Israel advances in Syria beyond Golan Heights and destroys Syrian fleet in Latakia, appearing to be executing expansionist plans in Syria

A large number of Arab and other West Asian countries have defied the US pressures and openly taken a stand against the Israeli war in Gaza for the first time in decades

The specter that is haunting Washington is that the stabilization of Syria following Assad’s normalization with the Arab countries and with Turkey will inexorably coalesce into a Syrian settlement that completely marginalizes the “collective West” 

Evidently, the regional states are tapping the “feel-good” generated by the Saudi-Iranian deal. There are signs of an overall easing of tensions

It cannot be lost on Tehran that the historicity of Xi’s visit to Saudi Arabia lies in the recreation of the history playing out in West Asia since the secret meeting between the then US President Franklin Roosevelt and King Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia off Alexandria in 1945

A subaltern role to serve US and Israeli interests cannot enhance India’s prestige in West Asia where, as it is, Modi government is perceived as an Islamophobic regime backed by religious fanatics

Out of the 420 million total population in the region, 69 million are currently severely malnourished due to extreme food scarcity, war-related famines and COVID-19, with Yemen and Somalia the worst-affected

Four countries in the MENA region, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, carried out an overwhelming 88% of all known executions worldwide last year

Complementing the increase in arms imports by West Asian and North African countries, the United States, France and Germany saw a substantial increase in their respective weapons exports, with the US continuing as the world’s largest arms exporter 

The protests were organised to demand the protection of human rights in the country and an improvement in the economic conditions of the people. Protesters also called on the government to release all political prisoners and work towards greater social equality and initiate democratic reforms in the Moroccon political system

Newsclick editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha discusses what impact the continuing protests in the North African countries of Sudan and Algeria can have on the region.