Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, will be conferring with his counterparts in the United Kingdom, France and Germany. That influential meeting will be held in Geneva this Friday. This meeting comes against the backdrop of increasing conflict in the region. Iran is trying to maintain its diplomatic momentum while parading its large military might. The stage for these discussions is especially chilling, considering that Iran has built up an arsenal of about 400 ballistic missiles targeting the Jewish state.
The bombing campaign is forcing Israel to take unprecedented action and last week, it issued an evacuation warning for Arak, a city associated with its nuclear infrastructure. This warning signals the increased concern about the likelihood of military action. It’s possible that the U.S. and Israel are preparing to attack Arak or other facilities related to Iran’s nuclear program. Signs of this possible move are already beginning to appear.
Tempers are flaring. Lindsey Graham’s nefarious whisper campaign orchestrated by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham is off to the races and stoking the wild escalation of hostilities. At the same time, President Trump is confronted with a new and dangerous choice if he decides to respond with military action. The choices he makes will have immeasurable impact on regional stability and ensuring continued perceptions of U.S. resolve.
Analysts fear that Trump’s failure to act soon will create the perception that he is simply allowing Iran to “sweat it out. This reluctance would simply embolden Tehran as it continues to flex its muscles across the region. Iran finds itself in a very tight spot. The country stands precariously on the cliff’s edge of the rapidly evolving relations in Middle Eastern geopolitics.
As we make our way into these unfolding developments, oil prices are reacting to these tensions, steadily climbing higher. Experts are sounding alarms over an impending crisis. All of these scenarios have the potential to dramatically increase oil prices because markets react in panic at the threat of instability. With speculation continuing about a weekend strike on Iran, tensions have deepened worldwide energy markets.
In recent days, reports indicate that the U.S. is actively preparing for a potential strike on Iranian targets within days. This prospect is highly troubling both in terms of regional stability and in its potential effects on global energy supplies. Analysts warn that if things go south even more, it may bring on greater energy catastrophes for Asia and Europe.