The United States is in an increasingly difficult position in the Middle East, facing a direct challenge from the Houthis and successive attacks on multiple military bases. The US authorities are well aware that behind these adversaries is Iran's backing. Washington's logic is that as long as Iran can be suppressed, tensions in the Middle East could be resolved.
The latest U.S. news reports reveal that Biden may take tougher measures against Iran, including confiscation of Iranian assets and military strikes. Although this news has not been officially confirmed, it is not groundless, as the US military has begun to send a large number of transport aircraft to the Middle East.
Iran also reacted quickly by putting its air defense systems on maximum alert. This series of measures by the United States and Iran shows a tense confrontation situation.
Against this backdrop, five Middle Eastern countries – Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia – unexpectedly became new members of the BRICS cooperation, while another 34 countries also submitted. The BRICS, led mainly by China and Russia, has always kept a low profile and avoided confrontation with Western-led countries. However, now the BRICS is suddenly expanding its membership, four of which are the main forces in the Middle East, and this action has undoubtedly put great strategic pressure on the United States.
Although the BRICS cooperation organization is not a military alliance, there is a cooperative relationship between member countries. This means that if any member state is attacked, it will not only hurt economic cooperation, but other member states will not be able to sit idly by. Some countries may provide military support, while others may provide resource support, such as Russia may provide direct military assistance.
Given the current pattern of warfare, it is difficult for the US military to replicate the swift victory over Iran in the "Gulf War." More likely, the U.S. military will be locked in a prolonged stalemate. At the same time, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has already distracted European countries, and the Western allies of the United States may not be able to provide resource support in the future, but may instead turn to the United States for help.
Even if the United States forces its allies to send troops, Western militaries are likely to behave negatively, which will exacerbate the strategic burden on the United States. In the long run, the United States may not only fail to safeguard its interests in the Middle East, but may even lose its status as a global hegemon.
The current predicament of the United States is not unrelated to the strategic layout of China and Russia. At the United Nations meeting, China and Russia abstained from condemning the Houthi attack on the freighter, which led to a strategic miscalculation by the United States. This was followed by several rounds of U.S. strikes against the Houthis, and the situation spiraled out of control.
Now, with the four countries of the Middle East quickly becoming members of the BRICS, this shows that China and Russia have long anticipated the next move of the United States and are strategically arranged. In this way, even if the United States takes tough measures against Iran despite all odds, it may face a more serious challenge, because China and Russia may have more means to confront this "world hegemon".