THESE ARE THE FRIENDS AND ENEMIES OF THE UNITED STATES IN A DREADED GREAT WAR:

It will not be a traditional war!

Both the United States and Iran have allies that can join a major war in the region.

US liquidation of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani (62) on Friday has led to a rampant escalation in the tense US-Iran conflict. Soleimani was considered Iran's second most powerful person, and was, among other things, responsible for the country's defense strategy.

LAST: The US force in Iraq has informed the military authorities in the country that they are preparing to travel. The United Kingdom also brings home embassy staff from Iran and Iraq.

On Sunday, the killed general was hailed by hundreds of thousands of Iranians who said goodbye to him while carrying the coffin through Tehran. On Monday, tributes continued during a memorial in the capital.

Iran has sworn revenge on the US for the Soleimani killing, while President Donald Trump has threatened to hit 52 Iranian targets if Iranians decide to retaliate.

If full war breaks out between Iran and the United States, there is a danger that more parties will be involved in the conflict.

These are the United States and Iran's allies

Middle East expert and senior researcher at NUPI, Kjetil Selvik, says both the US and Iran have allies that could be drawn into a possible conflict.

- Who are the US allies in the region in the event of a possible military conflict with Iran, Selvik?

- It is primarily Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. But then there are other countries that have US military bases, such as Qatar and Kuwait. Compared to the first three - Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - Qatar and Kuwait have tried to have some kind of middle position. But should a military conflict occur, the fact that they have US military bases makes it clear that they will end up on the US side, Selvik told Nettavisen.

Also read: Iran tearing apart new part of nuclear deal

Selvik says Jordan also has close ties to the United States, but he is unsure how they would relate to a possible major war in the region.

- Who are Iran's allies?

- Iran's allies are primarily non-governmental groups, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon. The countries closest to Iran are Iraq and Syria. Iraq wants to stay away, while Syria does not have much to contribute because they have more to secure their own survival, says Selvik.

- What about Hamas on the Gaza Strip?

"If a confrontation were to include a war with Israel, it is obvious which side Hamas would stand on," says Selvik.

- What significance will the major powers Russia and China have in any major US-Iran conflict?

- Russia would have a role as Iran's most important military partner. Iran and Russia have developed closer cooperation through the Syrian conflict. Not many people believe that Russia would come to the rescue of Iran, but they would have been on Iran's side of the UN Security Council and could provide arms support and other military supplies. China is less likely to engage in military. But China is also likely to support Iran in the Security Council, says Selvik.

Both Russia and China are permanent members of the Security Council and can thus veto sanctions proposals.

- The risk of major conflict is greater than for a long time

- Do you think there is likely to be a major conflict in the region where allies of the US and Iran are also involved?

- It is difficult to assess the probability, but let's say the danger is greater than it has been in a long time, because Iran has been under severe economic pressure for quite a long time. This starting point has created anger and frustration in Iran. A trigger that killed Soleimani, who was an Iranian symbol and a very central figure in the regime, sets strong emotions in the swing, he says.

Doubts on NATO contributions

The United States is, as is known, the largest military contributor to the NATO Alliance. NATO expert and senior researcher at NUPI, Karsten Friis, doubts that any conflict between Iran and the US in the Middle East could trigger NATO's Article 5.

In short, Article 5 of the NATO Defense Pact means that any attack on a NATO member state should be considered an attack on all NATO member states.

- What is needed to trigger NATO's Article 5, Friis?

- The formal action is that a war action must be taken and the party concerned convenes a meeting of the North Atlantic Council and asks the other member states to assist. NATO's Article 5 is not automatically triggered, even with a scenario where tanks are rolling across the border. Article 5 is vaguely worded and requires political will, Friis tells Nettavisen.

Also read: These are Iran's possible revenge options

Friis does not believe that a possible Iranian attack on a US embassy will be sufficient grounds for the United States to ask the organization for military support, but he does not rule out that some NATO countries that are members of the coalition against IS may be involved.

- So you don't think NATO as an organization can get involved in a major war in the Middle East?

- No I do not think so. But that important NATO countries could be involved in acts of violence is conceivable. We do not know what Iran will do, says Friis.

- It is important to distinguish between NATO countries and NATO as an organization. Several NATO countries, including Norway, cooperate closely with US military bases in the region, where the fight against IS (the Islamic State) has been the framework.

- It won't be a traditional war. Iran cannot hit the US mainland, but only their bases. It is a bit limited what such a war can lead to and how big it can become, he says.

Urgent meeting in NATO

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday convened an emergency meeting in NATO to discuss the tense situations following the Soleimani liquidation.

- It is natural for NATO to talk about this, but at the same time there is political disagreement between European countries and the United States. Europe has not exactly rejoiced that the US has liquidated Soleimani, says Friis.

- The meeting that takes place today has a secondary function. There are first and foremost political discussions. The secondary effect is to show that NATO is not brain dead, Friis says, referring to French President Emmanuel Macron's comment on NATO's lack of political will in the Syrian conflict.

NATO's Article 5 has only been triggered once during the Alliance's 70-year history. It happened after the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11 in 2001.

- Then it was the other NATO countries who took the initiative themselves in the North Atlantic Council. This was more of an offer to the United States for assistance. And as the war in Afghanistan developed, this was a welcome for the United States, says Friis.

- Allies fear retaliation

Over the past decades, often through General Suleimani, Iran has worked intensively to forge close ties with armed groups in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Many of these allied groups are within reach to attack US allies in the region, as well as US forces in the area, writes The New York Times.

Many fear that Iran could avenge the liquidation of Soleimani by attacking US allies in the region, rather than directly attacking the US, which will trigger a spiral of violence with the superpower, the newspaper writes.

- The whole region is very nervous, as we are in unplowed soil. It is absolutely impossible to know what will happen next, because anything can be a goal, says senior researcher and Middle East expert at the New America Foundation, Taufiq Rahim, to The New York Times.

Although many of the United States allies in the region are satisfied that the Americans took the life of Soleimani, they are particularly careful to pay tribute to the killing.

- Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states are completely silent. They do not want to stir up the Iranians, because the situation in the region is so delicate, so divisive, so sensitive, that one does not want to pour gasoline on the fire, Saudi Arabian Khalid al-Dakhil told the same newspaper.

Facts about Qasem Soleimani

* Born March 11, 1957, son of an Iranian farmer.

* Worked in youth as a construction worker, joined after the Revolution in 1979 to the Revolutionary Garden.

* Rapidly rose in the ranks during the Iraq-Iran war in the 1980s, where he was also seriously wounded.

* Established close cooperation with Kurdish and Shiite militia groups in Iraq during the war.

* After the war, he was given command of the Revolutionary Guards forces in Kerman Province, where he gained great recognition for cracking down on extensive heroin smuggling from Afghanistan.

* In 1998, was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Guard's elite force, the Quds Force.

* The Quds force is believed to have between 10,000 and 20,000 members, who conduct special operations and intelligence operations in Iran's neighboring countries and elsewhere in the world.

* The force, under Soleimani's command, has been central to Iraq and Syria's defeat of far-flung groups such as IS and al-Qaeda.

* Soleimani is considered the chief architect of Iran's support for the regime in Syria, militia groups in Iraq, as well as groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine.

* Were liquidated in a targeted US drone attack at the airport in Iraq's capital Baghdad on January 3.

Nadir Munir Khan

The Iranians demand revenge for the murder of their main strategist. But how?

ISTANBUL (NRK): When the United States liquidated Iran's most powerful general on Trump's orders, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei promised brutal revenge. But what opportunities do Iranians have?

For more than 20 years, Qasem Soleimani drew the strings without knowing much about him. After fighting in the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, he volunteered to serve in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. From 1998 he led the Quds Force, Revolution Gardens elite group operating outside Iran's borders.

The past 20 years, General Soleimani has built up Iranally supported Milises and acquired allies throughout the Middle East. Thus, he ensured that Iran gained considerable political influence and military power in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. He was of Iran's most powerful men.

When Iran struck against its enemies through its allerte, it was on the orders of General Soleimani.

Now the murder of Iran's most important military strategist is to be retaliated. But how?

Avenge his former boss?

The man who used to make the decisions is dead.

Esmail Qaani takes over the leadership of the Quds force after Soleimani, and perhaps it is him who gives the order to avenge his former boss.

Iran has more opportunities and planned the final settlement with the United States for decades. But what STRATEGI will the Irans leaders go for?

Iran can either respond with several minor attacks over time or choose itself an equal strategic goal as the US did 3. January. But taking the life of a Central American politician or general can have greater consequences than anyone wants. The United States is also a NATO country.

Neither Iran nor the United States wants a full war.

Conversely, the two enemies prefer to fight as before, on the land of others and through intermediaries, as in Iraq.

Will Hezbollah attack Israel?

General Soleimani created impactful "middlemen" in the form of militancy to strengthen Iran's grip in the Middle East. One of them is Shiite Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Through Hezbollah, Iran can attack America's closest allies. The Shiite militia has bases in southern Lebanon at the border of Israel and has attacked Israel several times as in 2006.

Then the militia killed THREE IDF soldiers and kidnapped two. Israel saw this as a declaration of war and went to war against Lebanon, which allowed the Hezbollah to attack Israel from its territory.

But attacking Israel is risky, for Israel will not hesitate to respond with powerful funds also inside Iran.

Prime Minister Netanyahu fights for his political life now and needs external enemies more than ever.

U.S. bases are postponed

Besides the embassy in Baghdad, the United States also has a consulate in Erbil, in Kurdish northern Iraq.

In addition, a large number of Americans work in the oil industry in the country.

In Iraq, Iranian-supported militia groups in the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) umbrella organization, better known as al-Hashd al Shabi can be ordered to attack Us bases, soldiers or interests in the country.

It has, after all, to judge happened before in 1983, when strong forces would prevent the United States from interfering in the civil war in Lebanon.

Then a suicide bomber drove a car fully loaded by explosives to The United states Embassy in Beirut. 63 people were killed. Islamic Jihad, a group of ties to Iranian-backed Hezbollah, took on the responsibility. But like so often, if Iran was behind, they left no daming evidence.

U.S. troops live dangerously

When Donald Trump decided to pull the United States troops out of northern Syria, he still left a group to guard the oil installations northeast of the country.

Will Iran strike against these vulnerable soldiers through its allies?

In particular, in Syria and Iraq, Iran is strongly present militarily and politically.

Will Iran strike against U.S. 5000 troops in Iraq?

The United States also has forces in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the Emirates. And Iran has milises in Iraq, Yemen, and Syria.

But aware of the danger of US nationals throughout The Middle East now, many homes are to be called.

United States ' alllisted

Iran may also come to strike Against US Arab allies in the Middle East, which is nevertheless Iran's enemies. Sunni Saudi Arabia is the largest rival in the Shiite of Iran.

In September 2019, some two facilities attacked the heart of Saudi Arabia's state oil production Saudi Aramco. The Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have close ties with Iran, took on the responsibility.

Was it Iran's Revolutionary Guards who had given the order? No one knows for sure.

But attacking Saudi Arabia can open to a regional big war, which throws an already explosive and war-torn region into a new conflict, which also gets major consequences for the oil market and the world economy.

Will Iran turns to the Strait of Hormuz?

The Strait of Hormuz between the Gulf of Oman and The Persian Gulf is strategic and important for the world economy. 20 percent of the world's crude oil is transported on ships through the narrow strait along Iran's coast.

Both the United States and the US allies have a large number of oil tankers and naval ships that are easy targets for Iran in this waters. But if Iran attacks an American ship, the United States can respond by attacking Iran's oil installations on land.

When two ships were attacked in the Gulf of Oman in the summer of 2019, no one took blame. Iran rejected the fact that they were behind. The United States thought that the Revolutionary Guard carried out the attacks, but there was no other evidence. But the incident created a lot of international unrest.

Iran has the possibility of closing the Strait of Hormuz for traffic, which will send the oil price to heaven. But the Iranians calculate enough carefully what the response will be, before they avenge the deaths of one of their most important military strategists. Iran that is burdened by economic sanctions must also consider what the U.S. response to Iran's retaliation will be.

Currently, Irans and the USA's leaders mostly on Twitter.

And Trump threatens more attacks and revenge for the Amerian hostages Iran held for 444 days 40 years ago .

Will Jewish targets be affected?

Iran's toughest enemy in the Middle East is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition partners. Both Israeli and Jewish targets outside the Middle East may be relevant again.

In 1994, a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires was struck by a powerful bomb. 85 people lost their lives and 300 were injured. Argentine authorities issued an arrest warrant for Iran's then president Rafsanjani and seven others. Argentina believed that Hezbollah performed the assault on orders from Iran, some Iranian leaders have denied.

The attack in Argentina showed that Iran's supporters can strike targets throughout the world.

But if Iran were to choose a similar symbolic objective, the prestry could expect harsh reactions from Israel.

The loss of such a powerful Iranian military strategist requires retribution, is modest from Tehran. The answer comes in a few days or weeks.

You are the creator

Let's imagine for a few moments what our life would be like if we could access let's say 20% of our brain's capacity If you want to have something shows up in your life. The kind of person you would like to become manifest something new into your life something powerful, whatever it might be you obviously must first be able to imagine it.

Your imagination can do all that you ask in proportion to the degree of your attention.

So what kind of attention do you place on your desires?

Einstein's most famous quote one of his most famous observations. He said imagination is more important than knowledge.

Knowledge is limited Imagination encircles the world

logic will get you from A to B, but imagination will take you everywhere.

Make your future dream a present fact by assuming the feeling of

the wish fulfilled. That which you feel yourself to be you are and

you are given that which you are. So assume the feeling that would be yours were you already in possession of your wish and

your wish must be realized so live in the feeling of being the to be and that you shall be if this assumption about what you would like to become is persisted in until it becomes your dominant feeling, the attainment of your ideal is Absolutely inevitable.

You must first assume the feeling of a wish fulfilled in all aspects of your life, don't allow anybody else opinions. Don't allow what it says on the internet. Don't allow the research. Don't allow what anybody out there tells you is possible or not possible for you if you advance confidently in the direction of your dreams and endeavor to live the life, which you have imagined you will meet with a success unexpected in common hours it will chase after you if you can place into your Imagination. What it is that you would like to attract and begin to feel it.

Start retraining your subconscious mind and your subconscious mind

it responds to what it is that you suggest to it The subconscious mind moves your life 96 to 97 percent of everything that you do is done as a result of your subconscious mind. And when your subconscious mind gets programmed it goes ahead and responds to whatever it is. Your conscious mind has placed into it You are the creator this is the mystery.

This is the great secret known by the seers and prophets and mystics throughout the ages. This is the truth that you can never know

intellectually. Many of you as I have been as I am are where you are in. your life Based upon what you believe and it's not just what you think. You believe on the surface It's also your shadow beliefs that are holding you back from moving into the life, that you believe You deserve.

What I know is if you're not looking at the shadows if you're not looking at what is subconsciously running through the tape in your mind telling yourself. You're not good enough. You're not worthy enough. You're not smart enough. You're not enough. Which is a tape that's playing for a lot of people, if you're not conscious of that then you end up acting out of the belief system, and not out of what you know to be the truest,

 Or want to be the choice for yourself.

You are where you are today in part because of what you've been saying about yourself. Words are like seeds when you speak something out. You give life to what you're saying if you continue to say it eventually. That can become a reality you are planting seeds when you talk at some point, you're going to eat that fruit. My challenge is making sure You're planning the right kind of seeds if you want apples, you have to sow apple seeds. If you want oranges, you can't plant cactus seeds poison ivy seeds, mushroom seeds. You're going to reap fruit from the exact seeds that you've been sowing in other words.

You can't talk negative and expect to live a positive life. You can't talk defeat and expect to have victory. You can't talk lack you're not enough, can't afford it. Never get ahead and expect to have abundance if you have a poor mouth. You're going to have a poor life. And this is great when we're saying things like I'm blessed, I'm strong, I will accomplish my dreams, I'm coming out of there.

That's not just being positive. You are prophesying victory Prophesy and success prophesy new levels. And your life will move in the direction of your words. But too many people go around prophesy on just the opposite. I never get any good brights. I'll never get back in shape. Business is slow. I'll probably get laid off, Flu season is here. I always get it. They don't realize they prophesy and defeat It's just like they're calling in bad breaks mediocrity lack.

You don't become what you want because so much of wanting is about

living in the space of what you don't have. That's why Jim Carrey's story is so powerful Because he started to act as though, he already had it. He would go up to Mulholland Drive. He would drive away sing thinking. I already have those things I just haven't accessed them as yet I believe.

Those things are going to come to me and I'm going to act like they are

so. I'm gonna move forward in my life in order to Draw that to myself in such a way that my actions are in alignment with what I say, I believe.

So if you start to think about that really why are you where you are in your life the choices that you have made?

Have been because of what you believe to be true for yourself.

The time is now to express and for people to believe in themselves. The time is now for it to be okay to be great people in this world, shun people for being great for being a bright color for standing out. But the time is now to be okay to be the greatest you. You can talk yourself out of your destiny.

Negative words can keep you from becoming who you were created to be. Don't fall into that trap quit, calling in defeat quit, talking about how it's not going to happen. You should wipe down your write down, what you want to see happen in life. Any areas that you're struggling in where you need to improve write it down like it's already done and then every day declare that decree weed over it a couple of times out loud. It's not enough to just think it something happens when we speak.

Do you have to puff aside your future?

Those words will get down on the inside of you. They'll not only change your outlook, but they will change who you are your words will become your reality.