After the attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities on September 14, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of being responsible for the attack and called it an “act of war.” He suggested building a coalition with Saudi Arabia to deter further attacks while Trump rejected any idea of going to war with Iran and instead spoke of new sanctions on Iran.
It’s a good idea to create an alliance to prevent further attacks, and sanctioning Iran, while also avoiding a war at all costs.
There is enough evidence that points to Iran’s responsibility. For example, the drones and cruise missiles that were displayed by Saudi Arabia’s military officials are Iranian weapons. The U.S and Saudi Arabia can’t stand with their arms crossed while Iran destroys important facilities. They have to take serious actions against Iran. An alliance will help the U.S and Saudi Arabia be prepared in case Iran decides to attack again. According to The New York Times, Trump has not specified the type of sanctions he plans to put on Iran, but he needs to send the message that Iran will have consequences if they attack.
A war is not prudent and it should be the last option. No American soldier was injured in the attack, so there’s no reason to retaliate. A war would actually cause many soldiers’ deaths, so the government should avoid it. According to The New York Times, the attack highlighted Saudi Arabia’s vulnerabilities and Iran’s strengths. Saudi Arabia has too much to lose in a war and so does the U.S. The drones and cruise missiles flew undetected in a region with American military bases. Ali Shihabi, a Saudi commenter, called this an “eye opener” and he posed the question, “can you get into a war today when you are not sure what the Americans will do?” and the answer to that question is no. Not unless they are willing to lose many lives and possibly lose the war with all the drones flying right by the bases and hitting their target with such precision.
War enthusiasts might say that a war is necessary to eliminate the threat that is Iran, but again, the amount of possible American deaths is not worth it, and there’s a big risk that the U.S will lose the war and Iran might gain more power.
The U.S and Saudi Arabia need to think seriously about what they’re going to do in response to Iran’s attacks. This should not be left unpunished, but it shouldn’t go to the extreme option of war.
