Saudi Arabia Did Not Open The Door to a Regional War that Shattered Two Illusions: US Global Primacy and Israel’s Regional Dominance

By Elijah J. Magnier –

The unlawful US-Israeli war on Iran was meant to restore deterrence, reinforce American dominance and credibility, and complete Israel’s rise as the uncontested strategic centre of the Middle East, not merely as a regional power but as a self-proclaimed superpower. It was also designed to drag the Gulf countries into a confrontation with Iran. Instead, it exposed the limits of American power and planning, deepened doubts about Washington’s reliability and shattered the belief that Israeli military superiority could impose a new regional order through the normalisation of surrounding states. It also confirmed the Gulf, led by Saudi Arabia, as a stabilising force rather than a willing participant in an unwanted war imposed on the region without the consent of its main leaders.

The war became a costly stalemate with no clear victor: tactical damage to Iran, strategic caution across the Gulf, political embarrassment for the US-Israeli duo and heightened regional volatility. The failure of the US and Israeli armies to subdue Iran or bring down the ‘Islamic Republic will reshape global power dynamics for years. It has accelerated the push across West and Central Asia toward de-dollarisation, weakened Israel’s aura of superiority and severely damaged the myth of US-Israeli invincibility.

Above all, the war widened the gap between destruction and victory. Washington and Tel Aviv proved they could destroy, but not dictate outcomes. They could inflict serious damage, but not impose surrender. Force alone no longer guarantees political success against a country like Iran, prepared to fight back and absorb punishment.