Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Iran … Facing the World | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Iran deals with its nuclear issue in the same manner that totalitarian regimes do, furthermore, it addresses the international community as if the state is a superpower that will impose its conditions upon the entire world. The passionate public statements by Iranian president Ahmadinejad that may still affect the feelings of some gullible people in Iran are the very statements that cause Iran to face some difficult responsibilities to which it can never commit.

A recent speech given by the Iranian president on 12 January 2006 focused on the Persian identity of the Gulf and his assertion that the Gulf will always remain Persian. Such statements are provocative and reflect narrow-mindedness as the gulf is an impartial area. To the Iranians, it remains the Persian Gulf and for the Arabs who live in the region, it is the Arabian Gulf. To return to the battle of the Persian or Arabian Gulf resembles the era of the Shah who would preoccupy people with insignificant arguments that lack any basis.

In the same address, the Iranian president had called upon the “American evil powers” to leave the gulf region, however, it would seem that he had forgotten that Iranian escalations with the Gulf states and its persistence in developing its nuclear programs will only lead to a global focus upon the entire region. The Iranian president fails to realize that the Gulf region is the main source of energy for the entire world and that all international powers, not only the United States, are concerned about the stability of this vital area. Iran, with its extremist policies, the most recent of which was removing the IAEA labels from its nuclear plants, is simply putting the region in danger. The Iranian nuclear reactor is only 100 kilometers away from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia whilst it is hundreds of kilometers away from the Iranian capital, Tehran. Iranian nuclear activity is surely a concern for all countries of the Gulf region and any nuclear catastrophe, even if unintentional, will lead to a Gulf Chernobyl. Where else would this lead the region and at what cost?

Iran wants to battle Israel. Iran wants to resume its nuclear activities despite international concerns. Iran seeks to dominate the Persian Gulf whilst at the same time it wants to oust the “American devil” from of the Gulf region. Such a narrow-minded mentality will cause the country many problems whilst it already suffers from unemployment, poverty and other hazardous social crises.

Ahmadinejad’s policies will lead to the aggravation of Iran’s severe social problems in because of his totalitarian ideology that does not recognize global changes.