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Persian Gulf Primed To Explode
By Kaveh L Afrasiabi
"US navy fires on Emirate boat out of fear of Iran" – headline in Kayhan Newspaper, Tehran.
The Persian Gulf powder keg may soon explode if the current cycle of mounting tensions continues unabated. Two days ago, a minor incident involving a US refueling warship and an Indian fishing boat off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) resulted in one fatality and three wounded. That the fishermen insist they were fired on without a warning – contrary to the US navy's assertion – gives us a prelude to more ominous developments on the horizon. It seems trigger-happy American sailors see gathering clouds of conflict and are taking preemptive measures that, in this particular case, made a small dent in otherwise amicable US-India relations.
In a sign of New Delhi's unwillingness to call for an inquiry into the incident, however, it has not voiced even a whisper of criticism of the US. Initially, US media reported that the incident was a US warning to "Iran and al-Qaeda" to stay away from US warships, in light of Iran's renewed threats to close the Strait of Hormuz. This reflects a US siege mentality that also underscores the Persian Gulf region's growing volatility and potential for imminent maritime tensions.
This spike in tensions is also partly due to the US navy's bulked up presence in the region. The Pentagon on July 16 deployed an extra aircraft carrier there months ahead of schedule. It is also organizing unprecedented mine-sweeping exercise in the area – this month it deployed four additional minesweepers and additional fighter jets to the region.
The resulting overcrowding of Persian Gulf waters with the US fleet is an invitation for similar incidents to this week' fatal encounter. Accidental confrontations could easily escalate into something bigger in coming weeks and months, particularly if the US and Iran bump into each other.
There is no guarantee that a US-Iran war would not be triggered by such incidents, since there is no military-to-military hotline or similar communications to handle such emergencies. In spite of some US overtures toward such a preventive mechanism, Iran refuses to consider it, as well as any other "incident at sea" protocols, since it regards the US presence in the Persian Gulf as fundamentally illegitimate.
How would this country react if Iran had flotillas of warships just off of our coast shooting at fishing boats?
If Iran reacts like we would to such a threat, it will trigger what our government and Israel want; all out war.
Shame on the US, Shame on Israel.
I was thinking something similar the other day – like how I would feel if there were drones from another nation constantly flying overhead, unleashing missiles around me at any time, killing people and destroying lives.
It would be utterly awful, just as having to live with flotillas of foreign ships off our coasts would be. We are so out of touch with what we do to the rest of the world and its people. I fear a day of reckoning is a coming, and it ain’t gonna’ be pretty…
As long as the U.S. is in the gulf I don’t really think it matters what story they fabricate ala the phony ‘Gulf of Tonkin’ incident that sold the Vietnam war. Those waters are Iranian territory under international law (that U.S. & international reps have agreed to in U.N. resolutions) so the fact that U.S. warships are constantly prodding to begin with is aggressive, warmongering behavior.
the absurdity of this world has reach levels that are…well…absurd.
Complete recklessness and blatantly criminal activity by those in power whether it be government or business is the accepted norm. Its absurd what is happening, and people continue to ignore reality or fail to comprehend what affects their daily life.
The rich and powerful are taking small steps for change that will help them reach their objectives. There’s no telling what exactly they have in mind. But some among them are exceptionally evil and certainly deranged. Life to them is a commodity that is traded. You are traded like a commodity. The worst can be found in our near future I think.