IRAN ATTACK ON ISRAEL DOMINATES RISK PROFESSIONALS’ GEOPOLITICAL FEARS

Airmic members also concerned about China-Philippines clashes in South China Sea

Iran’s drone and missile attacks on Israel over the weekend have brought the Middle East crisis to the forefront for Airmic members, amid fears of a full scale conflict. 76% of respondents in the Airmic Big Question survey this week said the attack was the geopolitical event this month they are most concerned about, eclipsing other developments including a surprise rise in inflation in the US.

An analysis from Chatham House, the international affairs think tank, has suggested that Iran was seeking to accelerate a broader direct escalation with Israel, and to do so before the US presidential election in November.

Hoe-Yeong Loke, Head of Research, Airmic, said: “We should not underestimate the links between geopolitics and the ‘year of elections’ we find ourselves in. There have also been protests in Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call for early elections, the results of which will of course determine the trajectory of the Israel-Hamas war.”

Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet and Netanyahu’s top rival, has also been calling for early elections – signalling the deep splits in the war cabinet.

Over the weekend, tensions between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea also escalated as China’s coastguards blocked Philippine government vessels, after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos visited the US last week. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the US will stand with the Philippines against “coercion” from China.

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You can also find the results here.

Media contact: Leigh Anne Slade
Leigh-Anne.Slade@Airmic.com
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