And lessons for Pakistan in here as well - the US simply cannot be trusted to comply with any international or bilateral treaties/agreements etc.
The only thing that will work with the US is deterrence.
From a strictly neutral standpoint; both US and Iran have significant investments and commitments in the ME. However, Iranian Mullah regime is into spreading its sectarian tentacles across the ME.
1. Bahrain: KSA felt compelled to invade and shield government of Bahrain from being toppled by Iran-funded Shia sectarian movement in 2011.
For reference:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi-led_intervention_in_Bahrain
2. Yemen: Iran-funded Houthi rebels toppled government of Yemen in 2015, and the latter felt compelled to invite KSA to take on Houthi rebels in addition to providing security cover to it.
For reference:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houthi_insurgency_in_Yemen
3. Lebanon: Iran-funded Hezbollah started a war with Israel in 2006 which led to loss of innocent lives and destruction of infrastructure in Lebanon. Government of Lebanon had nothing to do with this shit, and I personally recall Lebanese PM weeping in UN.
4. Iraq: when US-led forces toppled Saddam regime in 2003 (a regime which kept Iran at bay), Iran saw an opening to bring Iraqi shia under its fold and use Iraqi Shia groups to advance its own goals inside Iraq and beyond. This form of intervention fueled sectarian strife inside Iraq and resultant Iraqi Civil War (2006 - 2008) as well as subsequent emergence of ISIS movement to counter Shia groups in the region (2013 - 2019). Meanwhile Iran created PMUs in Iraq to counter-challenge ISIS movement to give an impression that Iran was resisting imaginary Zionist plans to take over ME with ISIS fags and such - this propaganda was in the air even on PDF.
5. Syria: when Assad regime faced country-wide protests for its oppressive practices back in 2011, it ordered a military crackdown on Syrian protestors and Syrian Civil War materialized subsequently. Iran being an ally of Assad regime, saw an opportunity to advance its goals inside Syria including its long-term desire to encircle Israel; Iran brought IRGC and Hezbollah to Syria in order to prevent collapse of Assad regime, counter Syrian rebels, and encircle Israel via Syria and Lebanon. This is clearly one of the worst and most provocative of decisions of Iranian Mullah regime since the 1970s.
I have a valid question:
how is Iran being a force of stability in the ME? All I see is that Iranian Mullah regime is using the Zionist card to advance its controversial goals for the ME and it is directly and indirectly responsible for ruining the lives of millions in the process.
While GCC is not a saint in the matters of geopolitics, it is at least a conglomeration of 'progressive countries' in the ME as well as the FACE of prosperity in the ME. But based on the aforementioned history, GCC and Iran are unable to establish a mutually beneficial relationship. SHAME.
And because GCC and US are close (economic + military + geopolitics), US have little choice but to respond to Iranian moves in the ME.
The recent exchange between US and Iran was due to Iran motivating one of its PMUs to throw mortars at an Iraqi military base in which an American perished and more.
I recall this big bad Qassem Soleimani guy making tall claims about what he would do to US in the ME, and his supporters here on PDF rooting for him at every turn; so where he is now? It does not take a genius to figure out that openly challenging a superpower will end badly for anybody.
