Disquieting twists

The United States has pinpointed Iran as being behind the attacks by the well-funded Houthis on commercial vessels which has lately led to an increase in global oil prices.

Slowly but surely, the aim of evil forces in raising the whirlwind to pull more nations into the conflict that started with the 7 October attack by the terror group Hamas on Israel is being realized.

Recent developments are expected to fuel an escalation of the conflict.

The United States has pinpointed Iran as being behind the attacks of the well-funded Houthis on commercial vessels which has lately led to an increase in global oil prices.

Israel, in its intensified offensive to make Hamas account for the mayhem it caused, also has to fend off terror sympathizers across its borders. An Israeli strike in Syria has killed a senior general with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, sparking Tehran’s vow of retribution.

Iran-aligned groups have escalated attacks since Iran-backed Hamas militants assaulted southern Israel, triggering the war in Gaza.

Three months later, the stage has expanded to include the Red Sea with the Iran proxy group Houthis attacking mostly huge tankers.

Several global shipping lines are now avoiding the shipping lanes near Israel which has resulted in longer sailing times and additional costs that consumers will ultimately shoulder.

The Philippines, being largely dependent on imported oil, is among the nations expected to suffer increased fuel costs.

A bigger threat would be a confrontation between Arab nations and the United States as a result of the leveling up of the conflict.

The US has accused Iran of being closely involved in attacks on commercial ships by Yemen’s rebels, as Washington considers tougher measures including possible military intervention.

The US government has released intelligence on the Houthis’ ship strikes which the militant group said is in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The White House said Tehran’s government has provided drones and missiles to the Houthis, as well as tactical intelligence that may include the locations of the commercial vessels.

“We know that Iran was deeply involved in planning the operation against commercial vessels in the Red Sea,” said National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson.

“We have no reason to believe that Iran is trying to dissuade the Houthis from this reckless behavior,” she added.

In a recent research paper, Michael Knights, a fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the Houthis share the “paranoid” mindset of Iran’s ruling clerics.

The semi-official Iranian Tasnim news agency reported that Brig. Gen. Razi Mousavi was killed in a strike in the Damascus suburb of Sayeda Zeinab.

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi vowed that Israel “will certainly pay for this crime.”

“Without a doubt, this action is another sign of frustration, helplessness, and incapacity of the usurping Zionist regime in the region,” said Raisi in a statement.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian tweeted that, “Tel Aviv faces a tough countdown.”

Motive is easy to ascribe to Israel in targeting Mousavi, who was responsible for coordinating the military alliance between Iran and Syria, and was believed to be heavily involved in the efforts to arm terror proxies, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

Pro-government media outlets in Syria did not immediately report the strike, unlike other incidents in the past when Damascus had publicly blamed Israel for attacks.

The progressive deterioration of events seems to have been outlined in a devious blueprint that starts from the 7 October massacre, progressing to the sea liner raids and the possible confrontation between Israel and the West and the Arab nations.

Evil forces are nudging a scenario that is frightening to even contemplate.

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Credit belongs to: tribune.net.ph