President
Trump believes his Iran policy is working. He says his “maximum pressure”
policy is not only working, but that it has vindicated his strategy being so
heavily centered on economic coercion and devastated the Iranian economy.
However, his policy 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.
He is working to establish an
international coalition to protect oil tankers and preventing Iran from seizing
or attacking them.
It also made key-players in the region prepare
for the US-Iran situation:
Saudi
King Salman, who is in Neom for rest and health protection, welcomed the US
military back to Prince Sultan Airbase in Al-Kharj governorate in central Saudi
Arabia.
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan is withdrawing Emirati troops from South Yemen back to the UAE.
This
comes as Emirati and Saudi military commanders are said to be working on a
project to arm a 90,000-strong Army in South Yemen.
Emir
Tamim of Qatar should have started his mediation between Washington and Tehran to
defuse the tension, though there are yet no available news about such an activity.
Meanwhile, President Trump continues to provide support for the Saudi domestic defense industry, and more specifically for the Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) despite the reservations of both prominent US Republican and Democratic senators.