Inside Story

Can the US guarantee Gulf security?

Washington has blamed Tehran for the attack on Saudi oil facilities and says it’s now building a coalition against Iran.

The Gulf region is on the edge.

As to who is responsible for last week’s attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure has led to accusations from different sides.

The United States and Saudi Arabia say Iran is behind the Aramco strikes.

But the Houthis in Yemen have claimed responsibility and warned of more to come.

The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE to talk to their leaders.

Pompeo said Washington was seeking a peaceful resolution to the crisis, but blamed Iran for seeking an “all out war”.

Iran’s foreign minister says the US is preparing to use the Aramco incident as an excuse to attack his country and that Tehran is ready to defend itself.

Will tension escalate even further or will diplomacy defuse it?

Presenter: Imran Khan

Guests:

Nader Hashemi – Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Denver

Mohammad Marandi – Professor of American studies at the University of Tehran

Adolfo Franco – Republican strategist and former adviser to Senator John McCain