Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Will we pay for Iran’s madness? | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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The most dangerous thing in the ideology and policy of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp [IRGC] is its support, funding and arming of organization involved in armed struggles far away from Iran’s regional borders. This means that should these struggles escalate into full-blown wars, Iran will be safe from the fire.

Based on this logic, Iran backed the Huthi rebels in Yemen, various armed groups in Somalia, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon not to mention the Sudanese army against Southern Sudan.

All these regions are far from Iran’s borders and outside of the sphere of influence of Iran’s national security.

Regardless of the Iranian denials and Israeli attestation of the existence of an arms factory producing weapons for Iran in Sudan, the reality is that this factory remains on fire today. This fire – not to mention the sounds of explosions –would not continue unabated in this manner in a factory that was producing harmless toys or sewage pipes!

During the Bill Clinton era, the US targeted a similar factory in Sudan. Whereas this time, Israel took the initiative to prevent the manufacturing of Iranian-design surface-to-surface missiles that were going to be sent to Gaza via the Egyptian-Sudanese border.

Ultimately, Sudan, Egypt and Hamas will be held responsible for the Iranian manufacturing of such missiles.

For when Israel responds, this will not be against Iran, but rather Sudan, Egypt or Hamas.

There is nothing easier than playing the proxy-war game, utilizing proxies and the territory of others to hit one’s target, without risking any direct reaction.

The logic behind igniting the region, which Iran has adopted under the pretext of “supporting and strengthening the resistance”, is nothing more than using good words with bad intentions.

We all are being used as tools of a regional Iranian nuclear project that ultimately has nothing to do with us. We are not part of this nuclear project, nor can we sit idly by and watch this farce!

Iran has every right to fight a war – whether a large-scale conflict or a minor skirmish – against whoever it likes whenever it likes. This is a sovereign national decision, and Iran – as a sovereign state – is entitled to take such decisions. Yet, Iran is not entitled to jeopardize our national security, or the security and safety of our people, as part of a futile conflict against the so-called “Great Satan”, namely the US.

If Iran wants to fight the US or Israel, it must wage such wars away from our national security.

If it is true that modern geo-politics means that we are neighbours with Iran, then we must use our wisdom and insight to avoid the forthcoming hellish and insane war!