(Commentary) J. E. Dyer - The Iranian ships themselves are hardly impressive: one frigate with old anti-ship missiles and one barely armed replenishment ship. But the big shift here is in political perceptions of power. Revolutionary, terror-sponsoring Iran - under U.S., EU, and UN sanctions - feels free to conduct this deployment, and Syria feels free to cooperate in it. Saudi Arabia considered it prudent to host the Iranian warships last week - in spite of the Saudis' own conviction that Iran has been aiding rebel groups that threaten Saudi territory.
2011-02-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive