With the Iranian regime decapitated by a joint U.S.-Israeli strike that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several top commanders, and with a resurgent Sunni extremist axis led by Turkey and Qatar gaining ground, the United States faces a pivotal choice in the Middle East. It should proceed by building a coalition of moderates — anchored by Israel, Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates — that is capable of countering both Iranian aggression and the rising tide of Sunni radicalism.
That emerging extremist Sunni axis, fueled by Muslim Brotherhood ideology, Turkish military ambition and Qatari money, is pulling in cautious allies such as Saudi Arabia — nations whose recent surges in anti-Jewish rhetoric signal an ideological drift that should alarm Washington.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s answer is essentially a revival of the “Periphery Doctrine” that aimed to counter hostile Arab nationalism through clandestine alliances with non-Arab states and minority groups in the Middle East. Netanyahyu has proposed a counterweight coalition, mentioning India, Greece and Cyprus. But the key to any alliance fighting extremist Islam is Muslim countries that can put forward a contrasting and appealing vision.
In a potential post-Islamic Republic era — now closer than ever after the elimination of Khamenei and the ongoing destruction of Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure — moderate, tolerant Islam will be pitted against radical intolerance. If the Turkey-Qatar axis is allowed to fill that vacuum, the result will be a wave of extremism that pits American allies against each other and fuels global terrorism.
This is where the Israel-Azerbaijan-UAE coalition becomes indispensable. These three nations share more than bilateral goodwill. The UAE anchors the Abraham Accords, while Azerbaijan is one of Israel’s closest allies after the United States. Baku and Abu Dhabi recently conducted joint military exercises in “Peace Shield 2026.” All three nations are committed to combating terrorism and have embraced models of tolerance and coexistence.
The rest of this article can be read in The Washington Post.
