How war with Iran brought Israel closer to its Middle East neighbors - analysis

A series of diplomatic moves across the Middle East suggests a possible regional shift in Israel's favor, even as the US-Iran confrontation continues. Israeli and Lebanese representatives are set to resume talks in Rome on August 4, while Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa expressed interest in a security agreement with Israel. Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke with Bahrain's King Hamad, and uncertainty surrounds Saudi Arabia's potential normalization with Israel. Analysts disagree on the durability of these potential deals.

A series of diplomatic moves across the Middle East is raising the prospect of new regional arrangements, even as the continuing confrontation between Washington and Tehran places governments under mounting pressure. US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Washington on Tuesday, July 28, for their first face-to-face talks since the war with Iran began. The meeting came days before Israeli and Lebanese representatives were scheduled to return to Rome, with an Israeli official confirming the next round would begin on August 4, following previous US-mediated discussions over border arrangements, Israeli withdrawals, and proposed pilot zones in southern Lebanon. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in an interview broadcast on July 26 that Damascus was working with several countries to reach a security agreement with Israel, potentially creating a path toward comprehensive peace without requiring Syria to relinquish its claim to the Golan Heights. On the same day, Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke by telephone with Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, discussing bilateral relations, the Abraham Accords, and recent regional developments. These moves coincided with new uncertainty surrounding Saudi Arabia, as Washington and Riyadh signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement on July 22, but Trump subsequently said he would not allow it to proceed unless Saudi Arabia normalized relations with Israel. Four regional specialists offered markedly different assessments of whether the current movement represents a genuine opening, a limited security adjustment, or a temporary diplomatic response to an unresolved war. Dr. Nir Boms argued that Israel and Syria share overlapping long-term interests, while Joshua Landis offered a more skeptical assessment, noting Syria's weakness and Israel's strength. A former Bahraini diplomat interpreted the Syrian overture as a product of military weakness and the search for sanctions relief, while Chama Mechtaly described the development more optimistically, though she warned that regional integration could provoke armed opposition.