Gisborne Herald
  • Gisborne Herald Home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport

Locations

  • Gisborne
  • Bay of Plenty
  • Hawke's Bay

Media

  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Opinion
Home / Gisborne Herald / Opinion

Middle East powder keg

Opinion by
Gisborne Herald
15 Jan, 2024 08:49 PMQuick Read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

As I earlier predicted, the Houthi rebels in Yemen appear to have “crossed the line” in attacking commerce in the Red Sea and Suez Canal.

I believe that the Houthis will use the responses of the US and the coalition of interested parties against them to try to draw Iran into a wider “warfare” with its traditional enemies who make up the coalition.

Of course, it does appear that past Iranian rhetoric against the US and Israel indicates that Iran would almost relish the opportunity of going to war with elements of the West, but one suspects that in terms of being ready for such warfare, it is too early to engage.

It appears that Iran will be faced with two choices in the short-term. It could continue to condemm the responses of the coalition, while exercising control over Iran’s Houthi proxies. Conversely, Iran could buy into the fray “boots and all”, knowing that if it did so, Israel — if not the US as well — would bomb its nuclear facilities out of existence.

Such an ignition of the political powder keg in the region would not ease the suffering of the Palestinians, but make it insufferably worse — if that were possible.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Dennis Pennefather

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Gisborne Herald

Gisborne Herald

How the Light Gets In: Portraits of place, people and connection

15 Sep 11:00 PM
Gisborne Herald

A quacking pace: Duck race fundraiser a $20k boost for Life Education Trust

15 Sep 10:18 PM
Gisborne Herald

Road blocked and one trapped after serious SH2 crash near Muriwai, Gisborne

15 Sep 09:40 PM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Gisborne Herald

How the Light Gets In: Portraits of place, people and connection
Gisborne Herald

How the Light Gets In: Portraits of place, people and connection

The exhibition opens Friday at Tairāwhiti Museum and runs until December.

15 Sep 11:00 PM
A quacking pace: Duck race fundraiser a $20k boost for Life Education Trust
Gisborne Herald

A quacking pace: Duck race fundraiser a $20k boost for Life Education Trust

15 Sep 10:18 PM
Road blocked and one trapped after serious SH2 crash near Muriwai, Gisborne
Gisborne Herald

Road blocked and one trapped after serious SH2 crash near Muriwai, Gisborne

15 Sep 09:40 PM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Gisborne Herald
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Gisborne Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP