Al-Qaeda waiting for US-Iran clash

Tactical Report: As Washington is stepping up pressure on Iran to stop enriching uranium, the Al-Qaeda, for its part, is waiting for a new opportunity to expand the circle of war with the United States.

Arab Gulf sources believe the Al-Qaeda-linked groups in the Gulf and the Red Sea are preparing for the period that will follow a US-Iran clash over the Iranian nuclear issue, as it waited for the US invasion of Iraq.

According to these sources, the Al-Qaeda thinks this clash will offer it a new great opportunity to open a large front after Afghanistan, Iraq, Chechnya and Waziristan in Pakistan.

A US-Iran clash will not have a limited impact. It will rather have repercussions on the whole region. All the tacit agreements between Iran and the USA on Iraq and Afghanistan are likely to collapse.

In addition, Iran and Al-Qaeda may put their differences aside and stand side by side against the United States.

The GCC states, including notably Saudi Arabia, do not want the situation to deteriorate any further. They rather prefer to contain it before it is too late.

They believe the way out of the crisis is to see the Americans agreeing to their demand to have the Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction.

Circles close to the Saudi Foreign Ministry say the Saudis will not give up efforts to settle the Iranian nuclear issue despite Washington and Tehran hardening their positions.