Saudi Arabia lounches a Proxy War Against Iran
25.05.2017
During the Middle East tour, US President Donald Trump has stated many times that Iran is the main culprit and source of terrorism in the region. The real evil - the "Islamic state" - was mentioned much less often.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubair went further, accusing Tehran of not only supporting the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah and Yemeni Husit rebels, but even of supporting Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asked Iran to dismantle the network of terrorist organizations and stop financial support for extremist groups. For some reason, he did not demand of stopping the financing of terrorist groups in Syria from Saudi Arabia.
The real situation is the opposite
Meanwhile, Iran is the target of terrorist attacks. Saudi Arabia, after being convinced of the firm support of the new US president (with President Barack Obama, the relations of the royal family did not work out), begins a large-scale proxy war against the Islamic Republic of Iran, by supporting various insurgent and terrorist groups on Iranian territory to blow up the situation from within.
This process began long before the visit of Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia, but after signing military contracts and Trump's promises to help Riyadh create an "Arab NATO" (primarily, of course, to counter Iran), the Saudis clearly intend to activate it.
On May 2, Deputy Crown Prince and Saudi Defense Minister Mohammad Ibn Salman al Saud openly threatened that he would launch a "real battle" in Iran itself, rejecting any prospect of reconciliation between the two countries. The interests of the various rebel groups operating in Iran and Riyadh coincide.
Iranian Kurdistan
In January, the Saudis opened a consulate in the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan, and in late April, the Komala Party (Revolutionary Workers' Society of Iranian Kurdistan) announced the resumption of hostilities against Iranian security forces. Bases and training camps of the Komala Party are located in Iranian Kurdistan, where the Saudi special services are increasingly active.
The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan is also based there, whose militants not so long ago also began to attack Iranian army convoys and lounched clashes with security forces in the Iranian provinces of Western Azerbaijan, Kurdistan and Kermanshah. Previously, this group had no serious forces and means to conduct active hostilities. It is not difficult to guess where they suddenly came from.
Arabic Khuzestan
In the inhabited by the Arabs and oil-rich Khuzestan province, which is on the border with Iran, separatist sentiments have always been strong. But earlier firefights and terrorist attacks were very rare. The last two years were even relatively calm.
But the local separatist Liberation Army of al-Ahvaz (the old name of Khuzistan) took up arms again. On May 15, militants attacked a police station, killing and wounding four policemen. Moreover, the leadership of the group announced the launch of a series of attacks in various localities - from Ahvaz to Tehran.
The situation for the Iranian security structures is further complicated by the fact that the Islamic state operates in the neighboring province of Diyala.
Sistan and Baluchestan
In the province of Sistan and Baluchestan there is a Sunni Islamist group Jais al-Adl (Army of Justice), which recently also dramatically changed tactics and proceeded to direct combat operations.
At the end of April, its militants attacked the Iranian border post. During the battle, they managed to kill ten border guards. Jais al-Adl has never dared to such an action. This is more like a declaration of a terrorist war towards Iran. There is evidence that the Islamic State and Jais Al-Adl have established contact and are now coordinating their actions. The Saudi special services will not miss such a convenient moment.
