Page 8 - MEOG Week 22 2022

MEOG POLICY & SECURITY MEOG

Iran responds to tanker seizure,

reports of strike on military facility

IRAN IRAN on May 27 seized two Greek tankers in quadcopter suicide drones that fitted a pattern
helicopter-launched operations in the Persian of Israeli operations against Iranian military and
Gulf in what appeared to be a response to Greece nuclear development infrastructure. The facil-
assisting the US by grabbing an Iranian oil tanker ity is reportedly a site where Iran is developing
in the Mediterranean in a sanctions-enforce- drone technology.
ment case earlier in the week. According to the NYT, Israel has also
The taking of the Greek tankers – the Prudent informed the US that it was behind the assassi-
Warrior and the Delta Poseidon – marked the nation of an IRGC colonel, Sayyad Khodai. He
first such action in several months in the Gulf, was shot by gunmen on motorbikes as he was
but tensions between Iran, the US and allies getting out of his car outside his home in Tehran
of Washington are on the rise with the stalling on May 22. An unnamed intelligence official was
of efforts to secure a reinstatement of the 2015 cited as stating that Israel wanted the killing to
nuclear deal, or JCPOA. serve as a warning to Tehran to cease targeting
Greece’s foreign minister complained to the Israeli citizens abroad.
Iranian ambassador to Athens about the “violent On May 26, the IRGC commander, Maj
taking over of two Greek-flagged ships” by the Gen Hossein Salami, said the killing would be
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). avenged. “Our enemies should wait. Our reac-
“These acts effectively amount to acts of tions will be harsh and we will definitely make
piracy,” a Greek foreign ministry statement said, the enemy regret its action,” Salami said, accord-
calling for the immediate return of the ships and ing to Press TV.
their crews. In February, Israel reportedly sent six quad-
Tensions between Iran and the West might copter drones to attack an Iranian military
also have been further aggravated by an “acci- drone manufacturing facility near Kermanshah.
dent” at Iran’s high-security Parchin complex on In retaliation, Iran launched a missile strike on
May 25 that left one engineer dead and another buildings inside Iraq said to have been used by
injured. The New York Times reported on May Israeli intelligence to launch the attack on Ker-
29 that the so-called accident was an attack using manshah, according to regional reports.™

Iran reduces gas supplies as Iraq defaults

IRAN/IRAQ IRAN’S supplies of gas to neighbour Iraq have provide enough gas to Iran’s grid to meet domes-
been scaled down by 5mn cubic metres (m3) per tic needs.
day, limiting the operation of power plants and “Iran demanded that Iraq pay its financial
constraining electricity supplies to Iraqi con- obligations to pay for gas. However, due to a
sumers, according to Iraqi media reports. delay in the adoption of the budget, as well as the
Iraqi authorities confirmed on June 1 that blocking by parliament of a bill aimed at guaran-
Baghdad has not paid Tehran a $1.6bn debt teeing debt payments, there have been delays in
owed for gas imports, Haqqin reported. payment,” the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity said
Debt repayment will be a key requirement in in a statement.
terms of keeping Iraqi power plants, and thus air Despite its vast oil and gas reserves, Iraq
coolers, running during the sweltering heat of remains dependent on imports to meet its
the upcoming summer months. energy needs.
That was the scenario that played out last Iran currently meets a third of Iraq’s gas and
summer, when, after Iran squeezed gas supplies electricity needs.
in response to debt non-payment, the sight of The Iranian gas supply stranglehold over Iraq
Iraqis cooling down in vehicles, engines run- may play into the hands of Baghdad’s southern
ning to keep the air conditioning on, became neighbour and arch-rival of Iran, Saudi Arabia.
commonplace during the hottest weeks. Ira- It may see an opportunity to weaken Iran’s
qis accused Iran of being quick to use the debt powerful influence over its neighbour by accel-
payment delays as an excuse to cut gas exports erating and expediting plans to export electricity
to Iraq, noting that Tehran was struggling to to the Iraqis.™

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 22 01•June•2022