The destruction of the Middle East

Book presentation & discussion with Rainer Hermann, FAZ | As part of the series "Between/Times: 250 Years USA"

It is March 2026, and the Middle East is once again in flames: The apocalyptic images of burning oil tanks, funeral marches for the Ayatollah and Iranian drone swarms over the Gulf mark the preliminary climax of a devastating escalation. What began as Israel's longest war has escalated into a direct, unpredictable exchange of blows between Washington, Jerusalem and Tehran. Is the region on the brink of complete collapse - or is this the painful birth of a new order? In his new work with the prophetic title "The Destruction of the Middle East", renowned Islamic scholar and long-time FAZ correspondent Rainer Hermann dissects the tectonics and the Hamas background to this massive crisis. At his book launch, he takes a look behind the scenes of a policy that - driven by Netanyahu's strategic calculations and Trump's self-image as a world leader - places military dominance above diplomatic foresight. But Hermann also shows a way out. While religious rhetoric fuels the conflagration, the Gulf states, of all people, which are now under fire themselves, are outlining a bold vision: a Middle East pacified by economic interdependence and prosperity. We discuss with Rainer Hermann the current impotence of diplomacy - and the fragile hope for realpolitik in times of increasing wars. Hermann provides us with the necessary depth of focus to understand the most complex conflict zone of our time between Gaza and the Gulf beyond the headlines.

In cooperation with Colloquium politicum & Landeszentrale für politische Bildung