Written by Howaida Awad Ahmed
The occupying Israeli entity and the United States have drawn up their plan for the ongoing battles on Arab soil with remarkable precision and skill, moving cautiously and steadily from a direct war with Iran to a proxy war involving the Houthis, while pushing Saudi Arabia into defending its territory and resources until it can catch its breath and prepare for another confrontation with Iran.
The objectives appear to be the creation of severe tensions and proxy wars in Yemen, using the Houthis as Iran’s most dangerous proxy following the ceasefire with Iran; weakening Hezbollah, Iran’s primary arm; and allowing Israel to seize control of southern Syria and Lebanon and expand freely.
The negotiations between the United States and Iran have effectively failed—from Vienna to Geneva, then Rome, Muscat, Islamabad, and New York—after 13 years of back-and-forth negotiations.
The battlefield has shifted from the Strait of Hormuz and the depths of Iran to a new arena of conflict that is likely to emerge along the coasts of Oman and Yemen and in the southern Red Sea.
This may be a temporary phase, after which the need to confront Iran once again will return, following Saudi Arabia’s efforts to eliminate the Houthi threat that is targeting American and international warships.
Perhaps this will happen after the one-month deadline that U.S. President Trump gave Tehran, after which the war may resume.
The economic war may intensify after the U.S. midterm congressional elections.
There are two possibilities:
If the Democrats win, the war against Iran may resume.
If the Republicans win, there may be an opportunity for further negotiations with Iran.
Whether through war or an economic blockade, Iran’s domestic economy is suffering severe repercussions, signaling the possibility of internal collapse due to the deterioration of living conditions.
From an analysis of the situation, I believe that Iran has realized that its Houthi proxy is on the verge of being eliminated, as it is being targeted by several countries—first and foremost Saudi Arabia and the United States—and because of the threat it poses to Israel.
This became particularly evident following Netanyahu’s visit to Abu Dhabi, followed by the visit of the UAE Deputy Prime Minister to Riyadh and his meeting with the Saudi Defense Minister.
Immediately afterward, the Pakistani-Turkish alliance with Saudi Arabia was activated, with Pakistan announcing that it would provide full support to Saudi Arabia in confronting the Houthis.
Turkish drones will cover the skies over Yemen in full cooperation with the legitimate Yemeni forces, in defense of Saudi Arabia.
It has now become clear that Iran’s negotiations with the United States were merely a means of buying time and catching its breath.
The United States may then resume the war against Iran and deliver a devastating blow from which Iran may not recover for decades, while Saudi Arabia finishes dealing with the Houthi threat in Yemen, securing the maritime route for the entry of American warships.
Military forces are moving toward the Arab region, with tens of thousands of American troops reportedly heading toward the Gulf and Oman.
Warships and naval vessels are preparing to participate in protecting maritime routes in the Red Sea.
At the same time, Pakistan and Turkey are emerging as logistical and technological partners of Saudi Arabia, while Saudi air-defense systems—including missiles, drones, and other capabilities—are being deployed in preparation for eliminating the Iranian-backed Houthis, who are equipped by Russia and China with weapons and military hardware.
On their way toward the Arabian Sea are aircraft carriers and aircraft that may include more than 200 F-16, F-35, and F-22 fighter jets, along with cruise missiles and 700 bombs of various types, as well as B-2 bombers at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.
There may even be nuclear bombs among this massive arsenal of weapons, which could represent the final military option.
American drones are operating from Qatar, Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait, using the latest technology, satellite-based target identification, laser systems, and highly advanced surface-to-air missiles.
At a specific point and at a carefully calculated time, Israel may intervene alongside the United States to eliminate Iran.
Despite the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, American drones and satellites continue to monitor every movement of the Iran-aligned Popular Mobilization Forces, as well as Iraq as a whole, from north to south and from east to west.
In the end, the time for Iranian negotiations with the United States may have run out.
No matter how much Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi expresses his readiness for political negotiations and a peaceful solution, or his willingness to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and allow nuclear inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency to enter in exchange for easing economic sanctions, Trump may pay no attention to his statements.
The reason is that the United States and Israel’s objective is military escalation, the weakening of Iran, and the exhaustion of all Arab countries and those supporting them, including Russia and China, followed by dividing the Gulf states between themselves and their respective allies.
This comes after Europe and France secured the supply of 100 million barrels of diesel for the coming winter, reducing their dependence on Iranian oil.
Thus, the economic war and the deliberate impoverishment of Iran, combined with extremely difficult living conditions, may prove to be the most powerful weapon of all.
All of this is happening because the conflict has been fueled along Sunni-Shia sectarian lines, causing all sides to fight among themselves before ultimately turning against everyone once their economies have been completely devastated.
