Middle East US bombs pro-Iran militias in Syria in first attack ordered by Joe Biden
Nuclear Treaty IAEA temporarily freezes Iran's nuclear order
Tehran has vehemently rejected Israeli accusations of being behind the mysterious explosions that a cargo ship suffered in the waters of the Gulf of Oman last week.
"It was an act of Iran, it is clear," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said earlier on Monday, a few hours after, in apparent response to the maritime incident, Damascus registered an Israeli missile attack on positions of pro-Iranian forces in Syria.
Last Friday, the car transport ship MV Helios Ray, from Singapore, flying the Bahamas flag and operated by an Isarelian company, suffered a
double explosion
in its hull while sailing 44 nautical miles from Muscat, the Omani capital, already about 320 km from the choppy Strait of Hormuz.
According to various media, the crew was unharmed.
The ship suffered no significant damage, although it had to dock in Dubai to be repaired.
The owner of the freighter speculated that the explosions could be caused by missiles or mines, as the damage affected the port and starboard waterline.
Dryad Global, a maritime risk consultancy, opined that there was a
"realistic possibility"
that the explosions "were the result of asymmetric activity by the Iranian military."
During 2019, the US repeatedly accused Iran of being behind a series of mysterious explosions on ships near Hormuz.
"The Zionist regime [Israel] is the main cause of all the insecurities and instabilities in the region," said
Iran's foreign spokesman, Said Jatibzade, denying any involvement in the explosions.
"The Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman are indispensable security spheres, where Tehran will not allow terror," added the spokesman, who also blamed Netanyahu for having a
"hysterical obsession" with Iran.
Around a third of the oil consumed in the world circulates through Hormuz, to which must be added the importance of the ports that border the Persian Gulf and that of Oman.
The latest incidents on this maritime artery, such as explosions and the Iranian retention of several ships alleging the commission of crimes - those affected accuse them of having political reasons - have
increased the cost of navigation insurance
, which affects the prices of products that transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Not surprisingly, given the regional tension peaks, various military missions have patrolled these waters in recent months.
This period of tension began in 2018 with the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal it signed with Iran three years earlier, which allowed Tehran to enrich uranium to peaceful levels in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
Donald Trump's decision to reimpose financial penalties on Iran prompted the Iranians to respond with destabilizing price actions and renouncing their nuclear commitments.
To this would be added
exchanges of blows
throughout the region, mainly in Iraq and Syria - with the participation of militias armed by Iran - which were on the verge of leading to an open war in January 2020.
In parallel, Israel has maintained its own pulse with Iran, focused on preventing it from obtaining military-type nuclear capabilities and settling near its territories, something it considers a threat.
Part of his strategy is to add to his sphere of influence the regional rivals of the Iranians.
Iran blamed the Israelis for the murder of nuclear scientist
Mohsen Fajrizade
.
That country is also believed to have been behind a fire at Iran's Natanz nuclear facilities last summer.
For its part, Israel has accused
Iranian hackers
of attempting to sabotage a water sanitation facility, and routinely bombs positions of the Islamic Revolution Guardian Corps and its related militias in Syria.
Nuclear Agreement
The arrival of Joe Biden to the US Presidency brought with it the possibility of restarting a fluid dialogue with Iran, despite the opposition of some Israelis who never looked favorably on the atomic pact.
However,
the prospects for a swift understanding are fading
with persistent sanctions and amid disagreement between the Iranians and the Americans over who should take the first step - lifting sanctions, by the US, and repealing nuclear measures, by the US. Iran - to reestablish the nuclear deal and whether it should be expanded to address other issues or not.
This 'impasse' is giving rise to new incidents and the fear of a new escalation of tension, in the face of diplomatic paralysis.
Russia has warned the European signatories of the nuclear pact - France, Germany and the United Kingdom - that the resolution they intend to pass within the International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEA), reprimanding Iran for the latest restrictions imposed on the nuclear inspectors,
"will not help the political process."
European diplomatic sources have assured the 'Wall Street Journal' that Iran has rejected an offer from the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, of an "informal meeting" between the signatories and the US to address their differences.
This has left Americans "disappointed", according to the AP agency.
In Tehran, where the presidential election campaign is already underway next June, Trump's "total pressure" strategy, prolonged by Biden, has left a trace of mistrust.
This is likely to translate into the victory of the candidate of a faction less likely to engage with the US after the experience of the nuclear deal.
In this context,
Iranian leaders are not openly in favor of sitting face-to-face with the Americans
- something that in itself brings great political wear and tear - risking returning empty-handed.
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