Arab Analyst:

PGCC Real Loser of Tensions in Region

A senior Arab analyst warned Saudi Arabia and the UAE to avoid gambling on their stability and future, saying that the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) members will be the main losers of the recent tensions in the region, alluding to the Saudi-UAE companionship with the US confrontation against Iran.

News ID: 445433

Date: 15 June 2019 - 23:50

RNA - "The current phase entails (Washington's) threat to war in pursuit of specific goals. If any war and major conflict breaks out, the Persian Gulf Arab states will be the first and last losers and the people and future of these countries will also be endangered," Anwar al-Qassem told the Arabic-language Khalij Online news website on Saturday.

He warned that Persian Gulf Arab littoral states, specially Saudi Arabia and the UAE, that by supporting the US tensions and threats against Iran they are gambling on the stability of not only their own countries but also the entire region and nations.

The US economic on Iran has already ended up in several tankers blast that both sides blame on each other.

A prominent Russian expert Rajab Safarov said in an interview with Russia 24 news channel on Friday that the US has launched the Thursday attacks on two oil tankers in the Sea of Oman to spread Iranophobia, satisfy Israel and find a pretext for prolonged presence in the region.

"Allegations that Iran is behind the two oil tankers incident in the Sea of Oman are not believable," Head of the Russian Center for Iran Studies and senior analyst on regional issues Safarov.

He described the US as the culprit behind the incident, and said in conditions that Iran along with two world powers, Russia and China, are after keeping the nuclear deal, Tehran will not resort to provocative acts against its interests.

According to Fars News Agancy, Safarov added that the most important reason to blame the US for the incident is its interest in prolonged deployment in the Persian Gulf under the pretext of defending the Persian Gulf Arab states against what it calls as Iran's threat.

"There is also another important scenario. The US is now producing 12mln barrels of oil on a daily basis and it has not only become self-sufficient but also has turned into one of the most important exporters of oil and therefore, it wants to cripple oil transfer in the Persian Gulf and annihilate the European states and China's economy," he said.

"The US introduces itself as the savior of the world and the biggest guarantor of peace and security and Iran as the biggest enemy of peace and the world's economic lifeline by claiming to be rescuing Europe and the Arab and Asian states from an economic, political and geopolitical catastrophe and it will force them to bow to Washington and cut ties with Iran. Therefore, what you see is a scenario which fully benefits Trump and his supporters to force the world to bow to him," Safarov warned.

Asked about the possibility for military conflict between Iran and the US, he said that Washington does not enjoy the capability and power to attack Iran and they fear any military confrontation, adding that tens of ways are before Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuz but the Iranians do not want to adopt provocative measures.

Safarov said that by launching attacks against the oil tankers in the Sea of Oman, Washington pursues Iranophobia in the world to meet its economic interests, satisfy the Israeli lobby, pressure the Persian Gulf Arab states to plunder their petrodollars and hit a blow to Europe and China's economy.

847/940