Oil facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have again been struck by ballistic missiles and drones, while evidence has emerged that the US could be plotting raids into north-eastern Iranian territory. In the latest episode of The Target stream, MintPress News’ Robert Inlakesh looks at the incidents that are being used to justify a renewal of regional war.
This Thursday, US President Donald Trump claimed that Iran is likely involved in the controversial Flydubai flight incident, while on the same day the UK government arrested a British-Iranian dual-national in relation to the RAF Fairford incident. Both instances lack any publicly presented evidence to suggest Tehran had anything to do with them, and yet the accusations are already spreading like wildfire in the corporate media.
In the case of the Flydubai flight incident, no investigation has concluded a cause and the airliner initially put the emergency landing of the plane down to a fight breaking out between the two co-pilots. However, the Israeli media and government instantly jumped to the conclusion that what occurred was an attempted terrorist hijacking, carried out by an Omani national. On the stream we look into the implausibility of the claim that the Iranian government was somehow involved and what the results of that allegation could be.
On September 27, headlines were made around the world as UK counter-terrorism police detained five individuals near RAF Fairford, an airbase in the United Kingdom used by the United States Airforce. Initially the headlines indicated that a major terrorist plot was being foiled and that the threat of potential explosive devices in the area had led to the evacuation of dozens of families from their homes.
However, the five individuals who were arrested under the Terrorism Act were quickly granted bail, followed by reports that confirmed no explosives to have been found on the scene. Despite this, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham still decided to point the finger at Iran, a charge that officials in Tehran have vehemently denied. With no clear picture of what actually occurred at RAF Fairford and confirmation that no explosives existed on scene, then came the news that an Iranian national was detained in connection to the incident.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia also announced that the Yemeni Armed Forces had struck a power station located near the city of Madina. Although Sana’a denied it, the claims began emerging that the partially operational power station was supplying power to the Mosque of the Prophet Mohammed; considered by Muslims to be the Second Holiest Site in the world.
OSNIT reports also presented evidence for what appears to be a new US military buildup occurring in the Caspian Sea area. Signs that US combat search and rescue teams have been deployed on the Orurja Ada island, combined with reports of US special forces teams having set up positions elsewhere in Turkmenistan, appear to indicate a future possibility of attempted incursions into Iranian territory.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has also been asserting its dominance in the Persian Gulf and firing missiles towards US military bases, as one of Abu Dhabi’s largest on-shore oil facilities goes up in flames. A pumping station connected to Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline was also struck, as Yemeni retaliatory strikes on the Saudi Capital of Riyadh have caused damage to military infrastructure.
On the stream, Robert Inlakesh also looks at the Saudi-Israeli alliance against Yemen and the concerted effort to stir sectarian tensions across the region.
