Clouds of war.

Byline: Senator (R) Sehar Kamran

Once again, Iran is in the eye of the storm. The raging clouds of war seem to have engulfed the Middle East. With every passing day, the uncertainty and confusion are gaining momentum, and the world is waiting with a bated breath to see where this tension in the US-Iran relations is heading towards. It is no secret that Iran has been under severe international pressure and sanctions, directly for the last two decades at least. Tensions in Iran-US bilateral relations have been simmering since last year, when the US unilaterally abandoned the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and the P5+1 in 2015 following over a decade long diplomatic endeavors, and imposed strict international sanctions against Iran which has crippled its economy.

The latest US drone attack resulting in the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, of the elite Quds Force, in Baghdad recently has amplified the strain in the already tense US-Iran relations. This assassination jolted not only Iran but the region and the whole world, because it was seen by many as an act of war. In retaliation, Iran fired 22 missiles targeting two American bases in Iraq. Following these attacks, President Trump in a live televised address to the nation threatened to 'target 52 Iranian sites' including cultural centers, and announced more 'punishing' economic sanctions against the country. However, the US officials later back-tracked and Trump also toned down the war rhetoric by tweeting 'all is well'.

When it seemed that the war cries had slowed down, a Ukrainian commercial airliner in Tehran was shot down by the Iranian military on 8th January consequently worsening the already tense situation. The passenger jet was carrying 176 persons on board who were all killed. Initially, Tehran denied the news and dubbed the allegations as a part of US's 'psychological operations' against Iran. However, on 11th January, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani tweeted that an Iranian internal investigation had found that the missiles had been fired due to human error, and described the missile attack on the plane as an 'unintentional' and an 'unforgivable mistake'. Many observers viewed this statement as a step on part of Iran towards de-escalation in the tensions in the region. However, the situation continues to be tense and still remains explosive warranting serious and meaningful diplomatic efforts.

Another factor that needs to be examined...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT