---

Background and Concept

---

The evolving confrontation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran represents one of the most consequential geopolitical crises of the contemporary international system. What began as a long-standing strategic rivalry has increasingly transformed int a volatile confrontation characterized by military signaling, economic pressure, covert operations, and escalating regional tensions.

This crisis unfolds within a broader geopolitical environment marked by shifting global power dynamics, intensifying competition among major powers, and growing debates over the legitimacy of existing international governance structures. The confrontation also intersects with unresolved regional conflicts, including the long-standing question of Palestine, as well as strategic rivalries among regional actors across the Middle East.

Beyond the immediate military dimension, the crisis carries profound geo-economic implications. The Middle East remains a central pillar of the global energy system and a critical hub for international maritime trade. Escalation of hostilities could disrupt global oil and gas markets, affect major shipping corridors, and generate economic shocks that reverberate across international financial systems.

For developing economies—particularly in Africa and the Global South—such disruptions often translate into rising energy costs, inflationary pressures, trade disruptions, and broader economic instability.

At a deeper level, the crisis raises important questions concerning state sovereignty, the legitimacy of military force, the role of sanctions as instruments of geopolitical pressure, and the selective application of international law. Debates surrounding pre-emptive strikes, deterrence strategies, and the erosion of multilateral norms have intensified scrutiny of the contemporary international order.

In this context, the Africa Islamic Economic Forum (AFRIEF) convenes this strategic dialogue to provide a multidisciplinary platform where scholars, policy analysts, economists, and international law experts can examine the crisis from geopolitical, geo-economic, and normative perspectives.

Rationale for the Dialogue

The intensifying tensions in the Middle East highlight the need for balanced, informed, and policy-oriented discussions that move beyond media narratives and short-term political interpretations.

The confrontation between the United States, Israel, and Iran reflects deeper transformations in the global system, including the emergence of multipolar geopolitics, increasing reliance on economic sanctions and financial pressure, and the growing fragility of international institutions designed to regulate conflict.

For Africa and other regions of the Global South, the consequences of such geopolitical confrontations are often indirect yet significant. Energy price volatility, disruptions to global trade networks, and financial market instability can have profound effects on economic development and social stability.

This webinar therefore seeks to create a scholarly and policy dialogue platform where experts can critically examine the crisis through an integrated analytical framework that combines geopolitics, geoeconomics, international law, and questions of sovereignty and global governance.