The Middle East Situation

Tension has continued to rise on the Gulf battlefront, with both sides pointing to a major build-up of Iranian forces and preparations for a large-scale offensive - though Iranian leaders have hinted that the expected attack is unlikely to be imminent. The visit to Riyadh by Iranian Foreign Minister Velayati has dampened the GCC's hopes of inducing a change in Tehran's refusal to make peace with Iraq. Despite their basic differences over both the Gulf war...