Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.
Al-Arabia – The US-Iran tensions have now reached a new high. Following the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal, its imposing of harsh sanctions on Tehran, and deploying the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln in the Gulf region, the Islamic Republic has been isolated financially, militarily, and diplomatically.
“Iran doesn’t have an economic, political, or diplomatic way to face the US or Europe, nor to negotiate with Russia and China,” Dr. Hassan Hashemian, a political analyst told Al Arabiya.
Earlier this week, an attack on a port in the UAE’s Fujairah sabotaged four commercial vessels, two of which are Saudi. On Tuesday, two oil-pumping stations for the Saudi East-West pipeline were hit by explosive-laden drones.
Investigations are ongoing regarding the “sabotaged ships,” with the US, France, and Norway involved, along with the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Initial US assessment blamed Iran for the Fujairah attack, while the Saudi pipeline attack was claimed by Houthis.
Amir al-Musawi, an Iranian political analyst, believes that Houthis are defending themselves, saying that “they’re targeting economic and military facilities and not cities like what Saudi airplanes do in Yemen. The two sides are at war. I believe it is their right to defend themselves.”
On the other hand, Editor in Chief of Independent Arabia, Adwan al-Ahmari, told Al Arabiya that “Houthis said that there were four drones in the beginning, then said seven drones. They said that they were launched from Sanaa, then changed their statement to say that they were launched from Saudi Arabia. This tells you that Houthis have nothing to do with this attack.”
Houthis have been publicly supported by Iran, who takes pride in saying that they have influenced four Arab capitals; Baghdad, Beirut, Damascus, and Sanaa. This only puts Iran’s regional intentions, during US military presence watching its every move, in question.
“Iran might be doing all that it could do before having to negotiate US terms, or before the US targets Tehran… It cannot face the US militarily, unless the Iranian leaders think that the US is another Saddam Hussein,” al-Ahmari added, referring to the late Iraqi dictator whom Tehran went to war with.
“The only card that the Iranian regime still has is its militias and terrorist attacks against oil facilities. The Iranian diplomacy right now is built on those terrorist attacks,” said Hashemian.Last Update: Wednesday, 15 May 2019 KSA 02:36 – GMT 23:36
