Middle East Watch

During an interview that aired on Thursday’s broadcast of Fox News Channel’s “Special Report,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed his country would continue to resist the U.S. military strikes and other actions aimed at his country.

He also dismissed claims that Iran’s actions were based on the U.S. election calendar.

Partial transcript as follows:

BAIER: I just have a couple of other questions. One, in March, you warned that without a cease-fire, the Iranian economy could collapse. That was back in March. It could collapse within three weeks to a month. You warned without a cease-fire the economy could collapse within three weeks to a month. That was six months ago. Your own statistics agency says the Iranian economy shank 10 percent. Inflation is skyrocketing. The rial has lost more than half of its value in a year. Oil loadings fell from 2 million barrels a day to about 250,000 barrels.

So in that environment, how long can Iran last?

PEZESHKIAN (through translator): This is something that has been the doing of the United States. We will keep resisting. We will find ways, and the life of our country will continue. We will remain. And Trump kept saying, I want to bring a gift to the people of Iran, but the gift that they brought us were guided missiles, heavy weapons, and destruction. What they truly wish to do is to instigate incidents in the country that paves the way for the downfall of the system of the society, of the government.

BAIER: So were you wrong in March about the time frame or is the economy collapsing now?

PEZESHKIAN (through translator): We will keep resisting until the very end. Yes, we do have economic issues, certainly. But in order to remain, we will go through any hardship and endure. If America thinks that they can keep sanctioning us…

It’s still slash-and-snap time in the Middle East, and not just in the Strait of Hormuz; Saudi Arabia is still contending with the Houthis, who are pushing closer to Saudi territory, as well as dealing with the aftermath of a drone attack on a critical pipeline that originated in Iraq. Now, though, the Saudis may be getting some aid from a rather unexpected quarter.

On Thursday, French President Emanuel Macron announced that France will be sending troops and equipment to Saudi Arabia, to help defend a critical refinery and pipeline.

President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France plans to send troops to Saudi Arabia to help protect a refinery and crude oil pipeline in the Red Sea port of Yanbu, ramping up France’s military efforts to contain the impact of the Iran war.

“We are going to send military assets, that is, soldiers, radar systems, and defense systems to protect this site,” Macron said in a TV interview on Thursday. However, he stressed that France was “not getting involved in any conflict,” adding that the decision had been finalized with Saudi authorities.

Yanbu has been one of the main supply nodes for diesel, crude oil and other refined products to Europe since the Iran war began, allowing Saudi exports to avoid the Strait of Hormuz. This month, however, pro-Iranian militias in Iraq damaged the pipeline in a drone attack, shutting it down. Last week, a Houthi attack damaged the Yasref refinery in the area, forcing it to shut down.

The French president evaded a question about the possible deployment of French combat aircraft, also noting that the French troops will not be engaged in any direct conflict; it would seem to be difficult to defend these installations against any attack without being engaged in any direct conflict, although it’s possible that the presence of not only more troops but troops from a NATO nation may deter some attacks. To date, though, the Houthis haven’t shown much in the way of reticence.