Good Mohsen Milani Summarizes The Issue Best In His Article, “Iran's Game In Yemen Essay Example

Article Review Essay:

Mohsen Milani, David Ignatius, and Frederic Wehrey all tackle the growing conflict in the Middle East via the civil war in Yemen in light of the planned nuclear agreement between the U.S. and Iran. Even though the issues are similar within each article, the approach and point of view put forth by each other differs.

Why Tehran Isn't to Blame for the Civil War”: “The civil war in Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country, is a reflection of a fierce struggle between diverse sects and tribes, each with its own questionable past allegiances and activities” (Milani). This civil war has been going on for years, but only now has it emerged as a pivotal struggle for the surrounding Arabic countries. The most important aspect of the tensions in the Arabian Peninsula is that is sectarian between the Sunni and Shiite tribes. Each article under review comments on this issue of sectarianism in hopes of shedding light on the conflict while at the same time attempting to predict the future as things unravel between the U.S. and Iran.
Milani’s article goes into much detail regarding the history of the Yemen civil war by tracing back the tensions that led to the formation of the Houthi opposition. He does this in order to put forth his argument that Iran is not to blame for the civil war because it doesn’t have a vested interest in the country, and if anything, the civil war could prove detrimental to them as it would to any other surrounding nation. He goes further to point out that it would be inaccurate and wrong to “portray Saudi Arabia as a benevolent power” (Milani). The majority of his article is filled with excellent research and a comprehensive examination of the Yemen civil war and Iran’s role in it. Further in the article, he points on the motivation that Saudi Arabia might have in the Civil war and why this is creating a precarious situation on the peninsula. Lastly, he speculates on the future of the conflict with the upcoming nuclear deal that Iran and the U.S. are discussing, and urges Iran to take the Yemen conflict as an opportunity to “act responsibly to help stabilize the region” (Milani).
Wehrey’s article, “The Iran deal sharpens the Persian Gulf region’s sectarian divide,” tackles the Yemen conflict and the upcoming nuclear deal from a much more pessimistic point of view. His article is almost foreboding as to the future of the Arabian Peninsula. He examines the growing tensions in light of the nuclear deal, but like Milani, he also discusses the vested interests of parties involved in the conflict including the U.S., Iran, the Arab allies, and Yemen. This article, like Ignatius’s article, focuses on the U.S.’s position and role in the conflict but questions the desired results. Wehrey states, “They should also be leery of lending support to Arab interventions in fractured states that, while ostensibly undertaken for counter-terrorism aims or to check Iranian influence, often have more partisan agendas and end up exacerbating communal conflict” (Wehrey). More than anything, Wehrey’s article is one that examines the growing tensions and the potential for fallout in a variety of ways. The tone of the piece is filled with suspicion towards Iran, which is a distinct difference from Milani’s argument. However, Wehrey also points the blame at Saudi Arabia’s “Operation Decisive Storm” as exacerbating the conflicts in the region, and the entire article gives an impression of volatility throughout the Arabian Peninsula.
Ignatius’s article, “A tricky two-step in the Middle East,” takes a much different approach to the conflict, namely by championing the U.S. role in the conflict and outlining the various steps that the U.S. is taking to both provide security to the region and also deescalate the tensions with Iran. Much of the article is devoted to the Camp David Talks with the UAE. This article does pose some interesting side effects of the U.S.’s actions, specifically that of how much trust is the U.S. inspiring in Saudi Arabia: “Watching the United States cozy up with Iran, the Saudis and their neighbors must sometimes wonder which they are — friends or enemies” (Ignatius). Overall, however, Ignatius champions the U.S. for being direct and honest on all sides of the conflict. He expresses this viewpoint at the end of the article in reference to a statement made by Obama: “Such straight talk is part of a real friendship, and a real alliance” (Ignatius).

Works Cited

Ignatius, David. “A tricky two-step in the Middle East.” The Washington Post.” 21 April 2015. Web. 22 April 2015.
Milani, Mohsen. “Iran's Game in Yemen: Why Tehran Isn't to Blame for the Civil War.” Foreignaffairs. Com. 19 April 2015. Web. 20 April 2015.
Wehrey, Frederic. “The Iran deal sharpens the Persian Gulf region’s sectarian divide.” The Washington Post. 17 April 2015. Web. 20 April 2015.