Gulf States’ Position on Israel’s Airstrike in Qatar
So Yeon Ahn (SNUAC)
On September 9, Israel carried out an airstrike on a residence in Doha, the capital of Qatar, where members of Hamas’s leadership were based. At the time of the strike, the Hamas leaders were reportedly reviewing a U.S.-proposed mediation plan that included terms for a ceasefire and hostage exchange. The strike killed Hamas operatives as well as Qatari security personnel. The fact that Israel launched such an attack without warning in the very heart of Doha—a city that had served as the venue for negotiations between Hamas and Israel—sharply heightened Qatar’s and other Gulf states’ perception of a grave security threat.
Iraq and Syria Face Worst Drought in Decades
Hwang Yuihyun(SNUAC)
Iraq and Syria are experiencing their most severe drought in decades. In Iraq, diminished winter rainfall has lowered the water levels of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers by up to 27%, marking the worst shortage since 1933. Southern regions that rely heavily on river water have been hit hardest. In Dhi Qar province, more than 10,000 families have been displaced, while Basra—already struggling with chronic water scarcity and pollution—now depends on rationing. The Ministry of Water Resources has postponed September crop plantings, and declining upstream flows have worsened seawater intrusion through the Shat al-Arab channel, increasing salinity.
Recognition of Palestine by Western States
Saerom Han (Sookmyung Women’s University)
On 21 September 2025, four Western states (the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Portugal) formally recognised Palestinian statehood in a series of coordinated announcements. The move marked the first time members of the G7 took such a step. Leaders framed the decision as both a moral obligation and a political necessity: Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged support for Palestine’s “peaceful future,” while Australia’s Anthony Albanese described recognition as affirming Palestinians’ “legitimate and long-held aspirations.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed that recognition was essential to preserve any chance of a two-state solution, warning that at present neither Israel’s security nor Palestinian statehood was guaranteed.
The Crisis of the Republican People’s Party (CHP)
Han Haeun (SNUAC)
On September 2, an Istanbul court suspended the current CHP (Republican People’s Party) chairman Özgür Özel, citing electoral fraud in the party’s delegate election held on October 8, 2023, and appointed Gürsel Tekin as interim leader. When Tekin assumed office on the 8th, CHP members and supporters blockaded the party headquarters in Istanbul, but police dispersed them using tear gas.
발행처: 서울대학교 아시아연구소 서아시아센터, HK+메가아시아연구사업단
발행인: 채수홍 편집위원장: 구기연 편집위원: 안소연, 한하은, 황의현
연락처: 02-880-2084, katib@snu.ac.kr