Behind the Frequent Visits to Middle East
By Hassan Sheikh-ol-Eslam
Have Americans really succeeded in forming an anti-Iran front in Middle East?.
What was the need for all the frequent visits to Middle East if Americans –as they claim- have succeeded in gaining support of regional states against Iran and its nuclear program?
The latest case was US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ meeting with Saudi and Emirati officials to find ways to persuade China agree with further sanctions against Iran. Nevertheless, China enjoys far more wisdom than to let the United States or its regional allies handle its vital energy security. China imports fifty percent of its energy from the Persian Gulf region and allowing the US to manipulate its resources would be a fatal mistake.
Forty percent of the world’s daily energy consumption is exported via the Strait of Hormuz. By struggling to control the energy flow in this area, the United States is trying to tighten its grip on international affairs. There were no concerns as long as the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi served the role of US ‘gendarme’ in Middle East. Things turned worrisome after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran which urged US to reinforce its presence in Persian Gulf. At the moment, seven out of eight Persian Gulf littoral states host US military bases and provide it with the platform to hold control over the flow of energy.
For China, and every other country, energy security is much more important than energy price. To ensure it will not be double-crossed by Washington, Beijing is looking for alternative energy sources across the world. Washington is trying to persuade China switch from Iran to Saudi Arabia and UAE for its energy needs, but Chinese providence has failed US efforts so far. Pleading for assistance from secondary states such as Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates is the absolute proof for US policy failure.
Meanwhile, even Washington’s efforts to gain the consent of the Saudis seem to have born no fruits; otherwise, what was the need for Robert Gates’ visit to Middle East just a few weeks after Hillary Clinton, Mike Mullen and David Petraeus have visited Riyadh?
In their Middle East trips, Americans keep on singing the mantra that they will support Arab states against Iran’s missile attack, while it is clear that for the United States -and West in general- security of Israel overrides any other political concerns in the Middle East. It is good to know even Israel was unable to stop Hezbollah from firing rockets during the 33-day battle, while West claims it could protect regional states from Iran which possesses far more sophisticated weapons than those in the hands of Hamas and Hezbollah.
The fall of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and West’s inability to keep him in power should have already taught the regional states not to repeat Shah’s mistakes, that is supporting US and Israel against Middle East countries. Demonization of Iran is just meant to justify US presence in the region and reinforce its control over oil markets and the revenues, just to rescue US economy and sell more and more arms to Arab states.
What was the need for all the frequent visits to Middle East if Americans –as they claim- have succeeded in gaining support of regional states against Iran and its nuclear program?
The latest case was US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ meeting with Saudi and Emirati officials to find ways to persuade China agree with further sanctions against Iran. Nevertheless, China enjoys far more wisdom than to let the United States or its regional allies handle its vital energy security. China imports fifty percent of its energy from the Persian Gulf region and allowing the US to manipulate its resources would be a fatal mistake.
Forty percent of the world’s daily energy consumption is exported via the Strait of Hormuz. By struggling to control the energy flow in this area, the United States is trying to tighten its grip on international affairs. There were no concerns as long as the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi served the role of US ‘gendarme’ in Middle East. Things turned worrisome after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran which urged US to reinforce its presence in Persian Gulf. At the moment, seven out of eight Persian Gulf littoral states host US military bases and provide it with the platform to hold control over the flow of energy.
For China, and every other country, energy security is much more important than energy price. To ensure it will not be double-crossed by Washington, Beijing is looking for alternative energy sources across the world. Washington is trying to persuade China switch from Iran to Saudi Arabia and UAE for its energy needs, but Chinese providence has failed US efforts so far. Pleading for assistance from secondary states such as Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates is the absolute proof for US policy failure.
Meanwhile, even Washington’s efforts to gain the consent of the Saudis seem to have born no fruits; otherwise, what was the need for Robert Gates’ visit to Middle East just a few weeks after Hillary Clinton, Mike Mullen and David Petraeus have visited Riyadh?
In their Middle East trips, Americans keep on singing the mantra that they will support Arab states against Iran’s missile attack, while it is clear that for the United States -and West in general- security of Israel overrides any other political concerns in the Middle East. It is good to know even Israel was unable to stop Hezbollah from firing rockets during the 33-day battle, while West claims it could protect regional states from Iran which possesses far more sophisticated weapons than those in the hands of Hamas and Hezbollah.
The fall of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and West’s inability to keep him in power should have already taught the regional states not to repeat Shah’s mistakes, that is supporting US and Israel against Middle East countries. Demonization of Iran is just meant to justify US presence in the region and reinforce its control over oil markets and the revenues, just to rescue US economy and sell more and more arms to Arab states.