The US-Iran situation has created insecurity
for oil tankers sailing in the Arab Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Arabian
Sea, the Sea of Oman, and even in Bab Al-Mandeb and the Red Sea.
There is work now to establish an
international coalition to protect oil tankers and preventing Iran from seizing
or attacking them.
President
Trump says the US military forces in the region are ready to help, but in the
meantime he wants Gulf leaders to spend more money on their naval forces, like
smaller surface ships, coastal combat vessels, and minesweepers to do the
escorts themselves.
This suggests
that the US-Iran tension is set to continue. This is obvious as US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo is now advising President Trump to focus the campaign on the Iran
nuclear program.
Can Emir
Tamim do something to ease the tension?
President Trump
is said to have agreed that Emir
Tamim mediates between Washington and Tehran to help defuse the tension.
However, what Emir Tamim can do? Can he bring both sides to sit on the table? Can he convince the Iranians to re-negotiate their nuclear deal?
This is not going to be easy, but he can always try and get US-Iran negotiations hosted in Doha following the example of US-Taliban negotiations.