Strait of Tensions: What's at Stake in the Mideast Skirmishes The past week has seen a marked escalation of tensions between the United States, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.
The latest developments – US strikes on Iranian targets for the 12th consecutive night, coupled with Yemen's Houthi rebels claiming attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea – raise fundamental questions about the region's stability and the West's role in it.
The conflict has a distinctly retro feel to it, recalling the days of the Iran Iraq war or even the Cold War. Yet this time around, the players are different, the stakes higher, and the consequences more far reaching.