Washington military buildup raises concern

TEHERAN — The United States has been building up its military presence in the Middle East recently, particularly the Gulf, on the pretext of protecting ships from Iran's "harassment", but analysts warn the US move would compromise regional security.

Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder earlier this month said the US Navy's Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit had arrived in the Middle East as part of a pre-announced deployment to support deterrence efforts against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere.

In several posts on X, previously known as Twitter, the US Central Command announced on Wednesday that US Air Forces aircraft had operated in the regional waters.

In response, the navy of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps in early August staged large-scale military drills in the country's southern waters as a display of its troops' preparedness to ensure the security of the Iranian waters.

Iranian authorities have repeatedly rejected US accusations against Iran as "baseless", stressing that the region's security can be ensured only through cooperation among regional countries without the interference of transregional powers.

Analysts say the US military's increased presence in the Gulf will raise tensions in the Middle East rather than ensure its security and peace.

Kourosh Ahmadi, a former Iranian diplomat based in Teheran, warned in a recent interview with the Iranian news website Entekhab that the US move would increase the risk of "wanted and unwanted "clashes in the region because there is no consensus between the two sides on avoiding conflicts.

Sina Toossi, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, a Washington-based think tank, was quoted by Al Jazeera TV as saying last week that US President Joe Biden is committed to continuing his predecessor Donald Trump's "failed policy" of economic warfare and escalation against Iran, which could lead to a dangerous "cycle of mutual escalation".

Emad Abshenas, a Teheran-based researcher, said in an analysis published on Sunday that the US military buildup in the region is, in fact, aimed at reminding Arab countries of its presence and taking control of their exports, as the Arab states are selling oil in return for currencies other than the dollar.

Abshenas said the US also seeks to raise the cost of energy transportation to and from the region and hold the regional countries to ransom through drone attack threats.

Regional Arab states, disappointed with the US ability to ensure their security, have sought to find new allies, he said.

Xinhua