China-Iran cooperation is a threat for the Middle East, warns US think tank

Washington: – The US think tank, Gatestone Institute, has warned ‘The Chinese investment of $400 billion and the military cooperation with Iran, will pose a threat to the security of the Gulf region. This cooperation also poses a threat to the US interests in the region from the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean.’ The think tank also warned that the Iranian announcement regarding the Indian Ocean region, made even before this announcement of Chinese investment, is also a cause for concern to the United States.

Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, the chief of the Naval Wing of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, made a major announcement regarding the Indian Ocean sector. Tangsiri announced that Iran would be building an independent military base in the Indian Ocean region, by March 2021. Tangsiri claimed that this base would be useful for the security of the Iranian fishing boats and freight ships, from foreign ships and pirates. The US think tank has claimed that the mention of foreign ships, is regarding the US warships patrolling the marine region, from the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean. Iran did not clarify the details of the exact location of the base. The think tanks claimed that Iran gave some different indications, announcing the Chinese investment, just two days after this announcement.

Under this agreement worth billions of dollars, China will be using the Iranian ports for trade and military purposes. The US think tank also drew attention to the fact that these will include the Chabahar port, along with the other ports of Iran. The think tank warned that in this scenario, China would be able to keep a watch on the movements of warships of the United States and its allies. The think tank also said that not only in the Persian Gulf, the movements of the US warships in the Indian Ocean also will be under the Chinese threat. The think tank clarified that the strategically important US naval base at Diego-Garcia islands, in the Indian Ocean, has the biggest threat from this Iran-China military cooperation. The concerned think tank warned that the military cooperation between Iran and China would augment the military capabilities of Iran, which will be a threat for the security of the US allies from this region, resulting in an increase in instability in the region.

Meanwhile, concerns have already been expressed regarding this Chinese investment, worth billions of dollars in Iran. Western media had warned that the Chinese investment would make Iran well-armed again and an arms race will be triggered in the Gulf region. Moreover, the warning issued by the US think-tank also points to the fact that the Indian interests in the Indian Ocean region, also could be under threat from this Iran-China military cooperation.