Iran attacks US, seeks release of $6 billion from Qatar

Iran also claims the US is holding the UN Security Council hostage to prevent wider condemnation of Israel’s war against Hamas.

The Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani claimed the US is now a party to the war in Gaza because the US has supplied Israel with munitions.

Iran also claims the US is holding the UN Security Council hostage to prevent wider condemnation of Israel’s war against Hamas.

Iran backs Hamas and has had meetings with Hamas leadership since October 7. Iran also backs militias in Iraq and Syria in their attacks on US forces. Iran has backed the Houthis in Yemen to increase attacks on ships. Therefore Iran’s posture condemns the US but also exploits the current conflict in the region to make the conflict escalate beyond Gaza.

Iran thus seeks to benefit from the war while also using the war to try to get Iran more influence in the Middle East by portraying itself as being against Israel and the US. Iran, for instance, has worked closely with Turkey to condemn Israel.

US House looking to block transfer of $6 billion to Iran Now Iran’s foreign ministry is focused on $6 billion in frozen funds that it is trying to get released from Qatar. This was part of a deal that took place months ago in August. However, back in October the US and Qatar agreed to block Iran from accessing the funds.

Now, the US House of Representatives has sought to block the transfer as well. Iran has said the US cannot “renege” on this deal. Iran is closely following this measure in the US Congress.

The Iranian foreign ministry has said the US is obligated to make sure Tehran can get its money, even as Iran spreads chaos and war all over the region.

“We took the necessary guarantees and we do not act based on trust with America, which has shown that it is not reliable. The American government must fulfill its obligations and these resources are available to Iran,” the Iranian foreign ministry said on Monday.

[So, if I interpret what you posted, there are two royal Qatari factions. One is of a fundamentalist nature and supports the likes of Iran and maybe ISIS and the other is Like the Saudi Crown Prince and up to date in it’s views.

Thanks for pointing that out because I couldn’t understand the presence of American military in Qatar along with the Vociferous pro Hamas Al Jezeera attitude]

In human affairs, no one knows what anyone else is truly thinking. What is certain for all but an infinitesimal number is that all want power, and absolute power, if available. Much of Middle Eastern history is fathers killing sons, sons killing fathers, siblings wiping out siblings. Within living memory of Muhammad, his progeny were killed in power struggles. His close associates were elected caliph (initially, in the Umayyad era, a Muslim pope with ecclesiastical but not much temporal power, except as a rallying point), and a number were killed over disagreements about the division of the spoils of war.

My impression of Islam is the various strains are just rallying points for personal advancement, either preservation of a fief, or the expansion of a personal empire. The rulers of Qatar might or might not be true believers. They might even the Lokis of the Arab world, rolling the dice by throwing money at Muslim adventurers looking to set uo their own fiefs, to see what turns up. That is the true meaning of jihad. They are Vikings going on expedition to weaken the unwary by raiding him until he’s weak enough to overrun completely.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Heathen_Army

Ultimately, jihadists are the Great Heathen Army with a religious gloss. In reality, they fight each other for power and perks, just as the Vikings did, once the frontier stops moving in their favor.

Leaders in the settled countries of the Middle East understand that the only thing keeping them in power for certain against external attack is the US security guarantee that restored Kuwait’s border and the Kuwaiti emir’s throne. If Qatar gets Uncle Sam disgusted at the entire Middle East as a region, there might not be a second rescue attempt if something like the invasion of Kuwait occurs again.

They just want to keep their piece of the pie, vs the danger of expeditionary war where, even if they win, the gains might be hived off by ambitious generals who decide to set up their own emirates using the men borrowed from their political masters. In Islamic history, many generals ended up overthrowing those masters.

Bottom line is Saudi and UAE rulers see the Qatari emir opening up a Pandora’s Box - an old-fashioned regional war of all against all, with an indeterminate outcome that might see all their royal houses dethroned or wiped out. They understandably want no part of that high risk, unknown benefit gamble, so would settle for another Qatari royal who was less of a vandal.

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