An eerie quiet hangs over Ras Al Khaimah’s industrial port. Usually a thriving maritime hub of the United Arab Emirates, now ships stand docked and silent. Not far out along the hazy horizon, a backlog of hundreds of tankers have lined up in recent days, halted along a waterway flooded with danger.
Any vessel heading past Ras Al Khaimah out to the Arabian Sea must traverse the world’s most treacherous strip of water for shipping today: the strait of Hormuz. Just over 20 nautical miles from Ras Al Khaimah, two oil tankers heading for the strait were attacked by Iranian missiles this week, one catching fire.
It is one of the many consequences facing Gulf states as they are pulled deeper into a war that they did not start and had diplomatically tried to prevent.
For decades, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Oman have allowed US military bases, infrastructure or access on their soil, and have been among the largest buyers of American weapons and technology. In return, the US has stood as the Gulf’s closest and most significant military partner and protector.
But now, Gulf states have growing concerns over the relationship, analysts say, after Donald Trump was seen to wilfully torpedo peaceful diplomatic negotiations in favour of starting a war in the Middle East.
Those countries have been directly funding Donald Trump and are all littered with American bases. They are absolutely involved.
I met several US Navy servicemen when I was living there.
Maybe stop allowing America to use your country as bases to terrorize and control your neighbors?
They fucking love America. How do you think they can move $100 million cargo ships full of oil around on a daily basis!
You were talking about a bunch of dictatorships that use their Neighbor slave labor to suck oil out of the ground and concentrate trillions of dollars in the hands of a few people
The Gulf states and the Saudis didn’t start the war, but they have long been lobbying for an attack on Iran. They just didn’t want their military personnel in the line of fire. They’re either useless or, in the case of Saudi, too busy committing genocide against Yemenis.
Also in the case of the Saudis also useless. I think the only competent Arab states are Oman and Jordan. As I understand it Yemen is too fractured to really be counted one way or another, even I am tempted to add them to the list.
I hate to say this but as a former US military officer I am 100% behind Iran. The Mango Mussolini started Operation Epstein Fury as a distraction and the buzzards need to come home to roost. I am sorry people are getting killed but Iran is not going to stop now that their leader and 180 little girls have been killed.
These “Epstein Files” are just a distraction from the real intent of what’s going on over there.
As someone who grew up in Dubai I want to tell them to go fuck themselves. They made their bed, now sleep on it.
I’d submit their beds were made using slaves.
And I hope they require a cloud connection and it is severed, meaning they will overheat and their angle will be uncomfortable.
I think Trump’s best course of action is to take the loss, pull out and try to sell it as a “mission accomplished” at home, which might just work for the redhats.
Then he still has to hope that the mullahs take the win and leave it at that, not trying to avenge the old Khameini any further.
And he still has to hope that he hasn’t permanently damaged the alliances with the Gulf states.
And he still has to hope that the economic chaos he’s started doesn’t escalate and it doesn’t take too long to return to normal.
Etc.
I.e. the US is very likely fucked in the long term. But all other options seem even worse.
It isn’t revenge for khameini.
The Iranians have tried to negotiate in good faith for decades. Now they need to inflict as much pain and violence on the global economy so people know not to fuck with them any more. The only reason to come to the table for them is if they think they can’t maintain drone/missile launches.
And he still has to hope that he hasn’t permanently damaged the alliances with the Gulf states.
And he still has to hope that the economic chaos he’s started doesn’t escalate and it doesn’t take too long to return to normal.
Unless those were his marching orders in the first place. Trump is a chaos agent, and he uses the disorder he causes to commit more acts of corruption and more power grabs. Every self-created crisis is a pretext to commit the next crime.
Yeah, taking the L would be best for everyone in the short term, but the Iranians must seek nuclear arms now, at any cost, because it’s the only thing that makes other countries take each other seriously so it seems. So the options of the US all suck:
- Allow Iran to gain nuclear capability, and deal with the consequences (which I think may include a nuclear detonation on US soil). Israel and the US won’t let that happen.
- Invade, get all fissile material out of Iran, and engage in nation building activities (again) which has never ended badly /s. I think this is the most likely option.
- Declare victory and leave Israel to do their worst.
I really don’t see any other option here. The market will tank, energy prices go trough the roof, we hit another depression, and everyone the world over feels the pain. 30% of Americans will still back this play because of “freedom” or because “Kamala would have done the same thing” (I disagree, but guess who did do this? NOT KAMALA).
This die was cast when Trump tore up the nuclear deal which met be the biggest strategic blunder since Bush The Lesser invaded Iraq for no reason other than to “get even”.
My entire life we’ve been at war and I can’t believe we’re here again…
He is incapable of that.
He’ll probably just start nuking Iran instead.
Hmm. Maybe he can put a tariff on Iran? Or maybe build a wall around it?
Protection for Petro dollar oil dies here. Trump is destroying American dominance on the world stage, it’s wild to see.
Petro dollar is worthless.
It’s been replaced with the pedo dollar, do try to keep up.
Australia needs to cancel our leases of American bases in Australia. Even if you think we should be aligned with the US only having Australian bases on Australian soil is in our best interests. This war has shown that any host country of American bases will be subject to attacks not only on those bases but on the host country’s own military and civilian infrastructure.
Yanks out!
Let’s not forget the last prime minister who tried that was Whitlam, and what then happened to him is no coincidence. The CIA reaches far and wide unfortunately.
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try it again. Unironically who would they even put in charge if they were to try it today. Labors position now is unassailable compared to what it was in whitlams time. A snap election right now would just be a labor victory, probably greater than the one it just had, the total annihilation of the coalition and the ascendence of one nation to opposition status before it immediately implodes along with the liberals and nationals.
Pauline, perhaps? Seriously though, I get infuriated every time I think of Pine Gap and wish the government had the guts to shut it down, especially as it makes us complicit in many of the US’s attacks around the world.
Seriously tho 🤣 Iran bombed the fuck out of them and now they can’t sell oil. Sorry I can’t find my compassion for the petrostate dictators. May they lose all their ill gotten gains.
Whole world suffering because Americans can’t handle their pedophiles.
We’re never going to be respected like before. We’re never going to have the same soft power.
Thanks conservatives.
Let me cry crocodile tears and play the worlds smallest violin for the poor lil ole petrol states
They should start adding convenience fees to US oil.
The US is absolutely defenseless against hidden fees and surcharges.
Every single one of you were buddy buddy with Trump to America’s detriment. I don’t give a single shit what happens to you.
The beatings will continue until America is great again. Apparently the strategy is to lower the bar on what “great” means by dragging the entire rest of then world down.
They didn’t start it because they’re cowards who have America and Israel do their dirty work.
