Is war with Iran inevitable – let our expert explain what’s next

Last weekend, the powder keg that is the Middle East may have been ignited.  As drones launched an attack on Saudi oil refineries – the world was shocked and now sits on edge.

With a sizeable share of the world’s oil production now off-line, fingers are being pointed at who could have attacked the Saudi Kingdom and what punishment no doubt awaits.

All eyes immediately shifted to Iran, and media speculation and the sources that feed it seem to be following that lead.

“On Monday, a US official told CNN that the US had assessed that the attack originated from inside Iran. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press. One regional diplomat told CNN on Monday that while the US has told its allies it has intelligence showing the launch "likely" came from staging grounds in Iran, it has not yet shared the information.

"It is one thing to tell us, it is another thing to show us," the diplomat said. Shortly after the attack, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of carrying it out, tweeting Saturday that "Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world's energy supply."  September 17 - CNN

There are still a lot of questions to be asked.

• Why would Iran attack Saudi Arabia in the first place?
• Is there a diplomatic solution to this?
• And if war is inevitable, what other countries will be taking sides and with what country?

If you are a reporter covering this escalating path towards conflict – let our experts help.

Dr. Glen Duerr's research interests include nationalism and secessionism, comparative politics, and international relations theory. Glen is available to speak to media regarding this topic– simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.