Tensions between Israel and Iran escalated last week when Iran launched a drone attack on an Israeli ship in the Arabian Sea and then hijacked five commercial vessels. Although the USA, the UK and the g7 countries openly blamed Iran for the attack, they were unable to give a truly harsh response.
After a period when Iran used all the means at its disposal to attack Israel, an explosion was reported on a ship associated with Iran today. We will report all the details about this attack shortly.
The timing of the explosion is critical. While the CIA director appointed by the new President Biden in the USA was about to visit Israel, an explosion on an Iranian ship took place on the Mediterranean coast. The Israeli public was arguing that the purpose of the new CIA director's arrival was to tell President Biden what he wanted instead of helping Israel. It was even voiced backstage that the CIA Director would beg Israel not to respond to the Iranian ship attack with another attack.
In fact, Israel has much more reason to attack Iran than the drone attack on an Israeli tanker. Hezbollah has made new threats after its missile attack on Israel this week, declaring that Lebanon's southern border belongs to Iran
And yet, the visit of the new CIA director to Israel is of great importance.
Let's start to examine together the details of the explosion on the Iranian-related ship in the Mediterranean and the prospects for the new CIA director's visit to Israel.
The Syrian state news agency SANA reported that firefighters extinguished a fire that broke out in a ship that was undergoing maintenance at the port.
Smoke from the fire caused some of the workers to suffer difficulty breathing. The ship was empty, according to SANA.
TankerTrackers.com, an online service that tracks and reports shipments and storage of crude oil, identified the vessel as the WISDOM, saying that the tanker had recently relocated in the port to make room for the Iranian oil tanker SAM 121.
Central Command (CENTCOM) released evidence that the drones used in the attack were Iranian-made.
On the other hand, while Israel is almost at war with Iran, it is waiting for the visit of its new CIA director from its closest ally, the USA. The backstage information on Iran's aggression prior to the CIA Director's visit to Israel, on the other hand, leads to questioning how productive the visit will be.
Two things make William Burns’ short visit on Tuesday – his first as director of central intelligence – unique.
First, the agenda is rich and diverse. The Iran issue may be dominant, but there are numerous other issues.
Second, Burns’ background. He is a former career diplomat with a distinct foreign policy and nuanced diplomatic approach to issues.
A direct and invaluable insight into Burns’ thinking on the Middle East comes from an extensive article he wrote for The Atlantic in December 2019, while serving as president of the Carnegie Endowment.
“That leaves American policy at a crossroads,” he continued. “Our moment as the singular dominant outside player in the Middle East has faded, but we still have a solid hand to play. The key to playing it well will be neither restoration of the inflated ambition and over-militarization of much of the post-9/11 period nor sweeping disengagement.”
He will urge Israel to refrain from unilateral steps that may further weaken and destabilize the Palestinian Authority, and will discuss confidence-building measures while stopping short of proposing a “peace process.” However, he is expected to reassert America’s position that “the status quo is unsustainable.” The same applies to Gaza.