Why the conflict with Iran
The Iranian revolution began with an aggressive anti-Western and therefore an anti-American position immediately translated into action in the storming of the American Embassy in Tehran and in holding the American Embassy employees hostage for 444 days. Ever since then America was described in Iranian parlance as “the Great Satan”, with Israel viewed as a lackey of the US and accorded the title “the Little Satan”. As an important stage in the international spread of Shi’ite Islam, the Litte Satan was to be destroyed, ultimately to be followed by the destruction of the Great Satan, the worldwide triumph of Islam and the eschatological reign of the Mahdi.
Iran has relentlessly pursued those goals ever since, for 47 years, initiating, planning, executing, aiding and abetting the deaths of hundreds of Americans, developing its military capabilities, seeding sleeper cells in the US and throughout the West, creating strategically-situated proxies in the Middle East and South America and cultivating relations with the US’ most pronounced protagonists: Russian, China and North Korea. Iran became the world’s most prolific, most active and most determined instigator of terrorism in the world.
Iran’s nuclear weapons program has no justification beyond the radical religious aspirations referenced above. The same is true of its ballistic missile program. Immediately following the Twelve Day War during which the US and Israel severely damaged its nuclear weapons facilities, Iran accelerated its Satellite-Launched Vehicles (SLV) program. SLVs can be used to guide Intercontinental ballistic missiles to their targets, eliminating most means of detection and interception. Two SLVs were experimentally launched, clearly indicating Iran’s far-reaching, intercontinental intentions. It also undertook activities designed to renew its nuclear weapons program while also accelerating missile production to the tune of 100 missiles a month while the US manufactured 6 intercepting missiles in the same period. All this added up to what may be described as the West’s most dangerous geopolitical moment, with Russia threatening swathes of Europe, China threatening the East and, most pronouncedly Taiwan and North Korea renewing its threats against South Korea.
Left-wing beloved US President John Kennedy risked war with Russia when he blockaded Cuba because Russia stationed on that island missiles capable of reaching the US. President George H. W Bush, with enthusiastic bilateral support attacked Iraq because it invaded Kuwait and Saddam Houssein “subjected the people of Kuwait to unspeakable atrocities—and among those maimed and murdered, innocent children … and sought to add to the chemical weapons arsenal he now possesses, an infinitely more dangerous weapon of mass destruction—a nuclear weapon”.
Clearly, the US and Israel acted in self-defense, preempting what could have become a devastating attack on either or both of their countries. They did so when Iran is at its weakest, when Russia is occupied in its war with the Ukraine, when China is struggling economically and its military command is in disarray, following a popular protest in Iran that resulted in a brutal suppression by the Iranian regime that involved the immediate killing of 30-36,000 protestors and, according to the Center for Human Rights in Iran, 53,000 so far arrested, including children, and the consequent public hanging of hundreds without due process. Incidentally, Ali Larjani, the head of Iran’s National Security Council, is now the Strongman in Iran, almost certainly poised to be the power behind the throne, regardless of whoever is elected to replace Ali Khamenei, Iran’s now deceased Supreme leader.
Copyright Baruch Maoz. Reposted with permission.
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Baruch Maoz served for thirty-three years as pastor of Grace and Truth Christian Congregation near Tel Aviv and field leader for Christian Witness to Israel. He is senior editor of the Modern Hebrew Bible, coeditor of the Annotated Hebrew New Testament, and founder and former co-editor of Mishkan: An International Theological Forum on Jewish Evangelism.
