Much news is coming from the Munich Security Conference, including demands by Saudi Arabia that Iran be punished.  They call for justice over allegations that Iran was propping up the Syrian government, developing ballistic missiles and funding separatists in Yemen.

On Sunday, the Saudi foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, told delegates at the conference that Iran is the main sponsor of global ‘terrorism’ and a destabilizing force in the Middle East. “Iran remains the single main sponsor of terrorism in the world,” he said, “It’s determined to upend the order in the Middle East … [and] until and unless Iran changes its behavior, it would be very difficult to deal with a country like this.”

Shocking the country, there’s an new disruptive potential inside Iran in its main oil field province, Khuzestan. “The Strikes” that occurred in this province by tens of thousands of oil workers, paralyzing the state thirty-eight years ago, and paved the way for the Shah’s downfall, are now happening again. Historically Iran’s oil supplies are the regime’s lifeline. 

Khuzestan province borders Iraq and the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Ahvaz. It’s the country’s oldest province, and produces 35 percent of the Iran’s water and electricity. More importantly, its oil fields and gas supply provides 90% of Iran’s national revenue.

Although Tehran wants to produce its own jet fighters,  designing and manufacturing advanced combat jets poses formidable challenges, Still, the Iranian air force has showcased its development of several domestic fighter jets since the turn of the century, most notably the HESA Saeqeh (“Thunderbolt”), which Iranian media have claimed to be superior to the F-18 Hornet.

However, performance specifications and technical details for these aircraft remain vague or perhaps, nonexistent. This may be because additional details would likely be unimpressive, as the Saeqeh is a reverse-engineered American F-5 Freedom Fighter with a new tail and upgraded avionics.

The head of Iran’s parliamentary Commission on Foreign Policy and National Security, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, threatened the Trump administration regarding the release of documents related to the Iran nuclear deal. He said that if President Trump’s administration released any of the documents to the public it would constitute a violation. 

He said: “If Trump wants to publish confidential documents exchanged between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, it will in fact constitute a violation of the agency’s obligations, because the agency has been committed not to make Iran’s confidential nuclear information and documents available to any country, including the US.”

Shortly before a scheduled visit to Cairo, the President of Lebanon, Michel Aoun was speaking in an interview with Al-Ahram news agency. He was asked about the country’s relations with Iran and Turkey. He said: “These countries must maintain special relations because there are many mutual interests.”

He was then asked whether he would have his country serve as a “bridge for a Gulf-Iranian or Arab-Iranian understanding”. President Aoun replied: “Why not? Trying is better (than doing nothing) as at least there is the honor of trying.”

The new US President and his administration have made no secret about its opinions of Iran’s clerical regime and the Iran nuclear deal that was signed during President Obama’s time in office. 

James Mattis, the US Secretary of Defense, said that Iran spreads and sponsors terrorism across the region and further and the White House declared that military action is still on the table when it comes to confronting Iran’s aggressiveness.

Several new rounds of talks are due to take place in Geneva and Astana as the Syrian civil war approaches the end of its sixth year. 

Last month, talks were held in Astana between Turkey, Russia, Iran and Syria. The upcoming talks are expected to build on what has already been discussed. The foreign ministry of Kazakhstan said that US officials and the UN envoy Staffan de Mistura have been invited to attend. Talks will begin tomorrow.