Strategic Distance
The renewed war between the United States and Iran has again placed American and Israeli military interests on apparently common ground.
The renewed war between the United States and Iran has again placed American and Israeli military interests on apparently common ground.
Fresh statements from Tehran and Washington point to deepening confrontation, with both sides hardening their public positions even as the US says it remains open to diplomacy.
The Pentagon told lawmakers the conflict has already cost $37.5 billion and warned of readiness shortfalls without additional funding, while also alleging Russia and China are enabling Iran's military operations.
Explosions were reported across southern and central Iran after the US announced a new military offensive, while Kuwait activated air defences and regional tensions continued to spread.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed it received intelligence from individuals in Jordan to strike US military targets, as Washington continued air strikes and regional tensions spread across the Gulf.
Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Amir-Saeid Iravani, has sharply criticised the Bahrain-US efforts to rally support for a draft UN resolution on the Strait of Hormuz, calling the campaign "ridiculous, misleading, and deceptive", according to Iranian state media Press TV.
The rhetoric surrounding the Iran conflict may still speak the language of ceasefires and negotiations, but the strategic reality points elsewhere. What is unfolding now is not the winding down of a war.
MV Sunshine became the 15th India-bound LPG vessel to safely move out of the Persian Gulf as Iran backed India’s diplomatic role in easing regional tensions.
Fresh tensions in West Asia escalated after Trump claimed Iran’s military had been crippled, while Tehran accused Washington of blocking peace efforts and worsening the Hormuz crisis.
A WSJ report has alleged that the UAE secretly carried out strikes inside Iran during the recent Gulf conflict, despite publicly maintaining a position of neutrality.
