Key Events in Middle Eastern Politics (2020-2023)

Overview of Recent Geopolitical Developments (2020 - 2023)

Key Events and Timelines

2020

• Israel/Palestine: The Trump administration announced the 'Vision for Peace', a strategic plan to address the Israel/Palestine conflict.

• Abraham Accords: Drafted a peace agreement for Israeli talks with Arab states, made public in September. This led to significant treaties with the UAE and Bahrain.

• Qasim Suleimani's Assassination: The US, aided by Israeli intelligence, assassinated Iranian Major General Qasim Suleimani at Baghdad airport.

• Israeli Elections: A cycle of three inconclusive elections resulted in Benjamin Netanyahu remaining in office, forming coalition governments and sharing the prime minister role with Benny Gantz.

• US Elections: Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump, assuming the presidency in January 2021.

2021

• Continuation of Abraham Accords: More countries joined the accords.

• Change of Leadership in Israel: Netanyahu was ousted as prime minister after twelve years, replaced by Naftali Bennett.

• Assassination of Iranian Scientist: Israel conducted an operation to assassinate a leading Iranian nuclear scientist.

• US-Iran Relations: President Biden initiated new dialogues with Iran, aiming to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

2022

• Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Russia launched a military invasion of Ukraine.

• UAE's Refugee Program: The UAE decided not to honor a free visa program aimed at Ukrainian refugees amidst the conflict.

• Israel's Neutral Stance: During the Russian invasion, Israel adopted a neutral position.

• Iran-Russia Cooperation: Iran began providing drones to Russia for use in Ukraine.

2023

• Netanyahu's Return: Netanyahu was re-elected as prime minister leading a right-wing coalition with a 'religious Zionist' agenda.

• Settlement Expansion: The Israeli government announced plans to construct 10,000 housing units in the West Bank.

• JCPOA Status: The US failed to reinstate the JCPOA agreement, impacting international relations and nuclear discussions.

Conclusion

These developments mark significant geopolitical shifts in the Middle East and beyond, reflecting complex interactions between regional powers, the US, and the international community regarding security, diplomacy, and territorial sovereignty.