Systematic trend of provoking confrontation with Iran

During a rally in Tehran, dedicated to the 38th anniversary of Iran's Islamic Revolution, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran will make those using threatening language against this nation regret it, meaning the remarks, made by American President. Donald Trump commented on Rouhani's statement, saying: "he better be careful." 

"American pressure on Iran in connection with nuclear program is not the only element of United States' confrontational policy towards Iran, developed by Trump administration. Before that, there was Trump's anti-migrant decree, which prohibits citizens of seven Islamic countries from entering the United States. Indeed, considering situation in Iraq and Syria, the ban for these countries can be justified. Since there are civil wars and major political and military conflicts, there's a huge risk that terrorists may get into the US. But Iran is absolutely stable, peaceful state with minimum threat of terrorist acts," the deputy director of the Institute of Forecasting and Resolution of Political Conflicts, Alexander Kuznetsov, believes.

He recalled about Middle East leaders Trump established contacts with: "He had first phone call with king of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz, new Secretary of Defense, General Mattis held talks with his son Muhammad ibn Salman. But we don't know what Trump and king Salman discussed... The topic of conversation between Mattis and king's son is more or less clear. Mattis said that Iran is a destabilizing factor in the Middle East, and that they will do everything possible to limit its ambitions."

Michael Flynn, Trump's national security adviser, accused Iran of involvement in the events in Red Sea, when military vessel of Saudi Arabia was attacked by Houthis. "It's unclear whose rockets hit the ship, maybe they weren't Iranian missiles, weren't brought from Iran, because Yemen always had a huge arsenal, including Soviet and Korean missiles. But who was accused in this? Iran! In other words, this is a systematic trend of provoking confrontation with Iran, accompanied by confirmation of US partnerships with such countries as Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Jordan's king Abdullah was the first head of Arab state who visited Washington. He had first phone conversations with Saudi king Salman, Netanyahu and President of Egypt. It seems that America is trying to cooperate with its traditional Sunni allies against Shiite Iran." 

According to the expert, Washington is returning to the neoconservative policy of Bush administration - US-Saudi strategic partnership against Iran. Kuznetsov sees several reasons for this: "On the one hand, it's possible that it happens due to Trump administration's close ties with Israel, with Netanyahu's government, perhaps they promised make policy towards Iran stricter. On the other hand, current situation may be affected by growing influence of Iran in the region, in Syria, the fact that Iran is building up its military, tactical positions. Perhaps oil interests are another reason, because Trump is supported by right-winged republican establishment and Rockefeller clan. Perhaps Trump administration wants to limit the growth of Iranian presence in the global oil market. But at the same time, it's an attempt to prevent the creation of coalitions in Eurasia, which could undermine the US military-political positions."