All Conflicted
The standoff between the IRI and the West and Arab countries has been reciprocally escalating last days. Besides the old conflict of IRI’s nuclear programme, new flare-ups stir the relations up:
–most Arab countries see the IRI behind the new conflicts in Lebanon and believe that the IRI is
fuelling a new civil war in Lebanon. Lebanese Hezbollah is an armed proxy group of the IRI.
–Arabs are disappointed by US support for Israel.
–the US warns the IRI.
–the IRI rebukes the two other sides.
Since the end of the World War 1, Lebanon is the bridge connecting the Middle Eastern culture and Europeans. Home to different languages and two main Abramian religions, Islam and Christianity, it has been battle ground for many foreign supported militias during the civil war. The country is now threatened to go through new civil war and instability for other countries.
Since the creation of proxy forces like the Phalange in the 70th by Israel and now Hezbollah by the IRI in 1982, peace is difficult to return for this beautiful Mediterranean ancient nation. Lebanon is in the eyes of Mullahs.
The Reactions by most Arab countries is expressed in Cairo last week. A part from Syria, Arab foreign ministers severely condemned IRI-led Hezbollah for recent clashes in Lebanon. As if this collective condemnation were not enough, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal warned again the IRI for having a hand in the violence that has shaken Beirut and other parts of Lebanon over the past week.
The standoff between Arabs and the IRI resulted into an unprecedented reaction from the IRI by recalling its ambassador to Iraq in protest of Baghdad’s support for a move by the United Arab Emirates to take ownership of three Persian Gulf islands. The Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa islands, which lie at a key access point to the Strait of Hormuz.
The relations between the IRI and Arab nations cannot escape from the newest bush visit of the region. U.S. President George W. Bush was in Saudi Arabia Friday discussing rising oil prices, but his three-day visit to Israel announced his full support for Israel.
The American president’s solidarity and pledges of continued U.S. support Israel have given Arabs great reason to raise doubts over his will or ability to broker peace deal solutions in the favour of all parts, including Palestine.
On the other hand, Iraq, Palestine and now Lebanon are the arenas of non-Arab conflicts, where the West and IRI attempt to mark their hegemony by supporting local militias.
The Islamic Republic needs a continuous, though limited, standoff with the outside to repress its own people inside while exporting political Islam in the region. The Arab countries feel disappointed and threatened by respectively the US and the IRI.
Arab countries let by Saudi Arabia are perplexed by IRI’s policy. King Abdullah has repeatedly expressed his concerns about IRI’s political and military ambitions in the region. He wants the IRI to suspend its nuclear programs, leave Iraq alone, and do not cause Shiite agitations in the region.
In this perspective, the IRI’s seniors now stir up the situation by blaming the US and UK of being behind the bomb blast in a “Hosseinieh” (Shiite mosque for religious ceremony). This was firstly reported an accident due to explosive left after an exhibition of arms. Intelligence Minister Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei repeated on Saturday that the saboteurs have been armed and trained to destabilise the country.
The IRI’s meddling in the region can fatally result in civil wars in countries like Lebanon, and can escalate into a wider regional conflict between Sunnites and Shiites.
Keeping the balance in the region needs more harmony among all countries, This a difficult task to those who know the history in this regard is not encouraging. The fate of Palestine, violations of all UN resolutions by Israel to withdraw the occupied lands and a state of Palestine remain all on the other side of coin.
The IRI and Israel are the two benefactors of regional conflicts.
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Jahanshah dear:)
All these countries in the region are frustrated and they all look for an opportunity to set aside the differences and focus on the things upon which they can build a healthy relationship. Middle East is promising, and the4 moment all the countries inside and all the countries who are involved in the region, together decide to let the region cool off and start an new chapter in the history, i cannot see any country not helping this happen. Jahanshah, I love Arabs, Iranians Israelis , Kurds, Baluchis, CHristians, Muslims, Sunnis, Shiites, Turks, Assyrians, Bahais, Hindus, I guess we all do, deep inside, we do not need to make a hole in the ship when we are all on board dear.
Things will change, in a way that the region will be stable for centuries, at least from a political point of view
Dear Elinor,
I feel relax each time I read your friendly style of cool comment. Hopefully, all politicians were so goodhearted and could put their divisions so easily aside.
Tell me where you live, your command of English lets me estimate that you live in an English speaking country or were brought up there–I have been living respectively in Iran, France and now live in Germany.
Your honesty to get rid of cruel differences must be an eye opening model for all, but unfortunately is not shared by all of us.In my view, this is a soft spot of our collective morality which still needs more evolutionary humanity.
Best
Jahanshah
Although I have some trouble following the alliances and intrigues with all the players and factions in Lebanon, I just wanted to say this:
I think that the recent flare-ups of violence and the war of last year, well, really suck! The Lebanese people have been working hard to get past all this crap, from trying to reform their system of government and getting away from outside agitation, to rebuilding their national infrastructure and cities after decades of brutal conflict. The pictures of a rebuilt Beruit I saw before the war really impressed me, but now it seems like all that is falling apart again, and it seems like it’s happening because of outside influences.
Lebanon has unfortunately turned into a test field in which many groups (not only Iran) give their ideas a try. Saudi Arabia itself is not an exception. Sometimes there is a temporary balance of power which results in a minimum stability, and other times one of the players decides to make a new game which results in instability. Nahr-al-Bared incident is a good example I think.
from the current developments in the region, however, I think that Syria-Israel peace negotiations (brokered by Turkey) is of a higher importance for it may potantially revive the hopes of an end to the chronic mideast conflict, in which case IRI will be even more isolated.
Dear Jahanshah, thank you for your kind words.
I guess we all believe in the same thing in essence.:) I think Middle Eadt is already pulling herself together and aiming for a brighter future, I can see that in the passionate posts of the youth, who are indeed the future of the region
Yours sincerely
Elinor from Iran