While the aftermath of a conflict always exposes a recurring paradox of the victory claimed by the warring parties on the battlefield, the state of human and moral terrain remains dismal. War reshapes frontiers and geopolitical alignments, yet its true manifestation is reflected in the huge cost paid by generations to come. A stark lesson from history is that continuous military dominance has rarely produced lasting peace and stability. Security in real terms cannot be enforced solely through force, as the cycles of violence only deepen historical grievances among the humans who suffer from the devastation. Sometimes, people at the helm of affairs might have to realise that peace is not merely a diplomatic choice, but a fundamental necessity, if humanity is to survive.

The Middle East is enduring an unprecedented violent restructuring at the moment. The military campaign launched by the US and Israel against Iran, precipitated by the collapse of the post-2015 JCPOA architecture, has fundamentally shattered the illusion of regional peace and stability. Hundreds of airstrikes within twelve hours of the war resulted in the martyrdom of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, resulting in a series of crises, the near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz, asymmetric retaliatory strikes by Iran hitting US installations and civilian energy assets across the Middle East and the reactivation of proxy fronts adding to further destabilisation.

International financial institutions and regional partners should establish dedicated development funds aimed at rebuilding damaged civilian and energy infrastructure across the region.

International........

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