The confrontation between the US and Iran risks spinning out of control. If the weekend attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities were launched by Iranian proxies, they will mark a reckless escalation both of Tehran’s resistance to US pressure and of its struggle for supremacy with its biggest regional rival. The incident has laid bare, too, the vulnerability of the Saudi oil industry despite its vast military spending — and the influence the kingdom still exerts on global crude prices despite the US shale boom. The pressure on President Donald Trump to retaliate may be irresistible. A wiser, though difficult, course would be to seek ways to de-escalate the situation.
美国与伊朗之间的对抗眼下有失控的风险。如果上周末针对沙特阿拉伯石油设施的袭击是由伊朗的代理人发动的，这将标志着伊朗对美方施压的反抗以及它与该地区最大竞争对手争夺霸权的斗争都出现不计后果的升级。该事件也暴露出沙特石油行业的脆弱性（尽管沙特军事开支巨大），以及沙特对manbetx app苹果 原油价格依然拥有的影响力（尽管有美国的页岩热潮）。美国总统唐纳德•特朗普(Donald Trump)可能面临着巨大的压力要进行报复。困难、但更明智的做法将是设法缓和眼下的紧张事态。