That the situation in the Middle East is profoundly tense is a fact. Anything could happen anytime in a region which is largely plagued by political unrest, civil war and other problems. It was on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia said armed drones struck two oil pumping stations in the kingdom in what it called a "cowardly" act of terrorism two days after four Saudi oil tankers were sabotaged off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. The attacks took place against a backdrop of US-Iranian tension following Washington's decision this month to try to cut Iran's oil exports to zero and to beef up its military presence in the Gulf in response to what it said were Iranian threats.
The situation underscores the need for great caution and prudence on the part of all key players, particularly the US, Iran and Saudi Arabia.