quote:

Originally posted by EasyFire:
This action between Iran and the Saudis is so similar to the chess games I played in college. When one has the opponent on the ropes, the beaten player goes to wild gambits hoping you will fall for some action and finally give him a fighting chance. The steady and calculated response will generally win the game.

Iran is in terrible economic shape due to Western & US economic sanctions. Couple that with a restive younger population and you have today’s wild gambit to provoke a shooting ground war thus rallying the citizens because the bogyman (Saudis) is at the door coming to rape and kill your family. Likely the best plan is not to develop a general war, but target the leadership only. Air attack by the Saudis toward the leadership only and let the economic hardships to continue to create internal revolution. Grind them down.

Oh well…. Glad I am not in charge of foreign policy…..

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Originally posted by mutedblade:...
Couldn't the Saudi's and their allies pump so much cheap oil into the market that it effectively kills Iran's economy. Think about how Wal-Mart came in and undercut the mom & pop shops. Same could be done...

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Originally posted by RAMIUS:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49777672

The US has announced plans to send forces to Saudi Arabia in the wake of attacks against the country's oil infrastructure.

Secretary of Defence Mark Esper told reporters the deployment would be "defensive in nature". Total troop numbers have not yet been decided.
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have said they were behind the attacks against two oil facilities last week.

But the US and Saudi Arabia have both blamed Iran itself.

What are Trump's options on Iran?
Why would Iran raise the stakes by attacking Saudi?

BBC reporter tours damaged Saudi oil facility
On Friday, President Trump announced new sanctions against Iran while signalling he wanted to avoid military conflict. The fresh sanctions, which Mr Trump described as "highest level", will focus on Iran's central bank and its sovereign wealth fund.

"I think the strong person approach, and the thing that does show strength, would be showing a little bit of restraint," he told reporters in the Oval Office.

But on Saturday, the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) struck a different tone and said the country would seek to "destroy" any aggressor.

"Be careful," Maj-Gen Hossein Salami said on state television. "We are after punishment and we will continue until the full destruction of any aggressor."
What did the Pentagon say?

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had requested assistance, Mr Esper said.
He said the US forces would focus on boosting air and missile defences and would "accelerate the delivery of military equipment" to both nations.

Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Joseph Dunford called the deployment "moderate" and said it would not number in the thousands. He gave no further details about the type of forces that would be sent.

According to The New York Times, when reporters asked Mr Esper if military strikes on Iran were still being considered, the defence secretary responded: "That's not where we are right now."

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:
Do we even care if Iran attacked the oil infrastructure themselves or if they handed the weapons to the Houthi.