US strategy against Iran --- risks Gulf
collapse: Marandi, Ritter | Exclusive.
October 15th, 12:11pm
(Al Mayadeen English)
Scott Ritter and Mohammad Marandi warn that Washington's
failed military and economic campaign against Iran is
deepening the global energy crisis and threatening
Saudi Arabia's stability.
Former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter and Iranian Professor
Mohammad Marandi warn that Washington's economic warfare
against Iran could deepen the global energy crisis, destabilize
Saudi Arabia, and push the United States toward renewed
military escalation.
Speaking on Al Mayadeen's The Grand Standoff: Iran and the World,
Marandi & Ritter warned that the United States' efforts to weaken
Iran through military aggression and economic warfare are
increasingly threatening Washington's own interests
and the stability of its regional allies.
Both analysts argued --- that the US-Israeli war on Iran has failed to
achieve its strategic objectives, leaving Washington increasingly
dependent on economic pressure to secure ''concessions''
from Tehran.
They warned, however, that Iran's response, particularly restrictions
on maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, was intensifying
global energy shortages and placing additional pressure on
the United States and Gulf governments.
US military strategy against Iran has failed: Ritter
Ritter argued that US President Donald Trump faces growing
domestic pressure... as rising energy costs and disruptions
to global fuel supplies continue to strain the US economy.
He pointed to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, Yemen's
operations affecting Saudi energy infrastructure and
maritime traffic, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine
war as interconnected factors contributing to
the crisis.
According to Ritter, Washington's attempts to mitigate the
disruption through temporary arrangements, including
efforts to secure additional diesel supplies, have
failed to address its underlying causes.
"The military solution offered by Israel is no solution," he
said, arguing that renewed aggression against Iran
would only worsen the economic consequences
of the confrontation.
Iran's military resilience exposes US limitations
Ritter maintained that US and Israeli forces have already
employed their conventional military capabilities
without achieving their objectives, while Iran
had adapted its defensive and offensive
capabilities throughout the conflict.
"Iran is stronger. We're weaker. I think that
we have to take this into account."
He further argued that Iran has drawn lessons from previous
confrontations, particularly regarding US and Israeli missile
defense systems, while Washington faced increasingly
serious limitations in its ammunition reserves.
In Ritter's assessment, these developments have undermined
the prospect of a decisive US military victory and
strengthened Iran's strategic position.
Economic warfare against Iran
backfiring on Washington
backfiring on Washington
Professor Marandi agreed with Ritter's assessment, arguing
that Washington had increasingly placed its hopes on an
Iranian economic collapse after failing to achieve its
objectives through military force.
"The only thing left is the hope for economic collapse,"
he said, maintaining that predictions of Iran's
imminent economic breakdown had
failed to materialize.
He acknowledged the economic hardships imposed on
ordinary Iranians but rejected the assumption that
continued US pressure would force the country
into submission.
Hormuz disruptions --- intensify the
economic pressure on Washington
Marandi further argued that Iran's response was instead
creating mounting economic difficulties for Washington
and its allies, particularly through growing disruptions
to energy exports from the Gulf.
He pointed to shortages of crude oil, liquefied natural gas,
sulphur, helium, and other petrochemical products,
saying that disruptions had accelerated as Iran
intensified its operations against vessels
violating its restrictions in the Strait
of Hormuz.
According to Marandi, the reduction in maritime traffic
was increasingly affecting global markets,
undermining Washington's attempts
to isolate the Iranian economy.
He further suggested that Tehran's economic pressure
could have political consequences for Trump ahead
of the November 3 US midterm elections, although
he emphasized: that influencing the elections
was not an officially declared Iranian policy.
Ritter similarly argued that Washington was betting on
Iran's economy collapsing before the consequences
of the energy crisis became unbearable for the US
and its partners.
He described that strategy as a dangerous gamble,
particularly given the vulnerabilities facing
Saudi Arabia.
Saudi monarchy faces mounting
threat ...amid Yemen escalation
Both analysts warned that Saudi Arabia could face
severe political and economic consequences as
its confrontation with Yemen coincides with
the broader US-Israeli war on Iran.
Ritter suggested that the Saudi monarchy was potentially
more vulnerable to destabilization than Iran, questioning
whether Washington had considered the regional
consequences of such an outcome.
"I don't think it's a matter of...... if the House of Saud falls.
I believe it's a question of when the House of Saud falls."
He warned that the collapse of the Saudi monarchy could
trigger far-reaching consequences for other Gulf
governments, particularly those dependent
on US military protection and hydro-
carbon revenues.
Marandi warns Yemen escalation
---------- threatens Saudi stability
Marandi echoed those concerns, arguing that Saudi Crown
Prince Mohammad bin Salman's decision to escalate
aggression against Yemen had exposed the
kingdom to growing pressure.
He maintained that the combination of Iranian economic
pressure and Yemeni military operations is increasingly
threatening Saudi infrastructure ---- and the stability of
the kingdom's leadership.
Marandi also recalled Saudi Arabia's earlier military
campaign against Yemen, criticizing Riyadh's
decision to pursue another confrontation
despite the consequences... of its
previous intervention.
He warned that a prolonged conflict involving Iran and
Yemen could threaten the survival of the Saudi
monarchy, with repercussions extending to
other US-aligned governments... across
the region.
"If Saudi Arabia falls ------- none of these tiny
regimes in our region will survive," he said.
Renewed US aggression or
a diplomatic settlement?
Despite their shared assessment of Washington's
strategic difficulties.. Ritter and Marandi offered
different perspectives on how the confrontation
could develop.
Ritter argued that the United States would eventually
have to recognize the limitations of its military and
economic power ....and pursue a negotiated
settlement with Iran.
He maintained that Tehran was seeking guarantees
against renewed aggression rather than regional
domination and suggested that a diplomatic
arrangement allowing Washington a face-
saving exit remained possible.
The former UN weapons inspector also warned that
prolonging the confrontation could produce
increasingly severe consequences for
the global economy.
"This war cannot go on forever. The bottom line is,
the global economy will collapse if this goes on,
and the US will have to adjust accordingly."
Marandi warns Trump could
pursue a further escalation
Marandi, however, expressed greater skepticism
about Washington's willingness to accept a
diplomatic settlement.
He pointed to the existing memorandum of
understanding as a potential means of
ending the confrontation, but argued
that Trump was unlikely to accept
such an agreement under the
current circumstances.
"And even though... there is a way out, there is
an off-ramp, and that is to accept the MoU,"
he said.
According to Marandi, the failure of Washington's
economic pressure campaign - could instead -
encourage another military assault on Iran,
particularly if the Trump administration
concludes that continued economic
restrictions will not produce the
political results it seeks.
"The only way forward left for him,
I suppose, is escalation."
Both analysts ultimately maintained --- that the continuing
confrontation was exposing the limitations of US power,
with Iran's resistance, and the growing economic
repercussions of the war ---- reshaping the
strategic balance across the region.
Source: Al Mayadeen
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Israeli prison guards shoot rubber bullets,
seriously injure Palestinian abductees
October 15th, 9:31am
(PressTV)
Two leading human rights organizations say Israeli prison guards
have shot Palestinian abductees with rubber bullets and left
them severely injured.
This undated picture shows abducted Palestinians from the Gaza Strip
at an Israeli detention facility on the Sde Teiman military base in the
southern part of the Israeli-occupied territories. (Photo via AP)
Two leading human rights organizations say Israeli prison guards have
fired rubber bullets at Palestinian inmates, resulting in one needing a
testicle to be surgically removed and another requiring surgery for a
broken shin, as Palestinian detainees are subjected to arbitrary
abuse amounting to a systematic policy of torture.
The Israeli Hebrew-language Haaretz daily newspaper reported on
Wednesday that Physicians for Human Rights Israel and the
Public Committee Against Torture in Israel have recorded
21 incidents of gunfire within five Israeli prisons since
October 2023.
Incidents primarily took place in late 2025 and the first half
of 2026, frequently occurring at close range and without
any prior disturbances, as reported by witnesses.
Advocacy groups indicated that the projectiles
used seemed to be made of rubber or plastic.
The most alarming incident involved a prisoner who was shot
in the testicle at Ketziot Prison in the southern side of the
Israeli-occupied territories during June. Medical records
from Soroka Hospital showed that the organ was
entirely destroyed, necessitating its
surgical removal.
In statements made to his attorney, the prisoner recounted that
guards had kicked him in the testicles during a strip search a
week prior, resulting in significant pain. He noted that he
was only permitted to see a doctor two days later.
A week after the assault, members of the Israeli Prison Service’s
Masada unit shot rubber bullets into his cell, hitting him in the
previously injured testicle and behind his right knee,
according to his testimony.
He described being dragged approximately 50 metres while
he was bleeding profusely before finally receiving medical
care and being taken to a hospital.
In a separate incident reported in July, a prisoner at Ketziot had
surgery on a broken left shin after being hit by a rubber bullet,
as noted in the prison's medical records.
A former inmate recounted to Haaretz that he was shot from a
short distance in April and was denied proper medical
treatment for 15 days, only receiving surgery
after his release.
The rights organizations said shootings occurred inside cells,
in prison yards, and even in locations where inmates were
waiting to see their lawyers.
In August, these groups called on Israeli authorities to stop
using such ammunition against prisoners, especially at
close range and in confined areas, cautioning that
it could lead to life-threatening injuries.
Thousands of Palestinians are reportedly incarcerated in
Israeli prisons. Human rights groups argue that Israel
infringes upon the rights and freedoms of prisoners
as outlined in the Geneva Convention.
Palestinian prisoners are kept in Israeli facilities under
appalling conditions, lacking adequate hygiene.
These inmates also face systematic torture,
harassment, and oppression.
Approximately 60 percent of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli
custody suffer from chronic illnesses, with some dying
while in detention or shortly after release due to the
seriousness of their health issues, according to
the Palestine Detainees Studies Centre.