Six months into the war with Iran, the fighting continues. On a Bloomberg stage in Singapore, Mishal Husain asked Kishore Mahbubani, Singapore’s former ambassador to the United Nations, and George Yeo, Singapore’s former foreign minister, why it has lasted, whose war it is, and how it might end.
A prediction in the White House
Mahbubani recalls a meeting reported by The New York Times, in which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Donald Trump the war would be over within days. The plan rested on striking Iran’s leadership and bringing down its government. Mahbubani asks why that expectation failed, and reaches far back into Persian history for his answer.
Faces in a crowd
Yeo turns to the mass funerals in Iran and explains what he believes the faces of the mourners revealed about the country’s resolve.
Singapore and Israel
Yeo speaks from personal experience about Israel, which helped train Singapore’s armed forces in the country’s early years. Husain asks whether today’s Israel is the same country he knew. His answer is in the video.
Mediators and bases
The discussion turns to who could broker an end to the war, as earlier mediators such as Oman, Qatar, and Pakistan have struggled. Yeo then raises the question now facing every Gulf capital: the future of the American bases on their soil.
Why it matters for Asia
Much of Asia’s oil and gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz, and China, Japan, South Korea, and India depend heavily on Gulf energy. Millions of Asian workers live in Gulf states. Washington and Jerusalem justify the campaign by pointing to Iran’s nuclear programme and its network of regional allies; Tehran frames the war as foreign aggression. How long the war lasts, and how it ends, will shape energy prices and security across the region.
How do you think this war ends? Watch the full exchange and decide for yourself.
Further reading
- Vali Nasr, Iran’s Grand Strategy: A Political History
Excerpt from The Mishal Husain Show (Bloomberg Weekend), recorded live in Singapore. Used for commentary and analysis. Views expressed are the speakers’ own.
