Academic and political scientist Toros Korkmaz spoke to ANF about the scale the deepening war between the United States, Israel and Iran has reached, the new political fault lines it may create in the Middle East, the emerging geopolitical equations, the possible implications of these developments for the Kurds and neighboring countries, and the political, security and strategic consequences that could affect the region.
Korkmaz said that the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran could be interpreted as a sign that the ongoing Third World War has entered a more confrontational phase. Korkmaz said: “In my opinion, this war has geostrategic objectives both in the short and the long term. The short-term objective is to redesign the geography of the Middle East in a way that serves Israel’s security-centered interests. The blind terrorist attack carried out by Hamas on October 7, which was the largest attack Israel has faced since its establishment and created a massive shock, opened the way for the Netanyahu government, which shows little regard for human right, not only to carry out a military operation that led to genocide in Gaza, but also to redesign the entire Middle East in line with Israel’s maximum security demands.
First Hamas, then Hezbollah in Lebanon, and later the Baath regime in Syria became targets for Israel. While Hamas and Hezbollah have been brought almost to the point of elimination, the Baath regime in Syria collapsed and was replaced by an administration that cannot move beyond the limits determined for it.”
Us and Israel’s Middle East strategy
Korkmaz noted that Israel has been waging a war for nearly two decades against the Iran-backed “axis of resistance” that has sought to encircle it in the region. Korkmaz said: “Israel not only dealt a major blow to this axis but ultimately convinced United States President Donald Trump and launched a military operation directly targeting Iran together with the United States. The medium- and long-term objective of this military operation is to weaken China, which receives a significant portion of the oil it needs from Iran. The fact that Venezuela, another country from which China imports oil, was recently targeted by a United States operation, and that Washington has openly stated it will not allow China to enter Latin America, shows that the United States–China struggle for global hegemony, which could turn into open confrontation in the coming years, is becoming increasingly intense.”
Korkmaz also drew attention to the fact that although the clerical regime in Iran has weakened, American and Israeli aggression could enable the regime to regain the public support it has recently lost. He continued: “People still remember that the regimes in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya collapsed through American intervention, only to be replaced by far more chaotic and bloody political structures. When this is considered together with the support Russia provides to the Iranian government, at least in the field of military satellite technologies, it suggests that the current authoritarian clerical regime in Iran is unlikely to collapse, at least in the short term. The secular Iranian public appears likely to stand by the state not to defend the clerical regime, but to prevent Iran from being fragmented. The disorganization of the opposition should also be considered.”
Abdullah Öcalan’s strategic foresight
Korkmaz emphasized that the leader who has correctly read this entire process under these conditions is Abdullah Öcalan, and continued his assessment as follows: “Abdullah Öcalan has both accurately identified the scope of Israel’s expansionist and aggressive policies and advised the Kurds in the region not to rebel against the countries in which they live, not to allow themselves to be used by Israeli and United States imperialism, but at the same time to organize politically at the highest level and to strive for the democratization of these countries. This correct policy also paved the way for the Kurds in the Kurdish-majority region of Rojava in Syria to achieve a political status with the least possible loss of life.
In the same way, the decision of six Kurdish organizations in Iran to engage in a joint struggle is highly consistent with Öcalan’s political perspective. What will free the peoples of Iran both from the attacks and hegemony of the United States and Israel and from the oppressive, authoritarian and misogynistic clerical regime is the organization among the peoples of Iran of the Rojava model, which is built upon Öcalan’s intellectual framework.”
Regional balance of power could change
Toros Korkmaz drew attention to the fact that the United States–Israel–Iran conflict may have another significant dimension capable of altering the balance of power not only in the region but also in the global political economy: the struggle for control over the Zangezur Corridor, located at the intersection of the Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran borders. Korkmaz said: “The corridor is more than just a route connecting Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan region, which has been a source of hostility between Azerbaijan and Armenia. It is also a transit passage that enables the flow of energy and trade, linking China on one side and Russia, Iran and all the countries of West Asia on the other. The fact that the United States, hosting talks on August 8, 2025, persuaded Azerbaijan and Armenia to reach an agreement on the corridor’s status, while securing its own share in the process, reflects its desire to deal a serious blow to China, which it sees as a rival, and to Russia, China’s main ally, particularly in terms of energy and trade market shares. In the event of a possible fragmentation of Iran after the war, it is highly likely that the United States will establish full hegemony over the Zangezur Corridor through Azerbaijan, Israel’s main ally in the region.
In light of all these developments, it is essential for the peoples of the region to adopt a correct political and ideological stance both against imperialist interventions and against authoritarian dictatorship regimes. Abdullah Öcalan continues to stand out even more clearly as a guide to this necessity.”
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