Introduction to Iran’s Teocratic Regime and Its Enemies
Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, following the overthrow of the Shah and Ayatollah Khomeini’s rise as the revolution’s leader, Iran’s theocratic regime has clearly identified two enemies it deemed necessary to eliminate from the face of the earth. The first, “The Great Satan,” referring to the United States, and the second, Israel, representing a heresy for this totalitarian thought that admits no plurality.
Iran’s 46-Year Strategy to Eliminate Enemies
For the past 46 years, the option to destroy these “malign elements” has been present in Iran’s military strategy and the minds of its leaders. This strategy has included constant attacks on U.S. interests in the region, as well as orchestrating terrorist attacks against the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires and Jewish community offices in the same city. The goal of physically annihilating Western individuals and institutions has been a central part of the Iranian regime’s state policy.
Iran’s Expansion and Support for Chiite Groups
This expansion has led to the emergence of Shiite groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, as well as militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. The partial control over Sunni groups like Hamas and the coordination of an attack on Aramco’s oil facilities in Saudi Arabia in 2022 demonstrate Iran’s growing influence and military capabilities.
Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions
In recent decades, the central project of Iran’s theocratic regime has been acquiring nuclear weapons as a means to impose conditions in the Middle East. While diplomacy has partially contained this strategy, Iran’s pursuit of enriched uranium would grant them extraordinary power without adequate controls to prevent misuse of this deadly weapon.
Iran’s Persistent Nuclear Rhetoric
Although numerous countries possess nuclear weapons, the Iranian regime insists on its narrative that repeatedly affirms its open intention to destroy Israel and attack the United States and, by extension, the Western world. With dwindling regional allies, acquiring a nuclear capability has become indispensable for Khamenei.
The Trump-Netanyahu Decision and the Nuclear Threat
The joint decision by Trump and Netanyahu to strike Iran’s military apparatus and nuclear facilities stems from internal political matters of both leaders. However, the fundamentalist threat to destroy their historical adversaries remains real and not a pretext for other ambitions.
The Dilemma of Intervention vs. Nuclear Proliferation
Attempting to impose an alternative regime in Iran from outside would be as suicidal as allowing the ayatollahs to possess nuclear weapons.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who are Iran’s identified enemies according to its theocratic regime? The United States (The Great Satan) and Israel.
- What strategies has Iran employed to counter these enemies? Constant attacks on U.S. interests in the region and orchestrating terrorist attacks against Western targets.
- What is Iran’s primary goal in recent decades? Acquiring nuclear weapons to impose conditions in the Middle East.
- Why has Iran persisted in its nuclear rhetoric despite international pressure? To affirm its open intention to destroy Israel and attack the United States.
- What are the consequences of inaction regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions? Allowing the ayatollahs to possess nuclear weapons poses a significant threat.
