Middle East has been “fundamentally transformed” amid conflict, says outgoing US president
Outgoing US President Joe Biden praised Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and throughout the Middle East as “extremely successful” stating that the region has “fundamentally transformed” with Iran supposedly becoming its “The weakest in decades.”
Biden made the remarks during a visit to South Carolina on his last full day in office on Sunday, hailing the ceasefire reached between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“After so much pain, death and loss of life, today the guns in Gaza have gone silent.” he said, praising Israeli campaigns against Hamas and the Lebanon-based group Hezbollah as “Extremely successful.”
Hamas lost its top leadership while its “Sponsors in the Middle East have been severely weakened by US-backed Israel,” the president noted. He added that Hezbollah leaders were “destroyed” and the group was “significantly weakened.”
Biden also referred to the fall of Bashar Assad’s government in Syria, which was overthrown by a surprise jihadist offensive late last year, suggesting that this development worked in Israel and Washington’s favor.
“The neighboring Assad regime in Syria is gone, eliminating Iran’s easy access to Lebanon. “Iran is in its weakest position in decades.” he stated.
Biden took pride in Washington’s enduring support for West Jerusalem and its military efforts, stating that this support prevented a major war in the Middle East.
“I came to the conclusion that abandoning the course I was following would not have led us to the ceasefire we are witnessing today. Instead, it would have risked a broader war in the region that many feared. Now the region has been fundamentally transformed,” he commented.
Biden’s comments coincided with the long-awaited ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on Sunday. The two sides reached an agreement earlier that week, agreeing to stop the conflict that had persisted for about 15 months and exchange prisoners.
Hostilities between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian enclave erupted when the militant group attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,100 people and taking more than 200 hostages. Israel’s military retaliation has caused massive destruction and claimed more than 46,000 lives in the enclave, according to Gaza health officials. This escalation also sparked a new conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and led to several exchanges of long-range attacks between West Jerusalem and Tehran.
