Some media in Iran are talking up a “showdown” between Iran and the US in the Persian Gulf on Sunday, with the Islamic Republic’s vessels pushing away an American warship which was coming to aid of a stranded fishing boat.
In fact, the incident was minor, even in comparison with periodic posturing in the Gulf by Iranian aircrafts, powerboats, and drones approaching the US Navy. But it comes in the context of Iran’s concern over new US sanctions — including on the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile testing — and the uncertainty of regional tensions, from Syria to Iraq to Yemen to Bahrain.
See Iran Daily, Sept 12: Trump Administration Considers Tougher Regional Options v. Tehran
Eric Randolph, AFP’s bureau chief in Tehran, and I spoke with Monocle 24’s The Globalist on Tuesday about the situation and the possibilities of conflict in the near-future.
Listen to discussion from 1:52:
