Pompeo in UAE,Saudi Arabia to build a "coalition of the willing"

Pompeo Departs for Saudi 

Arabia, UAE to Build 

Coalition Against 'State 

Sponsor of Terror' Iran

Sputnik,

24 June, 2019

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Sunday he was traveling to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for talks on Iran. Pompeo stressed he wanted to discuss with allies "how to make sure that we are all strategically aligned and how we can build out a global coalition".

Earlier, Pompeo vowed to increase economic and diplomatic pressure on Iran until Tehran chooses diplomacy over "violence", hinting that the Islamic republic "knows how to reach us".

"I’m heading out today. Our first stops will be in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two great allies in the challenge that Iran presents [...] and how we can build out a global coalition, a coalition not only throughout the Gulf states, but in Asia and in Europe, that understands this challenge as it is prepared to push back against the world's largest state sponsor of terror", he told reporters before the flight.

Tensions between the United States and Iran have been rising since Washington pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers last year.

The United States later unveiled rounds of sanctions against Iran, targeting its economic, financial and transportation sectors, among others. The situation worsened when Iran announced on 8 May that it had partially discontinued its commitments under the treaty agreement and gave Europe two months to ensure Iran's interests were protected under the deal.

US-Iran relations deteriorated further after a series of attacks on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The United States blamed the sabotage on Iran and boosted its military presence in the region, while Tehran dismissed the US claims.

In the wake of the attacks, US President Donald Trump ordered the warship Mason to be dispatched to the area, adding to the United States' already significant military presence in the region.

On Thursday, Tehran and Washington took a step closer toward a full-blown military confrontation after a US surveillance drone was shot down by Iran for violating the country’s airspace. The Pentagon maintains that the spy craft was in international airspace.

The US president suggested on Friday that he had stopped a military strike on Iran from going forward.

Later, Trump said in an interview with NBC that he would prefer to have talks rather than going to war with Iran. “I’m not looking for war [...] And if there is, it’ll be obliteration like you’ve never seen before. But I’m not looking to do that”, Trump said.

Pompeo emphasized that the Trump administration does not want a war, saying Washington seeks to "deter them from further aggression in the region".

Similarly, Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that Iran does not intend to wage war with the United States, but will continue to resist the US presence in the region.

Senior Iranian military commander Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid warned Washington on Sunday against any military aggression, declaring that Iran will "powerfully defend" its interests.

The US has been reportedly trying in recent years to establish an anti-Iranian coalition resembling a NATO-like structure. In January, the Trump administration enhanced efforts to gain support in the Middle East by dispatching Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton for talks with US allies in the region.

Reuters: "Saudi Arabia says two Saudi oil tankers attacked near UAE waters"

Have they used this period to co-ordinate a response to the action?

24 hours after an attack on tankers in the UAE the international media starts to report on it

Reuters,

13 May, 2019

DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia said on Monday that two Saudi oil tankers were among vessels targeted by a “sabotage attack” off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, condemning it as an attempt to undermine the security of global crude supplies.

The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels were sabotaged near Fujairah emirate, one of the world’s largest bunkering hubs lying just outside the Strait of Hormuz. It did not say who was behind the operation, which took place amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.

Iran’s foreign ministry called the incidents “worrisome and dreadful” and asked for an investigation into the matter.

The strait, a vital global oil and gas shipping route, separates the Gulf states and Iran, which has been embroiled in an escalating war of words with the United States over sanctions and the U.S. military’s presence in the region.

Oil prices rose on Monday, with Brent crude futures trading at $70.98 a barrel at 0618 GMT.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said in a statement that one of the two Saudi vessels attacked was on its way to be loaded with Saudi crude from Ras Tanura port for delivery to state-owned Saudi Aramco’s customers in the United States.

The attack did not lead to any casualties or an oil spill but caused significant damage to the vessels’ structures, said the statement.

INTERTANKO, an association of independent tanker owners and operators, said in a note that it has seen pictures showing that “at least two ships have holes in their sides due to the impact of a weapon”.

Trading and shipping sources identified the Saudi vessels as Bahri-owned very large crude carrier (VLCC) tanker Amjad and crude tanker Al Marzoqah. Bahri did not respond to a request for comment.

The UAE foreign ministry has said there were no casualties and the Fujairah port operations were normal. An investigation had been launched in coordination with international authorities, it said, calling on global powers to prevent any parties trying to harm maritime safety and security.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry in a separate statement voiced support for its close regional ally the UAE, the Middle East’s trade and business hub. Dubai’s stock exchange index fell 1.6% and Abu Dhabi’s index 1.7% in early trade on Monday.

ESCALATING TENSIONS

Sunni Muslim allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE have strongly backed U.S. sanctions against fellow OPEC producer and regional foe Shi’ite Iran. After the United States ended all sanctions waivers on Iranian crude, Washington said Riyadh and Abu Dhabi would help compensate for any shortage in oil supply.

Falih said the attack aimed to undermine maritime freedom and the security of oil supplies to consumers worldwide.

“The international community has a joint responsibility to protect the safety of maritime navigation and the security of oil tankers, to mitigate against the adverse consequences of such incidents on energy markets and the danger they pose to the global economy,” he said.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi was cited by the semi-official ISNA news agency as saying the incident “has negative impact on maritime transportation security” and asked regional countries to be “vigilant against destabilizing plots of foreign agents”.

The U.S. Maritime Administration said in an advisory on Sunday the incidents off Fujairah, one of the seven emirates that make up the UAE, have not been confirmed and urged caution.

Earlier this month, the Maritime Administration said U.S. commercial ships including oil tankers sailing through Middle East waterways could be targeted by Iran in one of the threats to U.S. interests posed by Tehran.

Washington said it was sending a U.S. aircraft carrier and other forces to the Middle East due to what it said were Iranian threats, while Tehran has called the U.S. military presence “a target” rather than a threat.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s government has been ratcheting up pressure on Iran with sanctions since Washington withdrew a year ago from a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

Washington tightened sanctions on Iran this month, eliminating waivers that had allowed some countries to buy its oil, saying it wanted to cut Tehran’s crude exports to zero. Iran has said it will not let its oil exports be halted.

Growing tensions in the Persian Gulf

UAE says commercial ships targeted by ‘sabotage,’ amid rising Gulf tensions

RT,

13 May, 2019

The United Arab Emirates has said that four commercial ships were hit by “sabotage” in its waters, hours after denying reports of explosions at an oil tanker terminal. The incident comes as US/Iran tension ratchets up.

The four vessels were targeted by “sabotage operations” in waters near the emirate of Fujairah, the country’s foreign ministry said on Sunday. The exact nature of the sabotage was not revealed, nor were the nationalities of the ships. There were no reported casualties.

“Subjecting commercial vessels to sabotage operations and threatening the lives of their crew is considered a dangerous development,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, adding that it is investigating the alleged incident.

The statement came hours after Fujairah’s government denied reports that an explosion had rocked an oil terminal at the emirate’s port. Lebanese broadcaster Mayadeen first reported the explosion, before the story was picked up by Iran’s Press TV. Officials in Fujairah called on the media to “investigate accurately and rely on official sources.”

ALSO ON RT.COM‘Our aim is not war,’ Pompeo insists as US warships & bombers gather off coast of Iran

Although the exact events are unknown, Iranian lawmaker Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh tweeted that “the explosions of Fujairah showed that the security of the south of the Persian Gulf is like glass.”

Should the security situation in the region deteriorate, much is at stake. Fujairah backs on to the Gulf of Oman on the south side of the Strait of Hormuz. With the UAE and Saudi Arabia on one side and Iran on the other, one-third of the world’s oil at sea transits the strait, which is only 39 kilometers wide.

The UAE did not directly blame Iran for the alleged sabotage, but its claim comes just days after the United States Maritime Administration warned that “Iran and/or its regional proxies could take action against US and partner interests, including oil production infrastructure” in the region. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are steadfast American allies.

Egypt, another American ally in the Middle East, sided with the UAE's take on events, condemning the alleged act of sabotage later on Sunday night.

Iran has insisted that it has no interest in escalating tensions in the region, yet the US has pressed ahead with the deployment of a carrier strike group and an Air Force bomber group to the region, to protect US interests from the unspecified threat. The USS Abraham Lincoln passed through Egypt’s Suez Canal on Thursday, in what National Security Advisor John Bolton called a “clear and unmistakable message” to Tehran.

The carrier will be joined by a battery of Patriot missiles and a transport ship – the USS Arlington – the Pentagon announced on Friday. Still, State Secretary Mike Pompeo assured the world that “our aim is not war, our aim is a change in the behavior of the Iranian leadership.”

Details about the “intelligence” used to justify the buildup are thin on the ground. A CNN report on Friday warned that Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may be planning on launching missiles from small civilian boats, citing an anonymous “defense official.” The network’s report has not yet been substantiated. Multiple sources within the US government have said that Bolton and Pompeo are “overreacting” to the threat posed by Iran, and “mischaracterizing”intelligence reports.

Iran has matched the US in the rhetoric game, with IRGC aerospace head Amirali Hajiadeh telling the Iranian Students’ News Agency that an aircraft carrier parked in the Gulf provides “opportunities” for Iran to test its missile capabilities. Ayatollah Yousef Tabatabai-Nejad also warned Washington that a single missile from Iran could easily sink its “billion-dollar fleet.”

Was the attack in the UAE a false flag

Initial pointers to a false flag in the United Arab Emirates

The latest news comng through now is that according to the Saudi energy minister 2 Saudi oil tankers targeted by 'sabotage' near UAE.

This looks as if they are getting ready to blame Iran for the attack.

I have posted an exchange between Stephen be-Noon and Pastor PaulBegley on the attacks. Pastor Begley says that his informant told him that the tankers were attacked by small vessels that posibly came from Yemen.

Stephen be-Boon reminded viewers of an email that he received about a week ago from a listener in Iran who stated that authorities had intercepted a plot to the People's Mojahaddin of Iran, a terrorist group based in Iran that enjoys support from John Bolton to blow up a foreign vessel and make it look like it was carried out by Iran.

I am wondering if this latest event fits the bill.

Time will tell

This is the email sent to Steven be-Noon last week.

Dear Steven,

I got info that some members of Iranian opposition group who have been very close to John Bolton (People's Mojahaddin of Iran) were arrested while trying to purchase speed boats similar to the ones IRGC uses in Persian Gulf. Apparently a false flag operation was under way but not by Americans but by these guys who try disturb shit and hope that it would hit the fan. Apparently the coordinations between the US and Iranian navy is still ongoing in the Gulf to avoid any mishap. Iranian army is on highest alert, nobody takes a day off For the time being they sell (?) over a million barrels a day.

Here is the video on this - 

Massive explosions reported in UAE's Port of Fujiarah

Two competing narratives on explosions at or near Fujairah port in the UAE

Last night as I was retiring this came across my Facebook feed.

The origin of the report of massive explosions in the UAE's port of Fujiarah was the Lebanese-based, pro-Iran al-Fedayeen.

This is their report:  

https://english.almasirah.net/details.php?es_id=6868&cat_id=2&fbclid=IwAR2rjqG4B-yHkOpwdYUrt-purRLuS7XIfggfVoe3IMlZcMyW0bDnl1fVMJM

The story was carried by Russian Sputnik news.

Lebanon-Based Media Claims Blasts Rock Fujairah Port, UAE Officials Deny Reports

Sputnik,

12 May, 2019

Several heavy explosions occurred early on Sunday in the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, a number of media reports say. The reports, citing eyewitnesses, further suggested that American and French warplanes have been seen flying over the port at the time of the incident.

According to the Emirati Foreign Ministry, four merchant vessels had been targeted by "acts of sabotage" in Gulf waters off its coast.

"Four commercial, civilian trading vessels of various nationalities this morning suffered acts of sabotage off the UAE's eastern coast," the statement reads.

The government of Fujairah denied on Sunday media reports about several heavy explosions taking place at the emirate's port, insisting that the port is functioning as usual.

"The press service of the Fujairah government denied media reports about powerful explosions in the emirate's port earlier this day and confirmed that ship traffic is as usual," the state-run WAM news agency reports.

Earlier in the day, the Lebanon-based al-Mayadeen broadcaster said, citing local media that several heavy explosions occurred in the port of Fujairah.

The blasts were heard between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. local time (00:00 — 03:00 GMT), the broadcaster reported, adding that from seven to 10 oil tankers were in flames. The broadcaster continued by saying that the real cause of the incident has still been unknown.

Other reports, citing eyewitnesses, suggested that American and French warplanes have been seen flying over the port at the time of the incident.

Currently, there's no information on possible casualties, while the authorities haven't commented on the incident yet.

Cloakand Dagger: UAE Spy Network Reportedly Busted in Oman

​The port of Fujairah is the only multi-purpose port on the Eastern seaside of the country and is connected to all other emirates within 300 km. The port stands some 70 nautical miles from the Strait of Hormuz, thus becoming increasingly important amid Iran's threat to close the strait

In July 2012, the UAE began utilising the Habshan-Fujairah oil pipeline from the Habshan fields in Abu Dhabi to the Fujairah, effectively bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

Currently, the UAE is building the world's largest crude oil storage facility in Fujairah, capable of storing up to 14 million barrels of oil.

DETAILS TO FOLLOW

As of last night the Emirates authorities were denying the story and saying the port was operating normally.

A few hours later they were admitting that four commercial ships had been subjected to sabotage outside the port in the Persian Gulf with a strong implication that Iran was somehow to blame whereas the original reports were of western jets flying over just before the explosions.

Despite that , there were "no injuries or fatalities on board the vessels and that there had been no spillage of harmful chemicals or fuel".

Four commercial ships subjected to sabotage operations near UAE territorial waters, no fatalities or injuries reported

ABU DHABI, 12th May, 2019 (WAM) -- Four commercial ships were subjected to sabotage operations today, 12th May, near UAE territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, east of Fujairah, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, MOFAIC, has announced.

The Ministry said that the concerned authorities have taken all necessary measures, and are investigating the incident in cooperation with local and international bodies.

It said that there had been no injuries or fatalities on board the vessels and that there had been no spillage of harmful chemicals or fuel.

The MOFAIC statement said that the carrying out acts of sabotage on commercial and civilian vessels and threatening the safety and lives of those on board is a serious development. It called on the international community to assume its responsibilities to prevent such actions by parties attempting to undermine maritime traffic safety and security.

The Ministry also described as ‘baseless and unfounded’ rumours earlier today, 12th May, of incidents taking place within the Port of Fujairah, saying that operations within the port were under way as normal, without any interruption.

http://wam.ae/en/details/1395302762084?fbclid=IwAR3upYMlQQY_QMRSQPOuXuokks_x5oXrDHoGm0ngMlXQl97JbBjDIpPZX9Y

This is how Iran's Press TV has reported it- 

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/05/12/595783/UAE-fujairah-sabotage-vessel

As of last night the Emirates authorities were denying the story and saying the port was operating normally.

RT seems to be going with the subsequent UAE version of events.

As of now there seems to be no mention of this incident in the western media and neighboring Qatar's al Jazeera came up with this report.

https://www.rt.com/news/459169-uae-ships-sabotage-iran/?fbclid=IwAR2y5VuREDbPYg0ZkbFB2S4SJzFNX7zP9unDJk4elpHwzoKQQ6OdaZuGtLc

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/05/air-carrier-gulf-target-threat-iran-commander-190512201027254.html?fbclid=IwAR20m0_yRLmjSLXUF2OKXrbODW_e4ZrU1bUBokX_pzSWknpRP_LBucX3ouY

Russ Fort is always a good source to go to for background, along with South Front and al-Masdar News.

https://www.fort-russ.com/2019/05/unconfirmed-reports-american-french-air-force-attack-on-7-oil-tankers-at-uae-part-of-al-fujairah/

Kudos to Steven Lookner who reported on this on Agenda Free TV when no one in the West was touching the item.

Last but not least this is the Defcon alert status today.

https://www.defconlevel.com/current-level.php

Freak conditions in United Arab Emirates

Freak hail & thunderstorms batter UAE desert

Rain, thunderstorms and hail have showered parts of the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, a freak change of weather for the typically hot and dry Gulf nation.

Hailstorms covered the sand in a white blanket, and both residents and tourists had to cancel their desert outings and wait out the severe weather at home.

Freak hail & thunderstorms batter UAE desert

Record rainfall in United Arab Emirates

Highest amount of rain ever recorded in one day in parts of the UAE: 50 times more than the average rainfall for March!

Sent in by Bob Dunn Photo Photo by Nemibeckz

the Big Wobble,

11 March, 2016

Accumulated rainfall way beyond 'normal'

Wednesday saw 50 times the average rain the country gets every March over the past decade.

The UAE on Wednesday saw one of the highest rainfalls it has had in recent years, with a day’s rain in Al Shuwaib equivalent to more than 50 times the average rain the country gets every March over the past decade.

Hours of heavy thunderstorms and torrential rains on Monday, Tuesday, and especially Wednesday, that saw many parts of the country reeling in floodwaters.
One place in particular, drew the most amount of rainfall: Al Shuwaib, a town in Abu Dhabi to the border of Oman, north of Al Ain.

“On Wednesday, the total amount of rainfall was recorded 287.6 mm at Al Shuwaib, which is highest amount of rainfall ever recorded in 24 hours and is way above normal,” a forecaster from the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) told Gulf News.

If we calculate, the rain collected in Al Shuwaib on Wednesday is 51 times more than the average amount of rainfall the country got in March from 2003 to 2014, figures from NCMS’ Climate Year Report.

Amazing video below

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Sandstorm in the Arabian Peninsular

Arabian Sandstorm Makes Dubai Look Like Mars

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/04/02/a_massive_duststorm_hit_dubai_and_the_arabian_peninsula_on_thursday_photo.html

A man walks during a sand storm in Dubai April 2, 2015 – Photo by Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters

 Cars are seen driving amid a sandstorm that engulfed the city of Dubai on April 2, 2015.

Photo by Marwan Naamani/AFP/Getty Images

A woman and two children wear medical masks as they cross a street amid a sandstorm that engulfed the city of Dubai on April 2, 2015. -Photo by Marwan Naamani/AFP/Getty Image

An impressive sandstorm whipped across the Arabian Peninsula on Thursday, sending a sea of red-hued dust across the desert and towards the major economic hubs of the Persian Gulf. The storm’s strong winds were caused by a high pressure center that shifted offshore.

The National, a government-owned English newspaper in the United Arab Emirates, reported 135 traffic accidents and 1,600 calls to local emergency services due to decreased visibility—about a quarter-mile at the height of the storm. Flights were delayed and diverted at Dubai’s airport, one of the world’s busiest. The UAE public health authority warned people with asthma to stay indoors. Schools in Qatar were closed due to “extreme weather conditions.”

Dust storms are common in the region, but this one was apparently of unusual severity. The UAE’s National Center of Meteorology and Seismology warned that it could continue through the weekend..

So what accounts for such a big storm? The relationship between dust storm behavior and climate change is a still a very uncertain science, but a 2011 study found a “shift in characteristics of dust storms in the Arabian Gulf,” including a recent change in mineral composition, as a sign of changing wind patterns. 

Previous research has shown that regardless of climate change, up to half of all atmospheric dust is directly attributable to human activity, including agriculture, overgrazing, and deforestation.