Shireen Hunter: Nothing's certain about Iranian plot. 'The United States announced a plot was foiled to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington, which it linked to Iran. But before passing final judgment and acting upon this information, it would be prudent to ask cui bono -- who profits from this affair? In this sense, Iran has everything to lose and its regional rivals everything to win. ...'
Jeffrey Toobin: How strong is the case against Iran plot suspect? 'In all, then, the case against Arbabsiar may well be airtight. Certainly, this fellow is in a world of trouble, and in the end, he may even decide to plead guilty and become an informant himself. But Arbabsiar may well fight to the end. Cases only become more complicated over time, and there's every reason to think that this one will, too. The case arrived with great and surprising suddenness, but it may now be a long slog to a jury verdict and beyond.'
Reza Sayah: Some analysts skeptical of alleged Iranian plot.
Did an elite branch of Iran's military handpick a divorced, 56-year Iranian-American used-car salesman from Texas to hire a hitman from a Mexican drug cartel to assassinate the ambassador to Saudi Arabia by blowing up a bomb in a crowded restaurant in Washington?
U.S. officials say they are certain the bizarre plot against Ambassador Adel Jubeir was real.
But some analysts say they are not. They find it unlikely that the Iranian government, or legitimate factions within, would be involved in such a tangled plot. ...
Remarks. Should I start with Sayah's unnamed, omniscient "analysts"? Or perhaps with Toobin's penetrating conclusion that "the case against Arbabsiar may well be airtight ... he may even decide to plead guilty and become an informant himself. But Arbabsiar may well fight to the end." May he really? Never mind, we'll just have to wait and see how it plays out.