Analysis by PMOI/MEK
Dec. 18, 2018 – While discontent and protests against the mullahs increase all over Iran, the international community and nations in the Middle East are increasingly distancing themselves from the ruling mullahs in Tehran.
The December 12 United Nations Security Council meeting was a prime example of the growing concern among the international community regarding Iran. Many of member countries, including eight European countries, protested the Iranian ballistic missile program—especially expressing concern about its recent ballistic missiles test—and asked the regime to pay attention to their concerns and alleviate them.
Earlier, in his report to the Security Council, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres presented the discovery of Iranian-made rocket launchers in Yemen.
But the Iranian ballistic missiles program isn’t the only source of concern for the international community and countries in the region. Currently, exported terrorism made in Iran is another trend as concerning as Iran’s ballistic missile program, if not more so.
A few months ago, an Iranian agent was detained in Denmark for plotting a terrorist attack in the country. The incident leads to a unified condemnation of Iran in Europe and the U.S. Denmark and Norway summoned the Iranian ambassador in their countries.
Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, also responded quickly and declared his country’s support for Denmark and wrote in a tweet: “We congratulate the government of #Denmark on its arrest of an Iranian regime assassin. For nearly 40 years, Europe has been the target of #Iran-sponsored terrorist attacks. We call on our allies and partners to confront the full range of Iran’s threats to peace and security.”
We congratulate the government of #Denmark on its arrest of an Iranian regime assassin. For nearly 40 years, Europe has been the target of #Iran-sponsored terrorist attacks. We call on our allies and partners to confront the full range of Iran’s threats to peace and security.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) October 30, 2018
UK foreign minister Jeremy Hunt described the situation concerning and said that London stands with Denmark.
Earlier in June, two Iranian terrorists were detained in Belgium. An Iranian diplomat in Austria, Assadollah Assadi, was also arrested for plotting a terrorist attack on an annual meeting of the Iranian resistance in Paris.
In response, France expelled an Iranian diplomat linked to the bombing plot and confiscated the assets of the Iranian intelligence ministry and two of its agents in the country. The Netherlands also expelled two Iranian diplomats linked to the terrorist plot against the Iranian resistance.
On the regional stage, the Iranian regime is also losing its strategic allies.
Particularly in Iraq, an increasing number of political parties are distancing themselves from the Iranian regime. Former Iraqi Prime Minister Heydar Al-Ebadi, who was a close ally of Iran and supported by the regime during his tenure, criticized Iran’s meddling in the Iraqi political structure in his December 9 speech.
In his last days in power, Al-Ebadi also declared his country’s conformance with the U.S. sanctions against the Iranian regime, inciting an outrage among Iranian media and officials which led to the cancellation of his planned visit to Tehran.
Back then, Iranian state-run website Tabnak wrote: “Countdown: Heydar Al-Ebadi will turn his back on Iran.” Aftab News website also wrote: “When even Iraq turns against Iran.”
Iranian regime’s meddling in neighboring country’s internal affairs, especially the Persian Gulf countries, has also sparked severe responses. Saudi Arabia has already condemned the Iranian regime’s foreign meddling twice in recent weeks.
In his annual speech on November 19, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz condemned Iranian terrorist activities and said: The Iranian regime has always meddled in other countries’ internal affairs, has supported terrorism, and has created havoc in many countries in the region and caused devastation.”
On December 10, during the Gulf Cooperation Council’s summit in Riyadh, the Saudi king called for a united front of GCC member countries against the Iranian regime and asked them to keep their unity in face of terrorism.
Also on December 10, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that Europe’s strong support for the JCPOA won’t make EU ignore other issues. Germany, France, United Kingdom, and Italy will continue their negotiations with Iran about regional issues and ballistic missiles, she added.
Meanwhile, Iranian regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei can’t help but talk about the accelerating downfall of the great Satan and its minions.
On the surface, Khamenei’s behavior may seem self-harming or even suicidal to the pragmatic school of thought. But for the more naïve-minded, it may appear courageous or even revolutionary. It’s neither.
Iran’s Supreme Leader is just choosing the lesser evil. The Islamic Republic is built on the revolutionary idea of being the messiah of the poor and oppressed and standing strong in the face of the great Satan. An oppressive regime like the ruling mullahs in Iran needs a certain number of real believers in its cause and idea to be able to suppress the rest of the population.
After 40 years of economic mismanagement, blatant corruption, and false promises, the supporting base of the Islamic Republic is waning, and the mullahs are having a hard time keeping them believe their “truths” and “myths”.
While there are other reasons like driving the price of a confrontation higher in hopes that the other party will back off, or feeding the narrative of the Iranian regime lobby in the west that claims a resolute approach towards Tehran won’t bear fruit, internal ideological reasons are the most important ones why Ali Khamenei and his whole propaganda machine keep their aggressive stance towards the west and other countries in the region.
