Speaker of Parliament Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani ‘pessimistic’ about ability to manage Middle East crises

DUHOK – The recently elected Iraqi Speaker of Parliament Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani spoke during the opening of MEPS Forum 2024

He focused on the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, calling the challenges facing the Middle east a “failure of the international system.”

Key excerpts from his speech

What is happening today could be described, in my political analysis, as “the vital sphere of a second nakba.”

The challenges of yesterday in the Middle East differ from those of today. The fragile peace accords of the past have shattered, alongside the visions of new peace during Trump’s first term and Biden’s presidency, as we await Trump’s potential second term.

The challenges in the Middle East can be summarized as reflections of the failure of the global international system, which has proven to be amorphous and ineffective.

I am pessimistic about the ability to manage the crises facing the Middle East, from the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, to the multiple conflicts in Syria, the U.S. and Israel’s struggle with Iran, unemployment, climate change, fluctuating oil prices, and the overall structure of Middle Eastern politics.