A Tumultuous Year: Winners and Losers in Global Politics in 2024

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The year 2024 was filled with upheavals in global politics. Perhaps the most significant – and surprising – development was the collapse of what is known as the Iranian “Axis of Resistance.”

• “Lost its shine, its stronghold, and its passage”: Hezbollah in 2024, “From Connection to Separation”

• From Basta to Bazourieh: Hezbollah Strongholds “Ignite” Lebanon

According to Foreign Policy magazine, Iran had long been able to threaten Israel and other targets in the Middle East with a vast arsenal of missiles and drones, as well as its ability to activate proxy groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, supported by allied countries such as Russia and the al-Assad regime in Syria.

However, all those threats have nearly vanished or proven ineffective after Israel eliminated Hezbollah leaders and forced a ceasefire.

Despite the many humanitarian challenges and reconstruction efforts left by the war in Gaza, Israel effectively eliminated Hamas as a security threat.

• Israel Threatens Hezbollah Leaders: Defeating the Party with the Weapon of “Chaos”

• After his death… Who is Salim Ayyash, Hezbollah member convicted of killing Rafic Hariri?

Emma Ashford, a columnist for Foreign Policy, noted that Iran has long relied on the deterrent effect of the numerous armed groups it supports across the region.
However, when the moment of truth arrived, Hezbollah, in particular, was revealed to be much weaker than it appeared from the outside.

The most surprising development in 2024 was the collapse of the al-Assad regime, which some expected to endure but fell in just three or four days.

Rashford believes that one of the key developments of 2024 was the extent to which the United States lost its battle for global image. This was the year when American support for Israel became a significant burden, even for its allies. They pointed out war crimes in the Gaza conflict.

• Does Hezbollah’s Defeat Mark the End of the Iranian Era?

• “Sleeping Cells” in Europe and America: Hezbollah’s “Specter” of Retaliation against Israel

In 2024, it became clear that American support for Ukraine would not be enough to end the war. A truce or less-than-ideal negotiations would be required. It was also the year when outgoing President Joe Biden noticeably declined – on camera – paving the way for Donald Trump’s return, while declaring that “America is indispensable.”

Whatever America’s role or image in 2025 may be, it is certainly not the “unbeatable arsenal of democracy” that Biden’s team tried to portray during his four years in the White House.

• Hezbollah and the Death of Nasrallah… the End of an Era?

• Israel’s Attempt to Break ‘Al-Qard Al-Hassan’: Cutting Hezbollah’s Financial Channels

The year 2024 also marked the West’s realization of the need to pursue negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. This shift in opinion was also driven by internal weaknesses and anti-incumbent sentiments in several European countries, such as the collapse of the German and French governments, as well as a new, unpopular government in Britain, even after six months in power.

While Iran was the biggest loser in 2024, Israel emerged as one of the biggest winners. Its security situation improved significantly over the past year.

• Sources: Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General Flees Lebanon for Iran after Nasrallah Assassination

• “New Phase”: Hezbollah Announces Escalation of Clashes with Israel

• Finances under fire: Hezbollah faces financial crisis