Key Posts The latest developments in Middle East conflict By Adam Carey
Good evening. Thank you for following our continuing coverage of the Middle East conflict. Here’s a summary of today’s developments.
US President Donald Trump threatened to “obliterate” Iranian power plants unless the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, giving the regime a 48-hour deadline. Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen said there will be “bumps in supply” of fuel into the country, but said there were no grounds to invoke emergency powers to ration fuel. More than 100 people were injured in an Iranian missile attack on the southern Israeli cities of Arad and Dimona, near an Israeli nuclear facility. Israel is investigating the failure of its air defence system. Israel warned that Iran’s missiles have the capability to reach Europe, following the Iranian regime’s failed attack on a joint UK-US air base on the island of Diego Garcia, 4000 kms from Iran. Disruptions to the supply of fertiliser are forecast to push up global food costs as cornerstone products such as soybeans are affected by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Latest Posts 6.12pm US and Israel appear to be pursuing separate strategic agendas By
It is increasingly apparent that the US and Israel are pursuing different strategic agendas in their war against Iran, Middle East analyst Rodger Shanahan writes.
Outside the coalition of two, there is little support for the war. Washington’s traditional allies have found it difficult to provide other than rhetorical support, and this is rather lukewarm.
Even among Americans, polls show that while Trump’s support base endorses the war, most Americans don’t.
This opposition is not only because of the way Trump failed to prepare the political ground for a decision that is the most important that any president can make, but also because of a feeling that Washington and Tel Aviv are pursuing mostly overlapping, but not necessarily common objectives.
Read more of Shanahan’s analysis here
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