Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns expressed deep concern over the current volatile situation in the Middle East in a column titled “Spycraft and Statecraft”, published recently in the “Foreign Affairs” magazine.
Burns, who said he was well-versed in Middle Eastern affairs after spending four decades working on them, highlighted the region’s complexity and explosive nature.
The CIA Director acknowledged the daunting challenges of winding down the Israeli ground operation in the Gaza Strip, handling humanitarian needs for the Palestinian civilians, negotiating hostage release, curbing the conflict spillover, and planning for the war aftermath.
The CIA head reiterated the importance of reviving hope for a long-term peace that ensures Israel’s stability, supports a Palestinian state, and encourages normalization with Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.
Burns blamed the current crisis on Iran’s support for resistance groups such as Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and Yemen’s Houthi rebels. He argued that the crisis has emboldened Iran, allowing it to fight through regional proxies while simultaneously expanding its nuclear program and supporting Russian aggression.
He underlined the critical role that the United States plays in ensuring Israel’s and the region’s security, particularly when dealing with Iran-backed attacks in the Red Sea.
The US official contended that active US leadership is required to manage and ultimately address the complex problems saying that “the United States is not exclusively responsible for resolving any of the Middle East’s vexing problems. But none of them can be managed, let alone solved, without active U.S. leadership.”