Saudi Arabia says it has the evidence to prove that Iran is behind the attack on its oil installations.
Saudi Arabia has called on the international community to take action against it.
The question here is, can there be war between Iran and Saudi Arabia?
The damage from the attack on the oil installations makes it clear that Saudi Arabia cannot withstand the attack, and to blame Iran for it means that Riyadh is now compelled to respond.
Saudi Arabia will likely wait until a team of UN experts complete an independent investigation into the incident.
Even though experts will conclude that the attacks would not have been possible without the materials and assistance provided by Iran, Saudi Arabia will have time to think about its response.
Apparently denying the allegations would not help Iran.
Saudi Arabia and its allies believe that since President Trump’s economic sanctions have been re-imposed on Iran, Tehran has been pushing for a softening of sanctions on the United States.
Iranian leaders hope the threat of war in the region will make global powers realize that sanctions lead to disaster.
He hopes that French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to lend 15 billion $ to Iran to abide by its nuclear deal and to prevent instability in the region could succeed.
But the US president has not approved the plan.
On Wednesday, the US president asked his finance minister to increase economic sanctions on Iran. Perhaps this is why Iran took this serious step.
It is certain that an attack on this scale could not have happened without the permission of Iran’s leader Ayatollah Khomeini.
In his address this week, he did not mention the threat of an attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil installations or a ceasefire at any time in the region.
In his address, he once again rejected the possibility, saying that as long as US sanctions are in place, Iran and US officials can hold any talks at any level.
But at times, Ayatollah Khamenei may need to ease his stance and show willingness to negotiate with the United States, as several moderate figures in Iran are quietly supporting him.
Iran’s oil exports are almost gone. Its economy is shrinking and it is believed that its cash reserves are sufficient for the next few months only.
The decline in its currency has raised the country’s inflation rate by 40% and nearly half of the population’s power purchases have been exhausted, making it difficult for them to earn a living.
So will Saudi Arabia take any military action to overtake Iran? Riyadh may have been deliberately avoiding doing so.
Iran’s population is 80 million, which is much higher than Saudi Arabia’s 33 million population.
Thousands of missiles present in Iran are a threat to Saudi Arabia’s oil installations, military bases and population.
In contrast, Saudi Arabia has the limited ability to withstand hundreds of Chinese-made missiles and missiles.
Saudi Arabia has almost as many warships as Iran. But its warships are modern and effective while Iran’s old and untrustworthy.
Iran has proxies throughout the region and is supported by Saudi Arabia’s minority Shia Muslim population.
Saudi Arabia is already engaged in the costly war of the Yemeni war with Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
But if Saudi Arabia wage a direct war with Iran, it will be a mere air force and missile capability and no country will be able to win out of this war.
Although US troops, warships and ships are deployed in the Gulf, the US president appears reluctant to engage in this long-running conflict.
US ships and bases are at risk of missile attack by Iran. And about 20% of the world’s oil is traded through the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Trump is probably worried about the effects of rising oil prices at petrol stations in the United States on his second campaign for US presidential election.
US military assistance is very important for Saudi Arabia. But President Trump wants to lead the action against Iran and pay for any US assistance.
Saudi Arabia also wants its regional allies, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, to be part of the operation against Iran.
The United States can also add political and diplomatic support to its European allies.
However, he considers US President Trump’s decision to withdraw from Iran’s nuclear deal the result of a ceasefire.
In the meantime, the hardline circles in Iran are considering whether their strategy is leading their country towards war and destruction rather than easing sanctions.