January 3rd, the most dangerous moment in the Middle East.
On the first anniversary of the U.S. hunting of Suleimani, Iran vowed to revenge. Even the Iranian Embassy in China left a Chinese sentence: We will never forget, we will never forgive.
Several U.S. B-52 bombers strategically cruised the Middle East. The U.S. fleet crossed the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf. The U.S. aircraft carrier in the Middle East, Nimitz, urgently changed its itinerary and continued to stay in the Middle East.
Thankfully, on January 3, the fierce conflict did not happen.
But the Japanese and South Koreans never thought that the Americans dug a big hole and they stepped in.
Anyway, on January 4, Iranian media reported that the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy seized a tanker flying the South Korean flag.
Satellite images show that the tanker originally went to the United Arab Emirates from Saudi Arabia, but suddenly appeared in the port of Abbas in Iran. There are 20 crew members on the tanker, five of whom are Koreans, and the others are from Vietnam, Indonesia and Myanmar, but all contacts on the tanker have been disconnected.
However, the Iranian side later claimed that the tanker was detained because it polluted the sea area.
What a coincidence?
Don’t forget, South Korea belongs to the American camp. In the most sensitive time and place, the most sensitive events undoubtedly aggravate the smell of gunpowder.
Anyway, immediately after the incident, the United States came forward for South Korea and warned Iran to release the tanker immediately. South Korea’s Ministry of Defense announced that it would immediately send a destroyer to the Middle East to protect South Korean ships there.
This reminds people of a past in September 2019, when Abe rushed to Iran to mediate the conflict between the United States and Iran.
This is also considered the highlight of Abe’s diplomacy. After all, this is the first visit of a Japanese Prime Minister to Iran after the Islamic Revolution in 1979; it is also the first time that a leader of seven Western countries has visited since Trump tore up the Iran nuclear agreement in 2015.
Unexpectedly, it may be okay for Abe not to go to the Middle East. The most direct result of going to the Middle East is that he is still talking with Iranian leaders. Just near the Strait of Hormuz, two oil tankers were bombed, one of which is a Japanese tanker.
Who did it?
Another Rashomon.
But the attack on Japanese tankers should be that the relevant forces are warning Japan not to run into the troubled waters of the Middle East.
Abe, you speak for Iran, but the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, etc. will definitely not agree; if you only help the United States spread the message, Iran, and Iran’s little brothers in Iraq and Syria must be very angry.
Japan fell into a big pit, but now South Korea has fallen in again.
Moreover, the hole dug by the United States is getting bigger and bigger, because the situation in the Middle East is now at its most dangerous moment.
January 3rd is a node, and there are many other nodes next.
On the 20th of last month, the U.S. Embassy in Iraq was allegedly attacked by the worst attack in nearly a decade. Trump accused Iran of doing it and swore that if an American dies, he will settle the final account with Iran.
But in this bloody place in the Middle East, who can guarantee that the Americans will be safe? The United States retaliates, and the opponents are vegetarian?
On January 8 last year, in order to avenge Suleimani, Iran launched a missile attack on the U.S. military base in Iraq, slightly injuring more than 100 U.S. soldiers. The United States did not dare to fight back, otherwise, it would be another big war. But the saddest thing is a Ukrainian passenger plane, which was accidentally hit by Iranian missiles and killed…
Needle tip is not a good stubble against Mai Mang. It is often a tragedy sandwiched in the middle.
In the past four years, how many countries have fallen into this big hole dug by the United States in the Middle East?
The United States is also stepping up its layout. On January 4, under the pressure of the mediation of the United States, Saudi Arabia and Qatar reconciled, and Saudi Arabia and other countries stopped sanctions against Qatar for three years. Because the United States believes that such infighting hinders Iran’s efforts to contain it.
In addition, the United States sent B-52 bombers and naval formations to the Middle East to allow Nimitz aircraft carriers to continue to stay. The reason for the United States is that there is intelligence that Iran will launch attacks on American targets.
But Iran accuses the United States and Israel of fabricating intelligence to justify a war against Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif tweeted: “New intelligence from Iraq shows that Israeli spies are plotting to attack Americans – using a false declaration of war to put outgoing Trump into trouble.”
He also made a special “reminder” to Trump: “Be careful of traps, Donald Trump. Fireworks will set fire to the body.
It is not the personality of Iranians to swallow anger. Iran is also looking for chips, which is one of the reasons why South Korean tankers were detained. Who told South Korea that you are so tight with the United States? South Korean tankers were detained. Where about Japanese tankers? Where are British tankers?
As for South Korea’s sending warships to the Middle East, it is more a gesture. How strong can a South Korean warship be? Not to mention, in the Tiger and Wolf Middle East, American warships have also been attacked.
Trump now falls into the “phone door” again, which seems more dangerous. Because what is the best way to get out of trouble? Then continue to dig holes in the Middle East. The United States and Iran are really at war. The focus naturally shifts. Biden is unlikely to return to the Iran agreement.
Seeing that Postel, an expert on American diplomacy, analyzed it like this:
What will a badly injured animal do? Trump is in the endgame situation. He has only a few weeks left. I’m afraid that the most unscruced and reckless anger has not happened yet.
The situation in the Middle East is on the crater. South Koreans, Japanese, and of course many Western countries are probably scared. How big a hole does the United States dig this time? It’s dangerous to follow the United States too closely!
Personal opinion does not represent any institution.
