U.S. officials say diplomacy is the best way to address Iran’s nuclear program, but Washington has not ruled out a military option against Iran’s nuclear facilities. “It would certainly not be in the U.S. interest to get dragged into a war between Israel and Iran, which is the way things seem to be going for the past several weeks and months,” fellow Annelle Sheline told Al Jazeera.
As TEA announced its takeover of HISD, Abbott’s timing on the plan points toward his longtime battle with Harris County on political issues and education reforms. “It’s now been caught up in this broader movement,” fellow Mark P. Jones told the Houston Chronicle.
The need for crude is expected to grow, but fellow Jim Krane said policymakers should focus on lessening demand. "If you target supply in the U.S. without any kind of measures to bring demand down, refiners are just going to pull their oil from overseas."
The agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia may also be part of “a Saudi effort to extract maximum concessions from the U.S.,” fellow Annelle Sheline says. “Riyadh’s decision to normalize with Tehran, under the auspices of Beijing, may be primarily aimed at Washington.”
“This is an agreement that the U.S. could not have brokered,” says fellow Omar Rahman of the Middle East Council on Global Affairs. “Among outside powers, only China has the clout and trust of both sides, and it has remained largely aloof from their political squabbles.”