The United Arab Emirates was attacked with missiles and drones on Monday, at the same time as the United States announced that it is beginning to escort ships out through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has evidently singled out the Emirates as a scapegoat and calls the country “a Zionist nest”. At the same time, the split at the top of the Iranian regime is playing out in full view. The president calls the attack on the Emirates madness.
“No official threat from the Emirates has so far been made,” the military source told Tasnim, according to Iran International. “But if the Emirates becomes a plaything for Israel and makes a misstep, they will be taught a lesson they will never forget.”
“The United Arab Emirates knows that it is in a very fragile glass house, and insecurity is pure poison for them,” the source said.
“If they wish to repeat the mistake from the 40-day war, we will completely abandon restraint and treat this Zionist nest as part of the Zionist regime,” the source added, according to Iran International.
The statements came as the Ministry of Defence of the United Arab Emirates confirmed that 15 missiles and four drones from Iran had been intercepted.
Two American destroyers, USS “Truxtun” and USS “Mason”, were attacked by small boats, missiles and drones on Monday, but were defended by F-16 aircraft. The American force is said to be ready to counterattack. It may almost seem as though the regime in Tehran, whatever may be left of it, wants a confrontation. The rhetoric has been turned up and is full of pathos. It promises death and destruction upon both the Emirates and the United States.
The Emirates has done something that will have long-term significance: the country has broken out of OPEC. Thus the cartel no longer functions as before. This may have great significance for the oil price now that Venezuela is on the way up and a new oil pipeline is planned in Alaska. The price of oil may fall.
That there is now open conflict between President Pezeshkian and the Revolutionary Guard is remarkable.
Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian has reportedly expressed anger over the actions of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and described the missile and drone attacks against the United Arab Emirates as “wholly irresponsible”.
Citing new information indicating an unprecedented increase in tension between the government and the IRGC, Iran International also said that the attacks had been carried out without the government’s knowledge or co-ordination.
Pezeshkian is said to have called the approach of escalating tensions with Iran’s neighbouring countries “madness”, while warning of potentially irreversible consequences, the news channel reported.
The split is quite obviously a sign of weakness.