In an exclusive interview with IRNA, the US veteran and journalist Gordon Duff's commented on the issue as follows:
IRNA: China, Russia, and Iran held joint naval drills on Friday for three days in the Gulf of Oman. How do you see the political significance and the timing of holding this military drill?
DUFF: This is a celebration of one of two things, either Trump’s advisors being so stupid as to build a coalition that will push the US out of the Middle East or that Trump really is a Russian agent. Based on Trump’s financial history, in that he has been totally funded by Russian gangsters since 1990 when he was totally bankrupt, Trump is likely being influenced to destroy American influence in Asia.
No one is either that stupid, to put Russia in with both Turkey and Iran and then to watch Syria partner militarily with China and Russia. This is a total disaster for the US but seemingly not for Trump.
IRNA: Do you think that this joint naval drill has any long-term strategic consequences? Do you see it as an indication of changing power equilibrium in West Asia?
DUFF: China is using the drills to leverage itself against the US in the Pacific, by stepping into the Middle East, where the US at one time was preeminent. The concern in the US is China’s level of military spending, 2nd only to the US and far greater than Russia. With both China and Russia developing hypersonic nuclear capabilities, the American ploy of bankrupting both Russia and China with an arms race has failed at its beginning. These strategic weapons leave the US defenseless and will force many many billions to be moved from expanding power into developing defensive capabilities.
IRNA: How does the US government view this joint Chinese-Iranian-Russian naval drills?
DUFF: Thus far the US has been silent. There really is no one left to speak up and it is obvious that the Pentagon is deeply concerned but Trump has removed the generals that once surrounded him and America’s military no longer has a voice on such issues.
IRNA: What do you think the message of this naval drills could be to the US-led Naval coalition in the Persian Gulf?
Iran’s missile capability has always made coalition naval efforts in the Persian Gulf symbolic at best. The US had begun, as early as 2004, moves toward forcing an armed conflict with Iran over the Straits of Hormuz, something that was never to materialize despite attempts led by rogue elements at 5th Fleet HQ in Bahrain.
IRNA: Unlike China, Russia has already had a significant naval presence in the Middle East. What is the importance of this three-day military drill for the Chinese naval expansion in West Asia?
DUFF: China has developed the naval capability to support both trade and investment, which began some years ago with China’s development of the Port of Gwadar in Pakistan. Since that time, China has sought not just trade relations but access to vital materials as well, leading them to Afghanistan and across Africa.
However, without sufficient naval air capability and land-based aircraft as well, something the US leads in by some consideration, China’s maritime moves will be “show the flag” only, meaning far more political than military.
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