i24NEWS Arab affairs analyst Tzvi Yehezkeli says Iran is considering options for escalation and outlining potential operations ahead of the US midterm elections.
According to Yehezkeli, Tehran sees the period before the elections as an opportunity to undermine the victory narrative US President Donald Trump may seek to present.
“Iran is boasting about all kinds of plans for how it will carry out this escalation," Yehezkeli said. “The thinking in Iran is: ‘A response is expected of me. I have an interest in responding before the midterm elections to ruin the victory picture Trump may want to present.’"
Yehezkeli also pointed to another threat he said was being voiced by Iran: a possible ground invasion of the UAE.
“There is another Iranian threat - to launch a ground invasion of the UAE. They are saying this because if Trump follows through on his promise to attack before the midterm elections, they could do anything," he said.
Yehezkeli also linked Iran to Houthi activity against Saudi Arabia, claiming that the Yemeni group acts under direct Iranian orders.
“The Houthis don’t move a single missile without explicit Iranian instructions. Right now, Iran is striking Saudi Arabia," he said.
Yehezkeli sharply criticized Saudi Arabia’s response to the attacks.
“It is astonishing to see Saudi weakness. What a fake state - one that cannot defend itself, let alone attack, but also cannot recover its composure in the face of all these attacks," he said.
He attributed responsibility for the situation to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“This has been a failure from the beginning of the war until now, and it is entirely Mohammed bin Salman’s," Yehezkeli said.