As a new war launched by the United States and Israel on Iran rages, it has pushed the Middle East to the edge, which may have wide-ranging ramifications for the region and the world. It also has grim implications for India, given the massive presence of the Indian diaspora in the Gulf countries. The killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israel strikes has made the conflict more fraught and unpredictable. The unfolding big story remains at the heart of the Urdu dailies’ coverage. On the domestic front, the dailies put the focus back on Arvind Kejriwal, sensing his “comeback” in the discharge given by a Delhi court to him and his AAP colleagues in the liquor policy “scam”.
Commenting on the US-Israel’s war on Iran, the Mumbai-based Urdu Times, in its March 2 leader, says the conflagration in the Middle East is not just a military conflict but one of the most perilous geopolitical crises in the region since the 1979 Islamic revolution that led to the creation of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The editorial points out that the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the American-Israeli air strike on his Tehran compound has not only convulsed Iran but also plunged the entire region into a realm of uncertainty. “Khamenei’s death is not just the departure of a leader but the end of an era,” it says, noting that he led Iran since 1989, shaping its strategic and ideological direction and establishing its influence across West Asia.
The daily states that Khamenei was a hard-liner cleric who never compromised with his principles, refusing to capitulate to unjust powers. “He built up political and security establishments to steer the country, becoming a thorn on the side of global hegemons,” it says. “Khamenei turned Iran into a resistance state, even as his actions kept West Asia under a perpetual cloud of tension,” the edit says, adding that his killing has set off widespread grief and rage. Subsequently, Iran has also unleashed missile barrages aimed at not only Israel but also several Guf countries and US allies including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
While Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has held that the war had been imposed on Tehran by US-Israel and was not its choice, such diplomatic explanation does not cut much ice when Iran’s missiles slam into neighbouring Arab states, the editorial says. “The ensuing chaos marked with fear and economic disruptions have fuelled the war cutting across borders,” it says, adding that these Arab states, despite having US military bases, are also sovereign countries who have sought to play neutral in such hostilities while linking their economic structures to the global systems.
Flagging the US-Israel’s “depacitation strategy” against the Iranian leaders, the editorial says it would open a Pandora’s box whose fallout could not be predicted. “The killing of a Supreme Leader does not kill his ideology, but may rather make it stronger, forming new power equations,” it notes. The region needs a prudent leadership, not sloganeering at this time when it finds itself standing at a crossroads. “Ayatollah Khamenei’s death has closed one chapter. It has yet to be seen whether the next chapter would be written with sagacity or in blood,” the edit says. “Iran must realise that taking its war to the cities of its neighbours would only undermine its moral standing. Gulf states should also seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis. They should prefer talks over missiles for the sake of their peoples’ future. Or else, the war would only lengthen the list of casualty toll.”
SIASAT
Highlighting a Delhi court’s verdict in the Delhi excise policy case, discharging AAP national convener and ex-chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia among 23 accused, including some other AAP leaders and ex-BRS leader K Kavitha, the Hyderabad-based Siasat, in its February 28 editorial, points out that in its order the trial court has also indicted the CBI for its conduct and investigation. “The AAP and other Opposition parties have always maintained that the liquor policy case was a politically-motivated scam manufactured by the BJP by using central agencies like the CBI to tarnish the image of Kejriwal and Sisodia, who were not only booked but also sent to jail for months,” it says. “Several TV channels close to the ruling dispensation held a media trial and ran a campaign against the AAP and Kejriwal in order to seal their fate and benefit the BJP in the Delhi Assembly elections.”
The editorial states that the court’s censure of the CBI assumes significance as there have been multiple cases registered against the Opposition leaders, which are alleged to be unfounded. “The Opposition has consistently accused the BJP-led Centre of weaponising its agencies to slap cases against only their leaders to damage their political prospects. Several of these cases have been lodged ahead of the Assembly or Lok Sabha polls,” it notes.
While the CBI has moved the high court to challenge the trial court’s ruling, the development has dented the credibility of central agencies, says the daily. “There is now a cloud of suspicion over them amid public perception that the BJP has misused them as a political tool,” it charges. “The track record of certain TV anchors is also disgraceful in this regard. They should tender an apology to Kejriwal and Sisodia among other discharged accused. Despite being engaged in running propaganda, they have shied away from any soul-searching.”
The edit points out that Kejriwal and Sisodia had enjoyed an “upright public image” that took a beating when they were implicated in the 2021-22 excise policy “scam”. “During the regime of the previous AAP-led Delhi government, they had also done significant work in education and health, which was derailed by the liquor policy case,” it says. Following the court’s reprieve, they seem to have bounced back into the game.
SIASAT
Referring to the raging Middle East conflict, Siasat, in its March 3 editorial, says that despite being no match to the US-Israel’s military and technological prowess, Iran has not blinked in this war imposed on it. “Refusing to surrender before the US-Israel’s might and aggression, Iran has also dared to hit back,” it writes. At the other end of the spectrum are Gulf Arab states which have not only aligned with the US but also given it their territories for setting up its military bases. “These Arab countries rolled out red carpets for America in a bid to ensure their security, which now however seems shaky in the face of Iranian strikes,” the edit notes. “By targeting the US bases and other facilities in its neighbouring countries, Iran has sent out a signal that the US could not guarantee their safety and security.”
The daily says the Arab states have had sought to isolate Iran, leaving it at the receiving end of the regional hostilities. “On their part, America and Israel have managed to drive a wedge between the Islamic countries, pitting the Arab states against Iran. The US has pushed the Gulf Arab states to do Israel’s bidding,” it claims. “The current situation should be an eye-opener for these states, with Iran managing to launch strikes across the region. Rather than depending on the US for their security, they should work together for their self-reliance, close their ranks, and develop their own capabilities.”