A key figure in Iran’s think-tank scene advised diplomats and military leaders to prepare to attack oilfield facilities owned and operated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Mehdi Kharratiyan claims such tactics, especially should Iran see itself as attacked first, are the only language that the U.S. would understand.
Optimistically, the head of Iran’s Revival of Politics Institute stated on his YouTube channel on April 8th, 2025, that such action would force American disengagement from the Middle East. A Farsi-to-English translation has since been circulated by the Washington-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), a non-profit press monitoring organisation. Kharratiyan poured scorn on those of his contemporaries he sees as trying to prevent regional war by sending peace messages.
Despite such belligerence, it’s likely that, in public at least, Iranian hawks are in the ascendant. While to date the ‘axis of resistance’ has failed on the battlefield, Iran is trying to negotiate—via Oman—to sustain its nuclear ambitions. Meanwhile, long-term ally Russia is seeking to establish a better relationship with the Arab League, which could strengthen the position of the KSA at Iran’s expense. Perhaps the bellicose Kharratiyan is actually doing the world a favour by saying the quiet part out loud.
