabling the Palestinian nation to determine its own destiny.

 

Undoubtedly, remaining silent in the face of blatant violence in West Asia is currently highly costly for governments, and indifference to the violation of the fundamental principles of international law and international humanitarian law will also be interpreted by global public opinion as disregarding the responsibility of states toward international peace and justice.

 

Dr. Hassan Doutaghi,

Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Hong Kong and Macao

https://news.mingpao.com/pns/%e8%a7%80%e9%bb%9e/article/20261012/s00012/1791733691976