Context
An Israeli website reports the Iranians have blocked the supply of fuel to Afghanistan in retaliation for the joint US-Israeli Stuxnet operation against Iran’s nuclear program. Reportedly the virus attack has severely impeded Iranian progress towards acquiring nuclear capability. As a result of the stoppage, thousands of containers are lined up at the Iran-Afghan border and anti-Iranian sentiments have risen amongst Afghans.
The Stuxnet operation has revealed for the first time that there is considerable intelligence sharing and cooperation, at the intelligence gathering and operational level, between US and Israel against the Iranian threat.This cooperation raises the possibility and validates the concerns of some in Pakistan, that there is a joint US-Israel-India campaign against many other alarming trends in the region.
The Iranian blockade, combined with attacks on fuel containers coming to Afghanistan through Pakistan, is likely to put pressure on US operations against Taliban. The Stuxnet maneuver is also going to put a dent on US efforts to involve Iran in Afghan peace talks. Furthermore, Iran is also likely to retaliate in Lebanon, where the situation is already tense since the collapse of Saad Hariri’s coalition government.
