by Ramin Mazaheri for The Saker Blog
The Iranian Revolution turned 39 on February 11.
It’s about time to get married! At least that’s what people tell me – I recently turned 40.
“Married to the revolution” is indeed a good description for Iranian society at 39…but the fullness of Iran’s marital bliss is a 100% domestic issue – after all, nobody knows what goes on behind a couple’s closed doors (nor do we want to know, LOL).
But looking at this from a foreign perspective, at 39 years old the Islamic Republic of Iran appears closer to than ever to a partial rapprochement with the West, and one based on mutually-beneficial cooperation. Such a rebalancing, everyone must concede, could only have been prompted by a vast and wide-ranging increase in Iranian strength since 1979.
The day before the anniversary, Israel claimed that they shot down an Iranian drone inside Israel…which is obviously preposterous. Even the Israeli military and media admitted they were “puzzled”.
It’s not that Iran should be worried about violating Israel’s sovereignty: Israel is, of course, an illegitimate state which keeps Palestinians in concentration camps, a practice which Israel’s elders leaned from the “legitimate” European states.
But Iran has nothing to gain from risking a drone flight in Israel. My guess is that the drone was captured in Syria and then hauled out in a fake show, but why now?
Just a couple days later police recommended that Netanyahu be indicted on bribery charges – Iran fear-mongering is among Netanyahu’s favourite diversionary tactics. Israel allegedly bombed Iran targets, which sends the message to the Israeli public that Netanyahu is all that stands between them and Iranian-led annihilation (which is also preposterous).
From another perspective, I lumped the fake drone news along with the (latest) unverified US claim of chemical weapons used by the Syrian goverment, France’s deluded assurance that people view their (latest) call for “humanitarian corridors” as not being motivated by neo-imperialism, as well as with the faltering invasion of Syria by NATO ally/ISIL supporter Turkey (which reminds us that bombing is easy, but that Turkey seemingly hasn’t won a ground battle since the Crimean War).
Indeed, things are going very badly for the West in Syria, so the Iranian drone seemed to me like another attempt to turn the tide with propaganda. While propaganda can start and prolong wars, it certainly can’t win them.
But just for fun, let’s play along and say that Israel’s drone claim is correct: It means that 39 years after Iranian Revolution it is Iran who is invading Israel, and not the other way around!
Who would have predicted that in 1979, LOL?
The drone is a stark reminder of just how much things have changed in Middle East foreign policy because of the success Iranian Islamic Revolution: Iran has become so advanced and so powerful that not only have they safeguarded their own popular revolution, but they are so regionally powerful that they are invited to help others resist Western/Israeli attempts to destabilize their own nations.
There is a long way to go, sure, but: my, my, my…Iran is still looking good at 39, no?! A real (Zionist, capitalist, imperialist) heartbreaker!
Europe is taking concrete steps to break with the US on Iran
The pattern is clear, and illustrated by China: a nation has a modern and popular revolution, the West declares open war/foments war by proxy in order to stop it, but that fails so there is a cold war via sanctions for decades in order to destabilise it, and when that fails…finally there is economic cooperation.
(Political cooperation with the West would be a violation of any modern revolution, of course, but diplomacy is always a must while we wait for their political modernization/enlightenment).
It’s a tough timeline which takes decades of revolutionary sacrifices – ask Cuba – but if the capitalists can’t beat them, they will eventually join them: money talks, ideology walks with capitalists.
Iran has 1/28th the weight of China, going by economic size, but capitalists love “untapped” markets….
Did Iran need new airplanes and high-end technology during the Rouhani government’s $100 billion spending spree in continental Europe in 2016? Absolutely, but there was a likely political aim as well: using trade to purchase a political détente with Europe in order to increase Iran’s political security.
And, so far in this young Western year, we have seen a raft of developments which show that Europe is actually moving forward with ending Iran’s political and economic isolation.
Hey, I’m as surprised as you are!
This month began with the news that France will start offering euro-denominated credits to Iranian buyers of its goods later this year. There is no link to the US, either via dollars, individuals or companies, so there is no way they can legally be accused of violating US sanctions. One can imagine that the US is not pleased at such a plan, but other EU countries are working on the same mechanism.
Late last year there was speculation – quite possibly fake news floated by Reuters intended to push it in that direction – that France’s Total would pull out of the South Pars oil deal, which represents the biggest deal between Iran and the West. But this month Total’s CEO said that work was progressing because they have gotten reassurances from French and European authorities regarding, “means to protect investments already made in Iran, even in the case of the return of (US) sanctions”.
Shortly after that was the announcement that the EU is actually threatening to impose “blocking sanctions” to protect European corporations from US sanctions, if Washington unilaterally pulls out of the JCPOA deal on Iran’s nuclear energy program. This “blocking” legislation dates from 1996 and was used to help the EU trade with Cuba, and now it may be dusted off for Iran. (However, such legislation did not prevent Obama from making billion-dollar fines on EU banks for working with Cuba – and such intimidating fines came after hi alleged “thaw” in Havana-Washington relations.)
France’s largest bank BNP Paribas received a $9 billion fine from the US because of working with Iran (and Cuba), while US companies like Apple avoid EU taxes by keeping them in UK dependents like Jersey. The reality is: the EU must be getting sick of these fines. They are clearly used not just to benefit US foreign policy but to advance US economic policy (like how US fines paved the way for GE’s takeover of France’s Alstom Energy), and so they are coming up with ways around the US.
Dare we say it, but: It has taken nearly three years, but it’s possible the JCPOA will finally start to be actually implemented, finally begin the re-integration of Iran into the global business system, and finally start showing Iran some benefits.
I always thought that because of Iran’s strict anti-Zionism the West would never make peace with Iran, but…we have these developments.
European capitalists surely make much more in trade with the US than in unrealised trade with Iran, so it doesn’t seem to fit in with their capitalist logic but…we have these developments.
It’s still early, and there are certainly more levers for Washington pull, but let’s just enjoy the birthday cake for now….
Peace in the streets, sorry to disappoint you
Yes, there was a short period of unrest in Iran over the Western New Year – initially sparked by a private bank failure (capitalism…such a permanent risk and threat) – but there is calm in the streets by the anniversary of the revolution’s victory, and there certainly is no threat of a counter-revolution.
Friends and well-wishers continually tell me how worried they are about an invasion of Iran, and I mostly just listen politely. During the recent economic protests I tried to explain why such fears are unnecessary. and also the democratic, grassroots basis for my beliefs.
My article even led to a reply from the World Socialist Web Site. Interestingly, the World Socialist Web Site has just begun publishing a 3-part series addressing my journalism on Iran and also my view of the WSWS, titled: “A reply to a proponent of ‘Iranian Islamic socialism’”. I am that proponent.
I haven’t had a chance to read Part 1 or Part 2 yet, but the WSWS does good work, mostly. Certainly, the centre and right publish only nonsense on Iran, so I’m glad to see one of the top-English-language leftist daily news sites is going to discuss Iran in-depth. They will filter everything through their Trotskyist lens, as they do for every single news item, but everybody has an editorial line (admitted or not). Certainly, all intelligent debate is welcomed…and hopefully useful to advancing both leftist causes and the appreciation of Iran’s many principled stances and policies.
“Iranian Islamic Socialism” is a phrase which quickly sums up the nature of the Iranian system, and “quickly summing up” is what we daily reporters are supposed to do, after all. The phrase is so obvious and accurate that it seems that if I take credit for it, someone will surely unearth a previous usage. Perhaps not in English media…and certainly not recently, where anything with the adjective “Islamic” is undoubtedly pejorative. But credit is certainly not important.
The Trotskyist WSWS may not be full supporters of Iranian Islamic Socialism…but we’ll have to wait and see. Certainly, they want to push the Trotskyist view of socialism, and will likely insist that Trotskyism is the “only real” socialism. Like many Western leftists, they may reflexively think the term “Islamic socialism” is an oxymoron, but I hope they dig a bit deeper.
Because I obviously disagree, have given have given extensive proofs, and remain unwilling to cede the very broad concept of socialism to a single, universal conception…and that is why I am not a Trotskyist, LOL! Regardless: point-counterpoint, sharing views, elevating the idea over the personal ego – this is not just part of journalism, but part of a functioning society.
The tangible basis for why Iran’s protests did not morph into a Trotskyist revolution are so simple and obvious – and already addressed in my first column – so let’s ask a more difficult question: what is the intangible basis?
That is a serious question: formal societal structures are propelled by an intangible spirit – otherwise they collapse, surely.
Khaste nabasheed – don’t be tired
This is the standard greeting in Iran. Kind of strange, perhaps, but is it any more curious than Italians who say “ready” when they answer a telephone?
At 39, the Iranian people are not tired of the revolution. Since 1979 some societies have gotten tired, although they certainly regret that now: Burkina Faso, Libya, Yugoslavia, the former USSR, even Russia.
It takes an intangible force to make and maintain a revolution, and if there’s one thing Muslims believe it’s that Islam is a force. By force, we can say “law”: something with an unseen gravity, yet which is trusted, verified and widely-observed.
Socialism is also a force, and also rests on a utopian faith (in my view). But I think we all agree that Marx’s writings are not considered divine revelation by anyone: they are simply excellent ideas regarding economics and democracy, and which contain great moral value.
Iran has not gone backwards by basing their revolution around Islam, an ideology which began some 1400 years ago: In the Western year 3418, will socialism be discredited as an economic and democratic ideology because it is old? I highly doubt it, but economic laws certainly change faster than moral ones.
What 1979 undoubtedly did was show that Iran wished to learn from their own history and experience – not from the West: They used what they know and feel in order to make their society better.
And using what they know not only passes the democratic test, but it’s a savvy wager to increase a society’s chances of creating successful progress. Even if one is an Aboriginal Australian living in the Outback, their elders will certainly pass on their history to their young: it’s a transmission of culture, morality, law and the savoir-faire of living in harmony with those around you – it’s essential. I offer no solutions to Australia’s Aborginals – as I am rather ignorant of their values – but I do know that asking Aboriginals to wholly adopt European ideals has been, and will continue to be, a total societal and spiritual disaster for them because they lack authenticity.
This is what Islam is in relation to the 1979 Revolution: a guarantee of democratic authenticity – it came from the People.
Also, as polls repeatedly show, Iranians democratically reject Western secularism in governance – probably because they feel that Islam provides Iran with scientific answers to social problems: the problems of the economy, the basis for whom should govern a society, what role should morality have in society, what are the proper and improper things to worship, etc.
Iran has chosen things which are not the same things Australian Aboriginals would choose, but Australian Aboriginals are certainly confronted by these questions, because they are human beings (despite historical Western opinion).
Indeed, only questions are universal, not answers (sorry Trotsky). Intangible questions will not change by 3418, I would imagine, much more than they have changed since 618….
If we imagine Western countries to be 39 years old, what do we see?
We see countries where humanism has been exposed as a fraud, and then defeated by individualism and materialism.
The West’s crisis is caused by the fact that their 1% claimed it was based on “humanism”, but advances in communication have proven it to be based on mere “individualism”. The whole world now knows that the 18th and 19th century “humanism” of the West was a Potemkin village: Western success is built on unpaid wages, atrocities and genocide, not kindness, spiritual growth or moral achievement.
These realities were hidden during that era due to a lack of communication technology, education and honesty. With the advantage of hindsight we see that humanism was only granted only to those who could pay for it – it’s obviously the same ideology at play now with Western liberalism and neoliberalism. Even more pathetically, across the entire West until the 1960s, human rights were only for those who were of a certain race and gender.
West European Humanism always could only provide dignity for itself, but it failed to provide dignity for the other person. That seems to require the gentle humility of religion, the economic and democratic planning of socialism, or both.
Contrary to the above in the 20th century were the socialist nations of Central and Eastern Europe. Sadly, socialism has become a minority in those countries, and they are blindly following the lead of Western nations. “The hopelessly corrupt nature of the Eurozone & the Eurogroup” is an article I wrote to discuss the power structure which Europe’s triumphant 1% has forced upon their People.
I have shown how humanism never really existed, but we can say that from around 1970 to 1991 they made an effort, or at least they believed they did – via their opposition to socialism, which they mistakenly claimed was inhumanly totalitarian. But, certainly, the fall of European socialism in 1989 marked the end of this limited humanism and the transition to full-on materialism.
Materialism is not only about happiness through material goods and sensual pleasure, but also biological/psychological determinism, technocratism, Taylorism/scientific management, never-ending moral relativity/political correctness, and whatever systematically erases the intangible from our personal lives and social planning due to a complete rejection of anything humankind broadly calls “the spiritual side”.
In 2018 we see clearly that materialism has defeated humanism in the West: The Eurozone is imperialising their own neighbors, they are waging war on the Muslim world, there is a pathetically hysterical Orwellian war on Russia, etc.
I would suggest that Western materialism simply cannot provide the spiritual fulfilment which the overwhelming majority of humans have craved throughout human history. Socialism can, it seems, but only if the ardent socialist realizes that in his or her own heart…their zeal is religious in its fact-ignoring, immaterial, ethically-based faith in socialist ideology.
But materialist Western socialism? Already gone the way of the dodo….
And the realisation of the spiritual bankruptcy of materialism – whether in capitalist or socialist economic-political form – is perhaps the greatest contribution of Iran’s revolution.
Iran is not alone: Many of the countries on the ascent or successfully holding back capitalist and/or imperialist forces at this arbitrary 1979 birthday date are heavily-influenced by faith-based ideologies: Russia (Russian Orthodox Church and a sizeable communist minority), China & Vietnam (communism, Confucianism/Taoism/Buddhism/folk religion), Cuba (Communism, Catholicism & Santeria), etc.
It is very easy to demonstrate that 2018 Iranians have rejected materialism: in their overwhelming support for our nuclear energy program.
LOL, we only have just one nuclear reactor! We have abundant energy supplies! People leave the tea warming on the stove all day long because energy is so cheap (an extremely wasteful practice)! Iran needs more energy like Goliath needed lifts in his shoes! Why are we going through all this pain over something we don’t even need?!
Western materialists cannot understand why they just can’t buy Iran off because the answer has everything to do with spirit and nothing to do with the materially tangible.
It’s a question of something intangible – morality (right and wrong) and personal dignity (Iran’s sovereignty).
Iranians are not clamouring for nuclear power, but they are incredibly united in their insistence that they should be able to have it if they want to. This is Iran at 39. This is the clear sign of an ideologically-committed nation and not a materialist-committed one.
And good things can only flow from this invisible source…and at least it can never be subject to US sanctions.
God willing, Iran will continue to affect the non-Iranian world positively for the next 39 years, even if that provokes another 39 years of sanctions. Certainly, how can Iran or its government be responsible for the wrongdoing of other nations against us? Supporters of the Iranian Revolution probably regularly apologise to God (because this is a rather prevalent concept in the Koran), but Westerners expecting to extract an apology for 39 years of Islamic Revolution are waiting in vain….
Philosophy aside, the recent developments with Europe are tenuous, but certainly a positive development to report. Maybe the West’s Cold War Against Iran is getting half-thawed, with Europe as Iran’s diplomatic bride?
On this day – the day after the West’s holiday for romance – I hope we have all been well-reminded that a revolution maintains the romance, or the revolution ceases.
As an Iranian that’s about as much as I feel comfortable discussing romance…in public, that is!
Ramin Mazaheri is the chief correspondent in Paris for PressTV and has lived in France since 2009. He has been a daily newspaper reporter in the US, and has reported from Iran, Cuba, Egypt, Tunisia, South Korea and elsewhere. His work has appeared in various journals, magazines and websites, as well as on radio and television. He can be reached on Facebook.
Yes, Iran is trading with EU countries. More precisely, EU countries are trading with Iran. It’s not just a question of trade and profit. It’s a safety measure against any potential war against Iran, involving Europe. At the present moment, the elite in the US are eyeing both North Korea and Iran for a potential military confrontation. While elites in Europe and the US have common goals, the elites themselves are not homogeneous, but heterogeneous, with their own individual interests.
The elite in the US is now pursuing its interests at the expense Europe. Europe is expected to pay more for the upkeep of NATO. Sanctions were imposed on Russia, yet by the second half of 2016 EU countries lost 100 billion euros in trade with Russia. The US elite is going forward against both Russia and China, trying to prevent their rise. And the European elite ? While officially backing the US in NATO, it is obviously having second thoughts on how far it should go against both Russia, China and Iran. Divisions are appearing in Europe, and this is only the beginning.
It is clear that Putin will not allow Russia to be dragged into a problem created by Iran. Previously, Russia would not use its air defenses to protect Iranian offensive facilities. Now, Putin’s representative actively takes Israel’s side against Iranian aggressions.
“In the case of aggression against Israel, not only will the United States stand by Israel’s side — Russia, too, will be on Israel’s side,” Russian Deputy Ambassador to Israel Leonid Frolov said. “Many of our countrymen live here in Israel, and Israel in general is a friendly nation, and therefore we won’t allow any aggression against Israel.
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* https://www.timesofisrael.com/russian-official-if-iran-attacks-israel-well-stand-with-you/
Once israel is history, like nazi germany, what to do with the zionazis? Not just in israel, but world wide. This is a parasitical war criminal/criminal/treasonous plague that infests much of the planet. How should they, and their toxic influence be erased? How should their millions of direct victims and billions of indirect victims receive justice and restitution?
A123, initially I thought that I shouldn’t answer you back because I know that no one on the Saker takes your comments seriously, but it wouldn’t be right to leave you unanswered.
The problem is not created by Iran, the problem is with the illegal Zionist state, created on stolen lands of the indigenous people, which regularly bombs Syria and Lebanon and illegally occupies their territories like the Golan heights. The Iranian drone story is stupid, and only people like you who believe in Iran nuclear weapons to annihilate Israel will believe in the story.
Iranian leadership is sane enough to not engage in anything stupid while the zionist entities desperately want a war with Iran. Only a idiot would thing that Russia will ally with Iran in a war with Israel when the Russians don’t even offer protection to Syrian forces except during joint military operations (this is why Israel bombs Syrian government troops without any fear). Unlike the west, the Russian way is to resort to war as a last option and engage in as much diplomacy as possible to deescalate the situation (as seen when the Turks back stabbed Russia by downing the Russian jet, Russia has an option to attack). Russian anti-missile and Electronic warfare systems are there to protect Russian assets, not Syrian or Iranian, besides the Iranians can take care of themselves.
Russia and Israel have diametrically opposite aims in the Levant,
– Russia wants al-assad in power and backs him while Israel wants him out of power.
– Russia wants al-Assad to remain in power because he is the only one who can guarantee integrity of Syria and security of Syria’s religious and ethnic minorities while Israel wants some takfiri crazy puppet on the Syrian presidential seat.
– Russia has supported Syrian government forces and its allies like Hezebollah, the Iranian force, the allied tribal militia and the peoples’ units while Israel supports Al-Qaeda and ISIS affiliates.
– Russia wants a sovereign Syria with her borders returned back to her while Israel wants to see Syria partitioned.
– Russia wants the syrian kurds to enter into a dialogue with the Syrian government to put an end to the civil war while Israel supports and wants an independent Kurdistan aka ‘second Israel’ carved out of Syria, Iraq and Turkey.
– Russia refuses to categorize Hezebollah as a terrorist organization while Israel classifies it as a terrorist entity.
– Russian ground as well as air forces worked in tandem with the Syrian and Iranian forces to take out the terrorists while Israel invaded Syria to give aerial support to the terrorists.
– Above all, Russia doesn’t want a destabilized Iran else the takfiris restart their craziness in the Russian caucuses.
– Israeli defense chiefs openly say that ISIS is more preferable as a neighbor than al-Assad while Russia has an opposite view.
– Russia wants a multipolar world with mutual respect and cooperation while Israel as a hegemon seeks world dominion through destabilization and genocide.
Russia has directly condemned Israeli violation of Syria’s sovereignty
“If anyone in the Middle East or [an]other part of the world (Israel and its western puppets) plans to violate international law by undermining any other country’s sovereignty or territorial integrity, including any country in the Middle East or North Africa, this would be condemned”
– Sergey Lavrov
Russia also doesn’t have any problem with the Iranians building bases in Syrian territory
“[R]egarding whatever area of cooperation between Iran and Syria, my position is that if their cooperation in whichever field does not violate the basic provisions of international law, it should not be cause for question”
-Sergey Lavrov
Just as Russia wouldn’t side with Iran in all situations, Its your wishful thinking that Russia will side with Israel in all situations, the Russian diplomacy comes with thousand years of experience unlike the arrogant barely 100 years old Zionist diplomacy which doesn’t take a no for an answer. Russia seeks to establish friendly relations with all states, even states which Russia should classify as enemies like USA, Turkey and Saudi Arabia for bleeding her in the caucuses,
USA, NATO and Ukraine for their warcrimes against russians in Ukraine,
NATO, Georgia, USA, Israel for the Georgian war,
Turkey for back stabbing and killing Russian soldiers without any provocation.
Russia, Israel, Syria and the current U.S. Administration’s interests in the Levant are largely aligned. Given the prior bad behaviour of the Obama/Soros/Clinton neo-libs I understand your suspicions. However, there is a way forward.
— Israel is quite satisfied for Assad to continue in power. While tense they have had relatively peaceful relations for many years.
— Erdogan is the only major party holding “regime change” as a core requirement.
— Turkey and Saudi Arabia are the primary backers for ISIS and SDF terrorists fighting in the North of the country. Very little Israeli support has flowed north.
— As a matter of self preservation Israel has given support to groups opposing Iranian terrorists operating in southern Syria.
— Turkey has shot down two Russian jets. Israel has shot down zero Russian jets, and actively coordinates with Russia to prevent accidental engagements.
— Both Turkey and Iran want Assad out of power, or diminished to colonial governor, so that they can pursue their imperial dreams of a “Reborn Ottoman Empire” and “Great Shia Crescent ” respectively.
— Independent Kurdistan is a construct of the Globalists such as the prior U.S. Administration and current E.U. Leaders such as Merkel and Macron. The current U.S administration has withdrawn support from the idea, as shown by the U.S. reaction to the Barzani independence referendum.
— If Iran and its terrorist proxies prevent peace by in Syria, the U.S. will continue to operate in Syria to help create a stable peace. Assad can get the U.S. out as long as Iran also departs.
— If Iran is fighting terror in the North of the country, why are they South of Damascus? The observed facts on the ground demonstrate Iran is intentionally trying to provoke conflict with Israel.
— This still leaves the Golan as an open issue to be peacefully negotiated once Iran leaves the area.
Right now the two largest stumbling blocks to peace are Erdogan’s invasion from the North and Iran’s provocations in the South. If Iran moves North to counter the Turkish offensive instead of hiding South of Damascus, progress is possible.
_____
The division of Palestine (a.k.a. the Palestinian Mandate) into regions that were 75% Muslim (now primarily Jordan and Egypt) and 20% Jewish and Christian (now Israel) was certainly mishandled. However, if we want to pursue that discussion it should be part of a separate thread.
If they had the same interests, there wouldn’t have been a civil war in Syria. USA and Israel have maintained from day one that al-Assad should be removed from power. USA and Israel are supporting and arming the Syrian opposition forces while Russia and Syria are fighting against the opposition forces (american and israeli stooges).
-look at this video of Israeli commandos rescuing terrorists, which Russia and Syria fight.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3315347/Watch-heart-pounding-moment-Israeli-commandos-save-Islamic-militants-Syrian-warzone-risking-lives-sworn-enemies.html
-Israel acknowledges it is helping Syrian rebel fighters
http://www.timesofisrael.com/yaalon-syrian-rebels-keeping-druze-safe-in-exchange-for-israeli-aid/
-Syrian rebel commander says he collaborated with Israel
http://www.timesofisrael.com/syrian-rebel-commander-says-he-collaborated-with-israel/
It is well known and well documented that the USA was one of the parties that armed and supplied ISIS, rescued them from harm. Russia has many times indicated and indirectly accused USA of supporting the terrorists.
“An American F-22 fighter actively prevented the Russian pair of Su-25 attack aircraft from carrying out a combat mission to destroy the Daesh stronghold in the suburbs of the city of Mayadin in the airspace over the western bank of the Euphrates River on November 23. The F-22 aircraft fired off heat flares and released brake shields with permanent maneuvering, imitating an air battle,” – Igor Konashenkov, the Russian Defense Ministry’s spokesperson.
“Only for the reasons of military ethics we don’t publish recently taken photos of the US military base in Al-Tanf, crammed with, to put it mildly, atypical for the US Army off-roaders with large-caliber DShK machine guns and recoilless weapons.” – Igor Konashenkov.
American supplied MANPADs used to down the SU-25 and American air raid on the Syrian column was carried out to protect the terrorists.
Given the prior bad behaviour of the Obama/Soros/Clinton neo-libs I understand your suspicions.
and you have conveniently ignored noe-cons, brilliant.
However, there is a way forward.
No way forward until all uninvited parties leave Syria and stop their aerial invasion, bombardments and unlawful killing of legitimate Syrian government forces and Russian armed forces.
Russia’s position
Russia wants al-Assad in power with Syrian borders restored and an end to the civil war. Russia also wants all the invading foreign forces out of Syria. Russia also says that Iran was invited by the Syrian government and its presence is legitimate (much to your discomfort).
“There is legitimate presence based on an invitation from official authorities, but there is illegitimate one, namely presence of the U.S.-led coalition and special forces’ troops from a wide range of foreign countries who nobody has invited” – Sergey Lavrov, foreign minister of Russia.
“As far as the presence of Iran and Hezbollah in Syria is concerned, you know well we do not consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization. We proceed from the understanding that both, just as Russia’s aerospace group, are in Syria at the invitation of the country’s legitimate government.” – Sergey Lavrov
“The presence of Iran and its supported forces (read Hezbollah) in Syria is legitimate” – Sergey Lavrov
“Washington Must Acknowledge Hezbollah Fighting Terror in Syria” – Sergey Lavrov
Israel’s position
Israel was one of the countries that jumped into the ‘Assad must go’ wagon.
Israel considers golan heights, which is a syrian territory as their own. Infact they consider all the areas of the Levant, Arabian peninsula and Sinai included in their greater Israel map as their own.
“Assad is a butcher who has massacred people” – Avigdor Lieberman, Israeli defense minister (and Israeli genocide of Palestinians isn’t a crime according to him)
“Keeping Assad in power is not in our security interests.” – Avigdor Lieberman
“In my view, we are crossing a red line. And in my view, the time has come to assassinate Assad. It’s as simple as that” – Yoav Galant, Israeli Ex-Southern Command leader
American position
Same as Israeli Zionist neo-con position, but the dirty work is to done by the American military.
False statement, Israel till this day maintains that Assad must go and it prefers terrorists in Syria over Assad. Their relationship has been tense but certainly not peaceful, Israel repeatedly violates Syrian soverginity.
Selectively true statement ignoring the big picture, USA and Israel want a regime change more badly than Erdogan. Had it not been for the american intervention, Turkey would never be able to attack an undivided Syria.
Selectively true statement ignoring the big picture. American and Israeli support is well documented. Turkey and Saudi Arabia would never have been empowered without the American blessings, same with Saudi intervention in Yemen.
Selectively true statement ignoring the big picture. The first Russian jet downing clearly was at the behest of NATO and Turkey could never have done it without NATO’s support. The second one was with MANPADs supplied by the Americans. Israel doesn’t Russian shoot jets, but supports terrorists which Russian soldiers die fighting.
False statement. This is probably the most stupid comment i have ever read. Turks dream of ‘ottoman empire’ as much as the Israelis dream of ‘greater Israel’ and the Indians dream of ‘akhand bharat’. Iran doesn’t want assad out of power. Iranian forces gave their lives to protect the Syrian government led by Bashar al-Assad. The iraninan are actively working with Assad to strengthen his rule over syria and bring back territories controlled by opposition forces under assad’s rule.
Gravely false and hugely misleading statement. USA not only arms, supports and protects the Kurds but has also built multiple bases on the territories annexed by the Kurds. The Americans support Kurds to such extent that they are ready to ignite a fight with their NATO ally Turkey.
False statement. Iran along with Russia and Hezebollah are working for peace in Syria and wants to restore its integrity and borders back. According to Russia, USA on the other hand builds bases on occupied territories without any invitation, attacks Syrian-Russian-Iranian combined forces from taking on terrorists.
Because the Syrians invited them. The Syrians and Russians don’t have a problem with it. Why should anyone else dictate to the Syrians about Syrian internal affairs? And if Syria wants Iranian help to repel any Israeli aggression then why do you have a problem with it?
Golan heights clearly belong to Syria, there should be no negotiations on this issue. Golan heights should be returned back to Syria. If the Syrians don’t get back their legitimate territories, they have every right to take it back with the Iranian help.
And you have clearly ignored Israeli occupation of Golan heights. No, the biggest stumbling block are Israel and USA. USA should get out of Syria and Israel should return the territories that it grabbed from the Syrians. Negotiations aren’t done on stolen lands. Negotiations cannot be done with Zionists who slaughter children and kick people out of their homes to built their own. As for Iran, Russia clearly supports the Iranian bases and doesn’t have a problem with it. Progress is never possible until the Zionists are eliminated.
The Middle eastern jews and Christians lived in peace with their muslim neighbors, until the European colonial powers came and divided the middle east. Then the Ashkenazis came and sowed poison among the middle-eastern muslims, jews and Christians.
You have clearly ignored the root problem as the cause and taken up secondary problems which are a result of the primary problems. Peace in middle east is possible only when
– USA and its stooges are kicked out of middle-east and stop meddling in the middle-eastern affairs.
– Zionist state is dismantled and the Ashkenazis return to Europe. This should be replaced by a democratic state with proportional representation for Jews, Christians and Muslims and Jerusalem equally belonging to all of them.
– USA starts working with Russia.
Zionist state is dismantled and the Ashkenazis return to Europe. This should be replaced by a democratic state with proportional representation for Jews, Christians and Muslims and Jerusalem equally belonging to all of them.
1. You have no right to demand that European Jews should all return to Europe, just as nobody can demand that all white South Africans and white Zimbabweans return to Europe. This is their home and they have a right to stay.
2. What proportional legislation? You want the so-called “Palestinian” extremists to wipe out or drive out the bulk of the Israelis out, and then assign “proportional” representation?
and iran is going to hand over chabhar port operations to A123’s beloved country. Iranians should ready up for more spying and espionage. Maybe president Rouhani on his visit to India should drop by and meet with Yodi Adityanath, who loves muslims dearly.
Happy Birthday to the Iranian Revolution!!! God Bless the Good People of Iran.
Iranian FM: Spying Efforts Made Phone ‘Hot as an Iron’ During Nuclear Talks
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201802161061711182-javad-zarif-phone-tapped/
“I don’t use VPN apps. Due to its duties and responsibilities, the Foreign Ministry has special internet facilities. Naturally, using VPN applications is coupled with security threats.”
“Sometimes we ask how many spy agencies are seeking to encroach upon our system. In fact, we take spying for granted and focus on the number of times that spying attempts are made,” Zarif said.
“When nuclear talks were underway, my mobile phone was as hot as an iron on some days during the negotiations, and other negotiators share the same problem. Such events show a lot of efforts are being made to spy on our domestic issues,” he added.
He also pointed out that Iran believes “what has kept the US from pulling out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA [more commonly called the Iran nuclear deal] is not the country’s interest in the agreement, but fear of international isolation.”
Tehran’s Public and Revolution Courts Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi announced last Saturday that Iranian security forces have detained a number of suspects “collecting classified intelligence in strategic fields,” FARS reports.
The news agency also quotes deputy head of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps’ Counter Intelligence Organization Brigadier General Hassan Emami saying last Wednesday that certain foreign spy agencies were seeking to infiltrate the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and its Aerospace Force.
“The foreign spy agencies are after gathering intelligence, hiring spies and infiltrating sensitive fields, research centers, the IRGC Aerospace Force, Quds Force and other centers,” Emami said.”
Ramin, just a minor issue: the drone was shot down over the Golan Heights, which is not Israeli airspace but Syrian airspace.
Thank you Mr. Mazaheri for this essay. Thank you for sharing your deep knowledge about Iran, socialism and the all important spiritual connection to a true and just society. A pleasure to read.
“Western success is built on unpaid wages, atrocities and genocide, not kindness, spiritual growth or moral achievement.”
It’s a fitting picture of Canada, where I live.