WHAT
MAKES IRAN
STRONG ENOUGH TO
STAND AGAINST A
SUPERPOWER LIKE THE
USA?
By
Elijah J. Magnier: @ejmalrai
17
July, 2019
During
the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s the Islamic Republic of Iran deployed
the slogan “Karbala, Karbala we are coming” ( كربلا
كربلا ما دارييم مياييم)
to “defend the value of Islam”. In Syria the battle cry “Zeinab
shall not be abducted twice” helped mobilise Shia allies and rally
thousands of men to fight the Sunni Takfiri of al-Qaeda and the
“Islamic State” (ISIS). Today, despite the existential battle
between Iran and the US, the “Islamic Republic” no longer uses
religious slogans, but is instead rallying support on a national
basis. Even Iranians who disagree with the present regime are
supporting their country in the face of the aggressive posture of the
US. Iranian pragmatists were disappointed by the US’s unlawful
revocation of the JCPOA nuclear deal. Severe sanctions are being
imposed on the Iranian people because Trump ditched the deal to
please Netanyahu and to spite his predecessor Obama. In the face of
these sanctions, the Islamic Republic refuses to bow to US dictates.
Unlike other Middle Eastern countries who willingly submit to Trump’s
blackmail and bullying, Iran says “NO” to the superpower. Why?
How can Iran do what Saudi Arabia and other regional powers could do
but will not?
Iran
manufactures its own tanks, missiles,submarines and is a member of
the global club of nuclear science capable countries.
Iran
has strong allies in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan and
Yemen and can rely on them to take part in any war imposed on Tehran,
even one imposed by the US.
Iran
has democratically elected members of the parliament and a President
who serves a four-year mandate and has the right for a single term
renewal if he wins via the ballot, unlike Arab states who have
presidents for life or inherited monarchies. Christians and Jews are
recognised minorities in Iran; the Jews have a member of the
Parliament, Siamak Moreh, and feel “safe and respected”. They
number around 15,000 out of 85 million Iranians and have more than 25
synagogues.
Iran
has faced US sanctions for over 40 years without bowing to US
demands. It has confronted the US in many arenas around the Middle
East and recently shot down a drone to send the clear message that it
is ready to face war and its consequences, if war is imposed on it.
Iran is ready to pay the price of defending its air, water and lands;
it will not compromise on any violations of its sovereignty even by a
superpower like the US. Iran is sending a message to the US, its main
ally Israel, and to all Middle Eastern countries: it will retaliate
harshly against any aggression.
Iran
is not afraid of regime-change attempts because its electoral system
is in the hands of the people, and, if hit internally, Iran has the
capacity to hit back anywhere its allies are deployed, against its
regional enemies wherever they are deployed.
Iran’s
situation should not be unique or surprising. It is natural to have
democratic institutions. It is normal for a country to have allies
ready to stand by and lend support when needed. It is ordinary for
any country to use force, when needed, to defend its sovereignty and
protect its borders. Citizens support their government and armed
forces when they defend the country against aggression and when their
rulers take tough and courageous decisions.
There
are no voices in Iran calling for the fall of the current regime
despite the US “maximum pressure”. The Iranian President
responded with “maximum patience” for 14 months before taking the
first legal step to partially withdraw from the nuclear deal. Rouhani
then moved towards a “confrontational strategy” and has ended up
adopting a “strategy of equal response” against any attack. The
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has no need of religious
slogans this time because Iranians are united, regardless of
ethnicity, behind their leaders and against the US. Trump has managed
to unite the pragmatists and the radicals under one flag, against
him.
Europe
rushed to play a mediation role in a failed attempt to ease tensions
between the US and Iran. European leaders have little leverage
against President Trump because they are far from united, even if
they are signatories of the JCPOA nuclear deal and are therefore
bound to respect it. Iran imposed on Europe the devising of a new
payment system, INSTEX, notwithstanding its lack of effectiveness.
INSTEX shows the will of European leaders to accommodate Iran in
order to stop its production of nuclear bombs. That is a substantial
European effort.
Iran
will not give up on its allies neither would they because they are at
the forefront of its national security and the defenders of its
values and existence. Without them a confrontational policy towards
US hegemony would not be possible. The harsh sanctions on Iran have
hurt its allies but have not deteriorated or even affected their
military capabilities.
Iran
will not give up on its missile capabilities because they are its
only defensive mechanism and potential. Iran is ready to go to war;
it will not abandon its missile production and development. It has
delivered many of these missile capabilities to allies in Palestine,
Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
Iran
will not submit to the blackmail by which Trump extorts hundreds of
billions of dollars from Middle Eastern countries by forcing them to
buy US weapons and spare parts. Middle Eastern countries, like Saudi
Arabia, the Emirates and Qatar, pay handsome ransoms to limit the
damage of Trump’s bullying.
If
all these Middle Eastern countries were to stand up against the
“neighbourhood bully” as Iran has done, and invest a fraction of
what they are paying Trump in the region’s development and
prosperity, the US would be incapable of racketeering Saudi Arabia,
Qatar and the Emirates.
And
last but not least, Iran rejects the plan Trump is attempting to
impose on the Palestinians: a demand that they sell their territories
for a handful of dollars. Many Middle Eastern countries have adopted
the childish plan of an amateur – Jared Kushner, who holds power
only because he is the US President’s son-in-law – who believed
he could achieve what many experienced presidents and diplomats
failed to do over decades. Iran, together with Iraq, Lebanon and
Kuwait, has rejected the “Deal of the Century”.
Trump
admits that he understands only “the language of figures and
money”. Iran’s response to the US blackmail strategy embodies the
perception that this world only respects and understands those who
manifest strength and refuse to submit to coercion, and its
conscience is only awakened by those who have the will to resist.
Proofread
by: C.G.B
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