Image:Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze meet in Tbilisi to advance the Middle Corridor — a key trade route connecting Asia and Europe amid shifting geopolitical dynamics following the Iran war. Photo: Government of Azerbaijan.

The Day After the War:  Economic Corridors Will Shape Ceasefire Stability.

The opening strike that eliminated Iran’s senior leadership, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was operationally successful. However, in retrospect, it significantly shaped the course of the war and the response of Iran and its allies.

Iran’s partners — Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Shiite militias in Iraq — perceived the assassination as a direct threat to the very existence of the Shiite axis. For them, this was not merely a strategic blow, but a sectarian one. As a result, they responded to Iran’s call and joined the fighting, leading to renewed escalation against Israel.

Hundreds of rockets and drones were launched, primarily targeting northern Israel — where residents had only recently returned to their homes after the previous round of conflict.

At the same time, the elimination of the leadership led to a consolidation of political and military power in the hands of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The previously more pluralistic governing structure — which included........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)