Now with Yemen Involved, When Does the US-Iranian ‘Turkey Shoot’ Go to Scale?

The biggest shock may not arrive on the battlefield—it could hit first at the US and European gas pumps for starters. And with Yemen now playing a more active role in the regional conflict, consumers may soon discover that rising energy prices are only the opening act. Meanwhile, it is all the more difficult to view the latest escalation as a series of isolated events.

Broader regional confrontation

Donald Trump’s past remarks about having “other people” fight America show an indirect approach and fit established thinking, although there is no public confirmation that this is current U.S. policy.

Others argue that Washington’s efforts to avoid direct confrontation with Turkey reflect a desire to keep Ankara from undermining Kurdish operations. Meanwhile, the ongoing airstrikes could be interpreted as efforts to shape the battlefield ahead of any broader military campaign. Whether that proves accurate remains to be seen.

An even more alarming possibility would be attacks on desalination facilities across the Gulf—critical infrastructure that supplies fresh water to millions of people. Such strikes would dramatically raise the humanitarian stakes of the conflict. For now, neither Israel nor the United States appears to have much political room to reverse course without appearing to concede ground.

The result is a conflict that seems to gain momentum with every new exchange. Meanwhile, American voters are struggling to keep pace with the conflict’s constant twists and turns. Perhaps that is the nature of modern “forever wars”—they fade into the background until they begin affecting household budgets.

Military analysts will debate tactics and strategy; however, financial markets will not. As US election season approaches, the issue that may matter most to millions of Americans is the price displayed on the fuel pump. For many households already stretched by inflation, another sharp rise in gasoline........

© New Eastern Outlook