By Jubin Katiraie
During the past two decades Iran’s plan to control the region and threaten the sovereignty of all its states has not been just an exaggeration inspired by the repetitive crises involving Tehran.
The massive attack on Saudi Arabia oil facilities does not only target Saudi Arabia, but rather the whole region and even the world, which Tehran wants to acknowledge its dominance, accept its decisions and prepare for a new phase of Iranian hegemony in the region.
While experts says that there is no doubt that Iran is behind the attacks on Saudi Arabia, Iran is trying like any other times in the past to deny any responsibility.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that it is increasingly “looking like” Iran was behind an attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities over the weekend, but said it was still too early to be sure.
He also said the United States doesn’t want war but was ready to help the country’s key ally in the Gulf region counter the attack once a “definitive” determination is made on who was responsible.
“I’m not looking to get into new conflict but sometimes you have to,” he said.
The president also tweeted he had authorized the release of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve, “if necessary,” to minimise the effect of the strikes on global oil markets and keep pressure on Iran.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has already blamed Iran and stated on Twitter that Iran ‘launched an unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply. U.S. Defence Secretary Mike Esper made the same allegation on September 16 after the United States issued satellite images and cited intelligence to back its allegation that Iran is behind the September 14 attack.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft said: There is no evidence that the attacks came from Yemen, emerging information indicate that the responsibility lies with Iran.
Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota said Monday that while the facts of the Saudi attacks are not yet clear, the possibility that the US could respond with force “needs to be on the table.”
“To have a credible deterrent against future bad behavior, they have to believe that’s a possibility,” he said.
‘No doubt’ Iran played some role in attacks on Saudi: Gary Grappo, former U.S. ambassador to Oman, says Iran may have coordinated, provided technical advice or supplied weapons that were used in the drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities.
Gen. Jack Keane said in an interview with Fox News:
“That the United States is absolutely convinced that Iran has done this. Clearly when we just look at the point of origin the attacks came, from a north orientation, north east, north west, the Iranians instigated the stooges, the Houthis that claim responsibility for that, and they’re operating south of Saudi Arabia in Yemen. But we have more information than that and the Saudis are developing their information based on delivery of the weapons and the impact of those weapons, the Saudis have identified the weapons used as being Iranian-owned.”
