The escalation of tension between the United States and #Iran, and the resulting escalation in the Persian Gulf, could be the result of a misreading of the intelligence apparatuses of both countries, according to a new report cited by the Wall Street Journal. Reports from the Middle East continue to describe the situation as tense as well as the political rhetoric between Washington and Tehran.
Last week, the White House ordered the #USS Abraham Lincoln's "tactical" fleet to sail to the waters of the Middle East, after US intelligence, primed by the Israeli #Mossad, reported that "Iran or its supporters were planning attacks on #Usa forces in #Iraq, #Syria and at sea ”.
Washington has also evacuated all non-essential personnel from its embassy in Iraq as a precautionary countermeasure. Meanwhile, Iranian officials said they were "ready for war", while the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Major Genesis Hossein #Salami, described the escalation of the crisis as "the highest moment in 40 years" .
But a new report from the Wall Street Journal said yesterday that the crisis between the two countries may have been caused by a misinterpretation of the intelligences of the two countries. The newspaper says that new information gathered by US intelligence agencies appears to show that Tehran felt the US was about to launch attacks. There is no information on what exactly led the Iranians to draw this conclusion. But Iran is believed to have reacted to the perceived threat by raising military alert and activating its allies in the region - including #Hezbollah in Lebanon and numerous Shia militias in Iraq and Syria.
Instead, these Iranian measures were interpreted by Washington as proof that Iran was planning to launch an attack on American interests in the region, thus prompting the White House to send the Abraham Lincoln attack fleet. The Wall Street Journal therefore stated that the new information that has been gathered "in the last few days" points to the actions taken by Tehran as a "defensive" measure.
However, he also said that there continue to be "distinctly different views" on the situation among officials in the administration of US President Donald Trump. Notably, some administration officials continue to argue that the available information indicates that Iran "was planning to strike first," and some even believe that Tehran is still "planning imminent attacks" on the United States and its interests in the country. region. The paper also noted that President Trump is believed to have told senior officials in his administration - including Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan - that he does not want any armed conflict against Iran.