While there is growing consensus that United States should
abstain from instigating a war with Iran, warmongers like US National Security
Adviser, John Bolton, spare no chance accusing Iran and creating war hype.
Lately he said that naval mines “almost certainly from Iran” were used to
attack oil tankers off the United Arab Emirates this month, and warned Tehran
against conducting new operations.
According to a Reuters report, Bolton said the “prudent and
responsible” approach taken by the United States, which has beefed up its
military presence in the region, had made it clear to Iran and its proxies that
such actions risked a “very strong” U.S. response.
He was speaking to reporters in Abu Dhabi ahead of emergency
summits of Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia on Thursday called to discuss the
implications of the tanker attacks, and drone strikes two days later, on oil
pumping stations in the kingdom.
Tehran has denied involvement in either of the attacks and
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi dismissed Bolton’s latest
remarks as a “ludicrous claim”.
The UAE has not yet blamed anyone for the sabotage of four
vessels, including two Saudi tankers, near Fujairah emirate, a major bunkering
hub just outside the Strait of Hormuz.
Riyadh has accused Tehran of ordering the drone strikes,
which were claimed by the Iran-aligned Houthis who have been battling a
Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in a four-year conflict seen as a proxy war
between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Bolton said without
providing evidence, “There is no doubt in anybody’s mind in Washington who is
responsible for this and I think it’s important that the leadership in Iran
know that we know.”
He declined to comment on the specifics of the investigation
into the attacks in which the United States, France, Norway and Saudi Arabia
are taking part, but said those other countries and ship owners involved could
do so.
Bolton said the tanker attacks were connected to the strike
on oil pumping stations on the kingdom’s East-West pipeline and a rocket attack
on the Green Zone in the Iraqi capital Baghdad.
He said there had been a fourth unsuccessful attack on Saudi
Arabia’s Yanbu port a few days before the tanker operation but that it was
unclear if it was linked to the others. Saudi officials were not immediately
available to comment.
Tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated
since President Donald Trump withdrew from a 2015 multinational nuclear pact
with Iran and re-imposed sanctions, notably targeting Tehran’s key oil exports.
Iran says it will not be cowed by what it has called psychological warfare.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani signaled on Wednesday that
talks with the United States might be possible if Washington lifted sanctions
and met its commitments under the nuclear deal, state television said.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have backed sanctions against Iran,
a fellow OPEC producer but a regional foe, and have lobbied Washington to
contain Tehran.
Bolton said the United States was discussing next steps with
Gulf allies and the goal was “to make it clear to Iran and its surrogates that
these kinds of activities risk a very strong response from the Americans.”
“We are very concerned about the Quds Force and Qassem
Soleimani using Shi’ite militia groups and others in Iraq as indirect ways to
attack our embassy in Baghdad, consulate in Erbil, our various bases around the
country,” he said.
The U.S. Combined Air Operations Center is based in Qatar
and its navy Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. The U.S. air force also uses al-Dhafra
airbase in Abu Dhabi.
Washington said it was sending 1,500 troops to the region
after speeding up deployment of an aircraft carrier strike group and sending
bombers and additional Patriot missiles.
Bolton also voiced concern about perceived threats from the
overseas arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
