Broadening war spectre

Iran is unrelenting, takes on the Gulf monarchies

The minutes of the ongoing war simply go on to confirm that it is no longer regional. It is escalating into a broader global conflict. Russia's categorical stance that it will not sit on the fence if the US goes ahead with its regime change policy over Iran has thickened the plot. Likewise, China's growing concerns over energy security and its quest to keep the Straits of Hormuz navigable, at any cost, will sooner or later drag it into the warzone.

Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's Deputy Chairman of the National Security Council, has come up with a twist by observing that the "vulnerability of the US and Israel has significantly increased since Iran declared a holy war". The understanding of the former Kremlin czar that "Iranians know how to wait, (as) they are an ancient civilisation" is tantamount to tipping the balance of power towards the Islamic Republic, as Trump and Netanyahu scribble their script for retaining global dominance.

Iran, nonetheless, is unrelenting and has taken on the Gulf monarchies with a bang. The strikes at the US embassy in Riyadh and an airbase in Bahrain, as well as missile attacks on Kuwait and the UAE, have drastically altered the security mosaic of these Arab states that once prided themselves on serenity and stability. A consolation for Tehran is the rise of Hezbollah like a phoenix to marshal a parallel duel with the Jewish state in the plains of Lebanon.

Israel's rolling of tanks in Lebanon is a new engagement and will surely distract Tel Aviv from the main theatre of war. The US CENTOM's claim that it has annihilated the IGRC infrastructure and that Iran's air defences are muted needs verification in the days to come. Iran's trump card, however, is its ballistic missiles, especially the Khyber, which is being rained on Israel in a shock and awe operation.

This jingoism is in need of a thaw, though. Efforts being made by Turkey, Oman and Pakistan to compel the warring sides to see reason and step back from the brink are appreciated. It's time, the aggressor-duo, in the larger interests of its allies in the Mideast, called it a day on Iran, and restarted a new episode of striking brave man's peace.