US-Iran Tensions: Amidst the ongoing tension between America and Iran, the US Army has taken a major military step and fired a Hellfire missile at a commercial cargo ship. The US military claims that the ship ignored repeated warnings and tried to proceed towards an Iranian port despite the US naval blockade.

A ceasefire is in force between America and Iran, but tension still remains in the region. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned that if diplomatic efforts fail, the US military is fully prepared to take military action against Iran again.

Engine room was targeted

According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the Gambian-flagged cargo ship “Lian Star” was en route to an Iranian port via the Gulf of Oman. The US military claimed that the ship was traveling in international waters, but was in violation of the US blockade.

Centcom said that warnings were given more than 20 times overnight to stop the ship, but the ship did not respond. After this, American forces targeted the engine room of the ship by firing Hellfire missiles, due to which the speed of the ship stopped.

The ship is no longer heading towards Iran

After the attack, Centcom said that the ship is no longer heading towards Iran. However, the US Army did not give any detailed information about the current status of the ship. According to the report of the Associated Press, an American official associated with this operation said that the ship is currently in a state of drift in the Gulf of Oman and American soldiers have not taken any action after boarding it.

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Sixth ship stopped under US blockade

This action has been taken under the US naval blockade started in April. According to the US military, so far six ships have been stopped while trying to break the blockade. According to the report, one of these ships was later allowed to proceed, while the route of more than 116 ships was changed and sent in other directions. On Friday, Centcom said that at least 115 ships have been diverted since the blockade came into force.

Controversy increases over Strait of Hormuz

The US imposed the blockade after Iran effectively blocked traffic through the Strait of Hormuz after the current conflict began. The conflict began following attacks by the US and Israel on February 28, following which there has been continued tension over maritime traffic and security in the region.

Uncertainty over the future of the ceasefire

Amidst this military action, there is uncertainty regarding the ceasefire implemented between America and Iran. The ceasefire has largely been in place since the beginning of April, but talks are now underway between the two countries for a possible extension of 60 days. There are plans to continue talks on Iran’s disputed nuclear program during this period.

Trump held a high level meeting

According to the report, US President Donald Trump held a meeting with his senior advisors in the Situation Room of the White House on Friday. However, it has not yet been decided whether any agreement will be approved to extend the ceasefire and restore maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has clarified that no final agreement has been reached yet. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday that if diplomatic efforts fail, the US military is fully prepared to launch military operations against Iran again.

When Israel and America attacked Iran, no one had any idea that this beginning of war would engulf the entire Middle East. As soon as Iran lost its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, it started targeting American military bases throughout the Middle East. Iran attacked Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain with missiles, which put the entire Middle East at the door of war.

Among these Iranian attacks on the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is being discussed the most. Actually, Iran and Saudi Arabia may be Muslim countries, but both are staunch enemies of each other. Now everyone’s eyes are on how Saudi Arabia responds to the Iranian attacks on itself. In such a situation, let us know why there is enmity between Iran and Saudi Arabia despite being Muslim countries, what is the history of these two countries?

What has happened in Saudi Arabia so far?

Saudi Arabia is surprised by the sharp reaction of IRGC after the US-led Israeli attack on Iran. As soon as Iran was attacked, it started targeting American military bases in the Middle East, which also included bases in Saudi Arabia. Gradually Iran intensified its attacks and meanwhile news came that Iranian drones targeted the world’s largest oil refinery Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia foiled this attack, but soon after this the refinery had to be temporarily closed, after which a major oil crisis started looming over the world.

What is the history of Iran and Saudi Arabia?

Saudi Arabia and Iran are considered two big countries of the Middle East. The population of both the countries are followers of Muslim religion, but whenever their names are heard together, the picture of war emerges before the eyes. It is also said that Iran and UAE have a role in maintaining and breaking peace in the Middle East. Both the countries have been struggling for a long time to establish their influence in the Middle East. Despite both being Muslim countries, their enmity has been fueled by religious differences.

Actually, there is a large Shia Muslim population in Iran, whereas Arabia is a country with majority of Sunni people. This division of religion is clearly visible between these two countries. There are many countries where Shia population is present, while in some countries Sunni people live in majority. In such a situation, they support Iran and Saudi Arabia for support and opposition.

Battle for leadership in the Muslim world

The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran in the politics of the Middle East is not just a dispute between two countries, but it is a direct clash of leadership, influence and ideology in the Muslim world. On one side is Saudi Arabia, which has a monarchical system, which considers itself the center of Islam. On the other hand, there is Iran, which emerged after the 1979 revolution, which has adopted a policy of increasing its influence in the entire region through the religious governance model.

Where did the real dispute between the two countries begin?

Islamic revolution took place in Iran in 1979. The leader of this revolution was Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Under his leadership, the power of the Shah ended in Iran and a religious governance system was established. After this, Iran presented itself not just as a country but as an ideological model.

Saudi Arabia already considered itself the natural leader of the Muslim world as the protector of Islam’s holy cities, but the Iranian revolution directly challenged this claim. Iran adopted a strategy of increasing regional influence through the Shia community, while Saudi considers itself the center of Sunni leadership. It was from here that the foundation of ideological and strategic conflict was laid.

Iraq war changed the balance of power

In 2003, America attacked Iraq and removed Saddam Hussein from power. Saddam Hussein was Sunni, whereas Iraq’s population is predominantly Shia. After his removal, a Shia-led government was formed in Baghdad and Iran’s influence increased rapidly there. Now Iraq, which earlier used to act as a balance for Saudi, gradually started moving into Iran’s sphere of influence. This increased Saudi’s strategic concerns and the distrust between the two countries deepened.

Arab revolution and increasing interference of countries

After this, in the year 2011, political turmoil started in Arab countries, which was called Arab Revolution. This instability weakened the governments of many countries. Saudi and Iran used this opportunity to strengthen their respective interests. Iran openly supported President Bashar al-Assad in Syria. On the contrary, Saudi supported the rebel groups. Now the result was that the Syrian war turned into a proxy war between the two countries. Here too, Iran’s strategy was to create its own sphere of influence through Iraq, Syria and Lebanon up to the Mediterranean Sea, but Saudi considers it a threat to itself.

Houthi rebels dispute in Yemen

The rise of Houthi rebels in Yemen became a big challenge for Saudi. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched a military campaign against the Houthis. Saudi alleges that Iran provides arms and support to the Houthis. Iran denies these allegations, but regional experts believe that Iran wants to increase influence in Yemen through the Houthi group. Even after many years of fighting, Saudi did not achieve decisive success, due to which its strategic position appeared weak.

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Lebanon and the Hezbollah factor

Shia organization Hezbollah has a strong influence in Lebanon. This organization is powerful both politically and militarily and is considered a close ally of Iran. In 2017, Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who was supported by Saudi Arabia in Lebanon, was suddenly forced to resign. This move was seen as an attempt to curb Hezbollah’s growing political power.

Not only this, there may be enmity between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but both are under threat from Iran. Now the old saying goes that the enemy of the enemy is his friend, that is why Israel also supports Saudi Arabia to stop the influence of Iran.

Also read: If the Strait of Hormuz is closed, which countries’ economic progress will be closed? See full list