by Aram Mirzaei for the Saker blog
In what can only be called an act of piracy, the US government “seized” several pro-resistance media outlets in a coordinated attack this week. One of the outlets that were siezed was Presstv.com. Other web domains, including Palestine al-Youm, a Palestinian-directed broadcaster, Karbala TV – the official television of the Imam Hussein (PBUH) shrine in the holy Iraqi city of Karbala, Iraqi Afaq TV, Asia TV and al-Naeem TV satellite television channels, as well as Nabaa TV which reports the latest stories about Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf countries, were also seized.
Citing bogus reasons such as “threat to national security”, the US regime once more proved what a great leader of democracy and freedom it indeed is. Apparently, Washington believes that it cannot win a free and fair debate with outlets such as PressTV, so the only way to “win” is to prevent others from presenting their viewpoint. Imagine if other countries did the same thing and seized CNN or Fox News’ website. The US would probably start a war if countries like Iran or North Korea made such moves. The self-worshipping West loves to criticize other countries for “suppressing free media” while they portray themselves as a safe haven for “opinions of all kinds”.
The fact that the United States ranks last in media trust — at 29% — among 92,000 news consumers surveyed in 46 countries, doesn’t seem to matter. That’s worse than Poland, worse than the Philippines, worse than Peru, yet Washington still seems to have the “moral” right to condemn these countries as well, because any lack of trust in US media is explained as being the result of “foreign disinformation campaigns” and totally not related to the fact that the US media only exists to manufacture consent for Washington’s continued imperialist aggression.
Ironically, the suppression of information is happening while Washington funds and supports perhaps hundreds of propaganda networks such as BBC Persian, VOA Iran and ManotoTV, all known for disseminating vulgar and unprofessional propaganda. Some of these networks are being run by the family members of the Shah of Iran and via using the Iranians’ plundered wealth, to openly call for violent regime change and the return of the degenerate monarchy. Other networks, connected to John Bolton’s close friends in the MEK terrorist cult, openly call for terrorist attacks inside Iran. These are the people that want “democracy” for Iran, and these are the people that Washington supports.
If it hadn’t been proven a thousand times before, then this pathetic move proved once more that America’s claim about advocating freedom and democracy as well as freedom of expression is nothing more than a lie and hypocrisy. Washington is and has always been morally bankrupt, however, this recent act of thuggery shows that Washington, known for lecturing other governments overseas about free speech, democracy, and freedom of expression, is also scared and panicking.
Of course they are afraid. Is it a coincidence that these seizures happened right now? No! The Iranian nation elected what the westerners call a “hardliner” president. They know that the game of “diplomacy and talks”, which they use to stall the lifting of sanctions, is over. President-elect Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi won’t be as kind to them as the previous administration has been. He has already declared that there will be no talks with Washington over the US return to the JCPOA. On top of that, Yemen’s Ansarullah movement has rejected the Saudis shameful “peace proposal” and are in their way to capture the crucial city of Ma’rib, further humiliating Washington. So Washington resorted to silencing the world’s poorest country, which is under siege by land, sea and air in what can only be called a genocide.
There is absolutely no way for Washington to save face here. It is clear that they are terrified as the pro-resistance outlets are getting their messages across. More and more people are seeing Washington for what it is: a terrorist entity that takes pride in killing and starving people who refuse to bow down to them. This coincides with Washington’s waning influence in the region of West Asia, or as they call it, the “Middle East”. (the term “Middle East” is a colonial term from the British Empire era in which Europeans believed that they were the centre of the world, while West Asia was “the near east”).
Apparently, hundreds of US troops, aircraft and air defence batteries are being withdrawn from the puppet Persian Gulf kingdoms, as the Biden administration allegedly wants to focus on Russia and China instead. In reality, this is Washington’s way of quietly leaving the region as they know and understand what the inevitable alternative would be – getting kicked out of the region with force. Throughout the region, from Syria and Iraq, to Palestine and Yemen, the forces of colonialism and imperialism are losing ground and influence. Their repeated and continued atrocities and crimes are fuelling the fire in our hearts as more and more people, not just in the region, but worldwide are realizing the criminal nature of the imperialists.
This is not the first time nor the last time that the imperialists and their tools have silenced the voices of dissent. Throughout the years, tens or perhaps hundreds of thousand blogs, and social media pages have been shut down for supporting Syria, Palestine or Yemen. I have personally had 4 social media accounts shut down over the years, for supporting Syria’s legitimate government, for posting pictures in loving memory of Martyr Soleimani and for speaking out against the genocide going on in Yemen. But I will not back down, nor will I give up, and neither should anyone who has spoken out against the savage actions of the imperialists. It should never be forgotten that they silence and shut us down because they fear us, not because they are morally superior to us.
Resistance must continue on all fronts. Every act of aggression should be seen as an opportunity to show the world what liars and hypocrites the Western warmongers are who think that they can win the hearts of the people of this region through their lies and crude propaganda while bombing the people’s homes and loved ones.
@Aram Mirzaei
Yes, the swine and scum are losing. They are suffering terminal brainrot which, in a way, is an advantage when silly vulgarities — in words and in deeds — constitute their official ”Party Line”. It’s instructive to compare what passes for the West’s ”leadership” to that of Turkey’s Erdogan who also resorts to meddling just about everywhere there are mounting tensions (either provoked by the Zionazis or by Erdogan himself). For all his wiliness and his rock-solid mass base inside Turkey, he isn’t gaining much from his ambitious plotting. As for the Collective West, it doesn’t even possess half of Erdogan’s brainpower, and Erdogan in turn comes a cropper against the leaderships of Iran, Russia, and China. On this basis, the imperialist oppression and savagery in West Asia clearly is in its very final stage of decay no matter what pathetic acts of cowardice that the Zionazis perpetrate.
”Citing bogus reasons such as ’threat to national security’, the US regime once more proved what a great leader of democracy and freedom it indeed is.”
Even though ”Threat to national security” is a dull buzzphrase, I would not dismiss it as ’bogus’. The US regime thrives — or, rather, used to thrive — on torrents of lies and their perceived credibility. The US regime senses a very real danger from news outlets it doesn’t control. But the ’home front’ is not an issue. US concocted lies and slanders surely remain the staple diet there.
More a case of ‘the school yard bully taking someone else’s ball and going home’……..cue, ‘na na, na na, naaa na’
Cheers, M
If Washington were more competent, they might very well continue to get away with all the lies. For many years they did. The U.S. public wasn’t exactly fast on its feet at filtering the propaganda. These days, though, its all so transparent and dumb. They seriously think they are going to play off Russia against China? Why did Washington decide to go after major powers like Russia and China to begin with? The prize for #1 dumbness might be the economic warfare that will probably doom the U.S. dollar, which is keeping the U.S. economy alive. The interest groups like the Zionists that control the U.S. don’t seem very concerned about America’s economy or fate.
The globalists want a one world government but they think the US public would resist giving up their national sovereignty. So to prepare the stage they want to take the US down a couple of steps. A process that has been ongoing for several decades already. Then present joining a global government as the better, if not only, solution for the severe problems the country and it’s people are in.
A pesar de todos sus medios de propaganda, han perdido la batalla de las ideas que es la batalla principal. Recurrir a la censura es lo mismo que sacar la bandera blanca.
La OTAN es un cocodrilo sin dientes. No le conviene abrir mucho la boca.
Yandex translation. Mod:
In spite of all their propaganda means, they have lost the battle of ideas which is the main battle. Resorting to censorship is the same as raising the white flag.
NATO is a toothless crocodile. You don’t want to open your mouth too much.
Ya lo hemos visto en un comentário prévio, pero ahora es el momento también para America latina de liberarse del imperialismo yanki – tanto como lo está pasando en Asia. Los pueblos cubanos, venezolanos y nicaragüenses han hecho un trabajo pionero respecto a ése tema; Bolvia y Peru están siguendo.
Me encantaría que Argentina pasará unos tantos de sus naves a las costas de las Islas Malvinas para mostrar a los ingleses a quiénes pertenecen ésas aguas. Va ser difícial para London estar en el Atlántico sur y en Mar Negro al mismo tiempo. Crimea es parte de Russia y las Malvinas son Argentinas, Kosovo es Serbia. Listo.
Yandex translate. Mod:
We have already seen this in a previous comment, but now is the time also for Latin America to free itself from Yankee imperialism – just as it is happening in Asia. The Cuban, Venezuelan and Nicaraguan peoples have done pioneering work on this issue; Bolvia and Peru are continuing.
I would love for Argentina to pass a few of its ships to the coasts of the Malvinas Islands to show the English who those waters belong to. It will be difficult for London to be in the South Atlantic and Black Sea at the same time. Crimea is part of Russia and the Falklands are Argentine, Kosovo is Serbia. Ready.
The U.S. is turning into Israel. There is censorship happening domestically too.
Actually, this blog had to sever its links to some websites recently because of U.S. laws.
We have mastered four languages. The first is the language of the deprived and the oppressed, in order to know what they say and what they want. The second is the language of sincerity and logic. The third is the language of might, authority, and honor. Finally, if we cannot speak with our rivals in any of these (three) languages, there is the language of violence. We know how to speak with someone like America that understands nothing but (the language of) violence… — The Speech, 2021
The world has become a very level playing field in regard to silencing opinion the government does not like. Say you start talking about the King of Thailand living in Germany. As a Thia citizen you might be in trouble. Or you rat out corruption in the US. You might rot in an Embassy or a British prison. A life sentence without a trial. Mess with Abdullah and you might get KOSHOGOGID. Cut up by a dud listening to his itunes. Some just do it in mass like Erdogon. One thing is for sure, they all do it and they seem to care less and less about hiding it.
The White House is the Headquaters of satan.
Implying Biden is Satan is offending the latter. Satan is evil but intelligent. Still, Biden belongs in the Offal Office all right.
Is good essay of course, and, I think, accurate…
But is based of assumption that the strategy of the sea people has ever been other than piracy. Essentially the sea peoples set up forward operating bases and occupy suzerain clients for the same purpose. This for some 500 years, more or less.
Spanish empire? Plunder. Norse? plunder. Britons? plunder…rule Britannia! And in the fullness of Time their upstart but intrepid offspring> USA.. This is not a moral failure – it’s Geography.
And the pirate rule of thalassocratic control of sea lanes declines as the Earth Island land peoples lay rail, bore through mountains, build bridges (all kinds!)…and of course they land people prepare to remove the pirates and end their plunder. Meantime the pirates’ lairs more and more resemble a vast whorehouse of perversions and crimes, even to the mutilation and rape of children…the direction is clear.
Times change. Trying to stop Time is the MacBeth error. October 9th, 2017 – Fort Russ News – – an essay by Vladimir Golstein – “… THOSE HE COMMANDS MOVE ONLY IN COMMAND
NOTHING IN LOVE: now does he feel his title
Hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe
Upon a dwarfish thief.
Macbeth attempt to control time is crushed by time. The usurping nature of his quest is finally revealed, he is a dwarfish thief, too small for his kingly robe and for his giant ambitions. Macbeth dies, having received the following epitaph from Malcolm:
“What’s more to do,
Which would be planted newly with the TIME,
As calling home our exiled friends abroad
That fled the snares of watchful tyranny;
Producing forth the cruel ministers
Of this DEAD BUTCHER AND HIS FIEND-LIKE QUEEN,
Who, as ’tis thought, by self and violent hands
Took off her life.
It will be naïve to think that Shakespeare’s insight applies only to Scotland and to its cruel ruler. Shakespeare’s insights are timeless. ” END QUOTE
the author of that essay on MacBeth and the rest> https://www.brown.edu/academics/slavic-studies/about/people/vladimir-golstein
MacBeth’s piratical rules ends when a “rock from Heaven” kills him…
That’s why the pirate empire’s rulers are terrified…
Evidently, in addition to Russian Pacific Fleet off Hawaii, Russian Fleet Med is ready to devour the UK carrier group…mmmmm larapin good. ” Russian Defence Ministry announced joint naval and aerospace forces drills kicking off on Friday in the eastern Mediterranean, with five warships, two submarines, Tu-22M3 strategic/maritime strike bombers and hypersonic missile-capable MiG-31Ks taking part. The MoD confirmed Friday that two MiG-31Ks had arrived in Russia’s Khmeimim Air Base in Syria ahead of the drills.”
Only 35 k from targets…regrettable military accidents…happen. https://sputniknews.com/world/202106261083246744-days-after-black-sea-spat-russian-navy-plans-missile-drills-near-british-aircraft-carrier/
Pirate fleet showdown against Land Power Fleets…and defeat at Sea…reminiscent of Salamis, only Persia was land power..this time, however, land power has far better tactic, strategy, weapon, and good logistic train.
Rus and Chin high seas fleets are essentially antipiracy fleets….never before in history… (The German nazis used to say that too).
The Chinese war machine. The Chinese are rediscovering their empire and soon the world will crumble particularly when the opposing military forces first clap eyes on their enemy. The most likely response will be to offer to buy them a drink, When they turn about and consider their own leaders they will be even more inclined to completely surrender. For those curious you will need a stiff drink and watch here …
https://youtu.be/MsZkPLjRQkU
I don’t understand why people all over the world don”t massively reject anything that comes out of the US, or that is US-connected. That means no Coca Cola, no Pepsi, no MacDonald’s, no KFC, no Youtube, no Google, no Twitter, no Microsoft, no Apple, no Hollywood, no Netflix, no VISA, no Mastercard, no Ford, no GM, no Boeing, no LGBT no BLM etc. etc. And English only when absolutely necessary, and with as heavy an accent as possible, but grammatically impeccable.
No Microsoft, no Apple? That leaves us with Linux and Unix, a free alternative which is far more advanced. I switched to Linux years ago. No regrets, never looked back, except when I had to open files that required commercial OS, but I managed nonetheless. Once I filed a complaint against monopoly because computer manufacturers close their computers to everything except Windows, even when you have to update the firmware that ships with the computer. Never got an answer from the FTC. So, if I buy a computer I should be able to do what I want with it and use the OS of my preference if I buy it it belongs to me and no longer to the manufacturer. I ended up shipping it back to the manufacturer who returned it with the updated firmware and Windows installed, I filled the drive with zeros to remove any traces of Windows and installed Linux again. I always wondered why people pay for office software, antivirus, tech support, when they could get rid of all their problems for free. Chinese have a beautiful Linux distribution called Deepin, based on Debian. And Russia probably has something similar.
English is still spoken in Canada, the UK and Australia. It’s not limited to the USA, nor did it originate there.
“West Asia, or as they call it, the “Middle East”. (the term “Middle East” is a colonial term from the British Empire era in which Europeans believed that they were the centre of the world, while West Asia was “the near east”).”
Since you brought it up, it should also be pointed out that Europe is in no way a separate ‘continent’ from Asia. Europe and Asia are a single tectonic plate, whereas the African, Arabian, and Iranian plates, for example, are distinct and separate from the Eurasian plate, and from each other.
The author may find it interesting to note that the Iranian plate roughly includes most of Afghanistan, Pakistan, all of Iran, and parts of Iraq. This coincides almost exactly with places where Indo-Iranian languages (Kurdish, Persian, Dari, Pashto, etc.) are still spoken today.
Anyway, it seems the only thing that makes Europe a separate continent from Asia is European delusions of superiority.
Iran will never become an empire again as empire building is a thing of the past. While the current Islamic government in Iran is doing a great job with meagre resources, taking on the collective West is no mean feat, at the same time winning hearts and minds in West Asia and as far as South America without occupying any country.
Surely, the Islamic Republic is on the track of success as the seizure of these news sites further attest to.
Nobody here said Iran was building an empire, but as you have brought it up, what would you call the multi-national Resistance forces which are led and directed by the IRGC, if not an empire?
What is this negative connotation which has been attached to the word ’empire’?
The main language of Iran today is Persian, even though in the West of Iran people speak Kurdish, Turkish in the Northwest, Arabic in the Southwest, and in the North: Taleshi, Gilaki, Mazani, in the Northeast: Turkmen, in the Southeast Baluchi. And this is not even a comprehensive list of Iranian ethnicities and languages.
So, what is Iran? A country? Or a continuation of the multi-ethnic, multicultural Persian Empire?
Does it matter that people in Khuzestan speak Arabic? Are they not part of the geographical designation called ‘Iran’?
Does it matter that they speak Arabic in Iraq? Frankly, Iraqis, like Yemenis, are ethnic Iranians from the Sasanian period, who have become Arabicized. Yemen and Iraq were Iranian territories populated by Iranian people for centuries. Of course, Iran is going to intervene when ethnic Iranians and Shias, and even Sunnis, get targeted by enemies.
The negative implication of the word ’empire’ is entirely a subjective interpretation.
Does the IRGC command a military empire which includes forces in Palestine, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria? Yes.
Are the people of those countries happy to be part of this empire? Yes.
Has this empire been benign as far as the subjects are concerned? Ask Syria, or Yemen, or the Palestinians in Gaza.
An empire is simply a conglomerate of any kind. Is there anyone out there who says that big companies acquiring and merging with smaller ones is a bad or evil thing? If a Chinese company buys an American company, and thereby employs American nationals to further the company’s cause, is that ‘bad’ of itself? It is not.
It only becomes bad if the Chinese company discriminates against the American employees in favor of the Chinese ones.
The Iranian establishment is multi-ethnic. Seyyed Ali Khamenei is an Azeri Turk. Has he favored the Azeri Turks in Iran over the Persians or the Kurds? Come see for yourself. Every province of Iran enjoys the same standard of infrastructure. And the standard in Iranian Kurdistan is higher than the neighboring Iraqi Kurdistan. The standard of living in Iranian Azerbaijan is higher than the state of Azerbaijan. And the standard of living in Iranian Golestan is higher than the country of Turkmenistan.
So, perhaps the Iraqi and Azerbaijani and Turkmen governments aren’t doing all they can for their people, but the Iranian establishment is, which is why there is no major discontent in Iran even though the West has been trying to stoke it for decades.
The word Iran, derived from Sasanian Iran-zamin, Land of the Aryans, is an ancient designation of the land that stretched from Sogdia near China to Ukraine, from the West of India to Iraq, which was at the time populated by a homogeneous group of ethnic Aryans, or Iranians. Today, the modern geographical designation ‘Iran’ hosts Turks, Arabs, and other non-Iranian people.
There is no way that anyone can spin the narrative where the Resistance Axis is not an empire. But on the other hand, no one can say that the members of this empire aren’t glad to be part of it, except some Iranians who repeat lines from the Western media: why should resources from Iran go to Yemen and Gaza and Syria, when we only have on average one or two cars per family in Iran?
The answer: because that is what an empire is; a sharing of resources.
Iranian Azerbaijan is a lovely paradise compared to the state of Azerbaijan, because the Iranian government can spend oil money from Bushehr and Khuzestan, 1000 kilometers away, to fund development there. Who says this is bad? A few Ahwazi Arabs who believe they are entitled to Kuwait-level luxury. (Kuwait has the most powerful currency in the world.)
Do the Ahwazi Arabs deserve the highest level of luxury in the world because there happens to be oil under their feet? No. Neither do the Kuwaitis.
It is absurd to have people starving in one corner of the world, and in another corner Kuwaitis and other Gulf Arabs not even having to work for a living.
Anyone who believes that Imperialism is bad, should go tell the Yemenis and the Palestinians why Iran can’t support them anymore.
NATO and the Resistance Axis are mirror images. One is malevolent, the other is benevolent. One is a tyranny, the other is a democracy, ie. “rule of the people”. Ask the Lebanese what they think of Hezbollah.
Iran was already a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural empire even before Hezbollah and Ansarollah and others were thrown into the mix.
Should Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Gilan, Mazandaran, Khuzestan, Baluchestan, etc, go their own way then, because they are not Persian?
Perhaps those who don’t like the term empire should coin a new phrase to describe what the Resistance Axis is. How about “an alliance where one party is the leader and the other parties are followers” — too long?
How about “an alliance where one party is the producer, and the other parties are consumers?” — still too long.
You can’t go to any grocery store in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc, where you won’t find the shelves stacked with Iranian products. So, should Iran refrain from selling food to its neighbors, because God forbid, that would be a form of trade/business empire?
The Resistance is no longer a one man show. It is an empire unto itself now, which means that the members are all united towards a singular goal: defeating the US-Zionist thuggery in the region.
The “anti-imperialists” claim that Yemen and Iraq and others should only concern themselves with their own nationalist concerns, and not buy into “Iran’s regional ambitions” aka kicking out the occupiers and having a peaceful and prosperous Middle East. They want dozens of small countries, all involved only in their own nationalistic pursuits.
But we are the Umma. How can we have selfish nationalistic interests that are opposed to the interests of our Muslim neighbors?
A new Islamic Empire is on the rise, whether anyone likes it or not. This New Islamic Empire’s military forces are so battle hardened that it defies the imagination. A bunch of Yemeni tribesmen are beating a coalition of US, UK, KSA, UAE and Zionist forces. Good luck telling them they shouldn’t be part of the Islamic Empire.
Iran will continue to distribute its own resources across the New Islamic Empire. Iranian fuel will soon be available at the pumps in Lebanon. What has Iran taken from Lebanon or Yemen?
An empire doesn’t have to be about one powerful asshole taking everything from everyone. It can be the other way around, where the powerful player spreads around the wealth, and the love.
The collective West should beware. Iranian Islamic love is coming for them.
Whatever connotation is given to it an empire is an empire, and no matter how bening in the beginning the rots will soon sets in leading to untoward hardships for those found within its realm, this has always been the fate of empires in history.
Nobody is denying the Persian civilization if you permit me to refer to Iran’s empire as such, but what the ideals of the present Islamic revolution in Iran is built upon is the interpretation of governance from the perspective of Shiism, both spiritual and physical, which is averse to empire building and strongly in support of the oppressed wherever they are, in fact this is one of the beauty of this system of government which has make it transcend beyond West Asia and Hindu Kush reaching as far as South America. Providing indegenous people with the ability to protect themselves from foreign occupation without necessarily dictating terms to them is not empire building or imperialism, in fact I am yet to see the material gain Islamic Iran has acquired from her support for the Axis Of Resistance but have suffered huge material loss and taken heavy bodily blow has demonstrated with her support for Palestine.
However, the Islamic Republic has an in-built mechanism for checking its excesses which is the fact that it recognize it cannot achieve an ideal world as that is the domain of Imam of the Age. What Islamic Iran advocate is that the foundation needed to be laid for the coming of the Imam, through pragmatic actions which include establishing a government and empowering our Ummah in all facets for this reappearance and for the next world, also to protect ourselves and the oppressed from the oppressor.
No doubt today Islamic Iran is the most powerful Islamic nation on earth, and having recently elected a conservative her future suddenly look so bright once again throwing the opposition in disarray. No matter how it is spin Iran empire is not and will never comeback and that goes for every other nations on earth.
imperialism
/ɪmˈpɪərɪəlɪz(ə)m/
noun
“a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or other means.”
Or
“State policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas.”
Imperialism is a generic term which refers to the extending of a polity’s influence, outside of its own borders, regardless of the means, whether cultural, financial, military, political, etc.
You are arguing semantics. Do you disagree that Iranian influence has spread outside of Iran?
Perhaps you need to brush up on your English, friend. Or put forward your own definition of imperialism.
“No matter how it is spin Iran empire is not and will never comeback and that goes for every other..”
empire
/ˈɛmpʌɪə/
noun
1.
an extensive group of states or countries ruled over by a single monarch, an oligarchy, or a sovereign state.
2.
a large commercial organization owned or controlled by one person or group.
I don’t know what you are talking about. There are countless empires in the world, big and small, rising and falling, every day. And by definition, Ayatollah Khamenei rules over an extensive group of states right now, whether you like it or not.
Jeff Bezos controls an empire. The White House controls another empire. The Chinese state controls a massive, massive business empire. And Global Zionism controls the biggest empire of our age. And it just so happens that I myself have a tiny business empire. I have a handful of employees and smaller companies which I manage and oversee.
To say that the IRGC does not control a massive multi-national military ’empire’, is simply inaccurate and incorrect.
Rome was a city-state that went on to dominate half the world. The Russian Federation today started as a tiny viking polity in Kiev and expanded all the way to Japan. The Persians started from the province of Parsa in Iran, and took control of the whole region, and people still speak Persian in Tajikistan, Afghanistan and all of Iran today, even if they aren’t ethnic Persians.
How do you distinguish between an empire and a country?
Russian territories were all gained through military conquest in the past centuries, as were Iranian territories by the Persians.
So, what are we doing? Setting an arbitrary date and saying that all conquest before that date is legitimate and constitutes a ‘country’, whereas after that date it is illegitimate imperialism?
Hmm?
The geopolitical connotation of defining an empire is the imperial military occupation or defacto control of other people’s geopolitico/economic entity/resources both near and far, none of these is being carried out by any agencies of the Islamic Iran.
To have an influence over the hearts and minds of the members of the Resistance Axis across West Asia whether religiously or militarily and to be admired and be allied with for daring to go toe to toe with the Anglozionist empire and still proudly remain standing doesn’t equate to empire building, don’t conflate the definition as this is an exercise in futility.
Even most of the people in what the Saker referred to as Zone B do not debate this as it is as clear as daylight Islamic Iran is doing this because it is the right thing to do for a nation professing Islamic government and which have defending the oppressed boldly written in her Constitution and the Holy Book she subscribe to and pragmatically derived legitimacy with her allies from such support. Why someone like you who profess to live in Islamic Iran insist to define Iran’s heavy lifting in defense of humanity with this terms dumbfound me, sounds exactly like what the people in Zone A used to advocate about Islamic Iran influence.
To even remotely think the Bolivaria Revolution of Venezuela, the Cubans and even the Houthis who have fiercely demonstrated their independence and after all what they’ve gone through will accede to such thing as imperialism in any form or manipulation not least from Islamic Iran which is not even looking to colonize anyone in the first place is beyond dumb, but clearly revealed an agenda driven narrative by whoever is claiming such here.
The Persian empire is gone, defunct and it or any another empire will never rule the world again. Deal with it.
It sounds like you are upset about Iranian influence spreading in the region.
Let me guess. You are Pakistani, male, 40-55 years old? And you do not accept Ayatollah Khamenei as the de-facto leader of the Islamic world?
The Houthis, like Bashar Assad, take orders directly from the IRGC Command. I guess this must be infuriating for you, seeing as how you categorically deny even the possibility of such a thing.
But what your comment betrays above all else is your concern that one day Iranian influence will spread to Pakistan, yes?
If Pakistan continues to support Al Qaeda and other KSA terrorist activity in the region, as they have for decades, that day will come soon enough.
“The geopolitical connotation of defining an empire is the imperial military occupation or defacto control of other people’s geopolitico/economic entity/resources both near and far, none of these is being carried out by any agencies of the Islamic Iran.”
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s objective is to kick the US and the Zionist regime out of the region. Before the rise of the Houthis, the Yemeni nation’s objective was pseudo-nationalistic twiddling of their thumbs. Now they are part of something bigger than that. They are part of Iran’s ‘team’ (the correct technical term is empire) working towards expelling the US-Zionist presence in the region.
You either have a problem with the word empire, like some kind of deep seated issue arising from British colonialism, which I can’t even begin to fathom, as my native Iran was never a British colony. Or you are just upset about Pakistan being how it is.
The Iranian actions which you are describing in the region, the selfless sacrifice for others, the sharing of resources, etc, is the flavor of Persian imperialism. If you knew history, you would know that both the Old Persian Empire and the New Persian Empire liberated the people of the geographical area called Palestine/Judea. The first time, the Persians gave the Jews as much gold and valuables as they could carry back to Jerusalem, and the Persians payed to rebuild the temple and the city which Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed.
Is it a coincidence that Iran is doing the same today?
Persian imperialism never included colonization of other lands by Persians. Subject peoples were left free to speak any language, worship any god, and call their land anything they wanted. Persian imperialism was a benign overlordship and managerial task, which the Persians excelled at. They still do.
Name a period where the Middle East was more peaceful and prosperous, than under Persian or Persianate rule.
Why didn’t Pakistan organize the resistance against the US and the Zionist regime?
Roman subjects _always_ hated and despised, and were terrified of the Romans. Persian subjects usually saw the Persians as liberators, just like today.
When Cyrus of Anshan walked into Babylon, the people celebrated the arrival of the liberator who ousted the deranged tyrant Nabonidus without any bloodshed, and saved their city.
Under Persian Imperial rule, the region had peace and prosperity for centuries.
This is what the people of the region want now, peace and prosperity. Not fake democracy and fake nationalism, which is the flavor of US Imperialism.
If Iran has to conquer the whole region through proxy Satraps, like the Houthis, to bring peace and prosperity, so be it.
Is any of this getting through to you?
History repeats itself. Soon, the Persians will liberate the land of Palestine for the third time in as many millenia, and the people of that land will be happy and adoring subjects of Iran, like twice before.
Being a subject of Iran means getting help and resources from Iran, as you yourself have noted, whereas being a subject of Roman/USA style imperialism means having your resources taken away.
Both previous Persian Empires ended through conquest, first Alexander, then the Arab hordes. Neither empire fell because the subject people were mistreated or discontent.
You talk a lot of big words for someone who doesn’t know the first thing about Iranian history or the history of the region.
You only know of one kind of imperial rule, the Roman-British-American kind. Give Iran a chance, before you bash the whole concept of imperialism.
It is no accident that the Invaders always burned every book in Iran. It is like the US seizing the presstv domain. They don’t want proof of Iranian benevolence floating around to mock Roman-Anglo-American tyranny.
Now that I have you where exactly I want you; confessing your hidden agenda as a remnant troll of the monarchists of years gone by, never to return.
Dream on Mr imperial/empire of the lala land.
You’ve demonstrated some really keen psychic abilities there, buddy. I was trying so hard to conceal my identity, but alas, it seems I have been unmasked. So, I better come clean.
I am no troll. I am actually Gholi Pahlavi, son of Reza Pahlavi II, trying to scrounge up some support here on the Saker’s blog, to take back my throne in Iran. So far, I have exactly zero supporters, including Mike Pompeo.
And you managed to put me in my place without refuting a single statement I made.
You really must teach me how you did that.
Kudos
P.S. So, did I understand correctly that I shouldn’t count on your support at the next election? I’m going to run against Raeisi in 2025, in absentia. Sorry, I have to go pick up by sister now, she was at a Rothschild LGBT party at the Hamptons last night, and she can’t find her clothes. — vote Gholi for President!
I like your style, Culling with kindness.
Another angle to this story is that these news outlets were planning to reveal material regarding 9ll as we near its 20th anniversary, and that this is the beginning of the censorship of this information.
Every word, Every thought – always in my mind, for a very long time.
The bloody dressing is slowly being peeled back and the world sees the USA as it is.
– But pity the poor, dumbed-down people.
“..But I will not back down, nor will I give up, and neither should anyone who has spoken out against the savage actions of the imperialists. It should never be forgotten that they silence and shut us down because they fear us, not because they are morally superior to us.
Resistance must continue on all fronts. Every act of aggression should be seen as an opportunity to show the world what liars and hypocrites the Western warmongers are who think that they can win the hearts of the people of this region through their lies and crude propaganda while bombing the people’s homes and loved ones.”
The US seized those domains because of news items like the following:
https://newsmedia.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Image/1400/04/05/1400040510492192923096604.jpg — The first Hashd al-Shaabi parade, with the Iraqi PM present on the stage, happened on Saturday in Diyala.
https://newsmediab.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Video/1400/04/05/1400040518244879023100455.mp4 — short video of the parade
https://newsmedia.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Image/1400/04/05/1400040510535367923096654.jpg
https://newsmedia.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Image/1400/04/05/1400040510492192923096604.jpg
https://newsmedia.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Image/1400/04/05/1400040510550813323096684.jpg
https://newsmedia.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Image/1400/04/05/1400040510555347723096704.jpg
https://newsmedia.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Image/1400/04/05/1400040511050083723096784.jpg
https://newsmedia.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Image/1400/04/05/1400040511034269623096764.jpg — the Christian Brigade of Hashd
https://newsmedia.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Image/1400/04/05/1400040511025814923096754.jpg
What’s-his-name, the US puppet in the Iraqi PM seat, congratulated the Hashd al-Shaabi forces on the anniversary of the founding of their organization. He wore a Hashd uniform for the event.
https://newsmedia.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Image/1397/01/19/1397011914292712413808244.png — In Yemen, the armed forces are reporting that they have launched a massive attack against the Saudis in retaliation for coalition aggression.
General Yahya Saree reports that the Yemeni armed forces have launched an extensive attack against multiple targets, with five ballistic missiles and five drones. Sensitive military targets were struck in Najran and Khamis Mushait.
The Saudi National Guard base in Najran, military bases at the Abha international airport, and Malik Khalid Airbase were successfully targeted in the last 24 hours.
Yemeni drone and missile attacks have intensified in recent days. Meanwhile, the Saudis report that two drones and two ballistic missiles have been intercepted.
https://newsmedia.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Image/1398/04/14/1398041416380775517808534.jpg — Back to Iraq now, where the US Army has announced that it has carried out airstrikes against Hashd al-Shaabi bases near the Syrian border.
The US claims the airstrikes were a response to the ongoing campaign of Hashd al-Shaabi attacks against US bases in Iraq.
Local sources in Syria claim that US fighter jets carried out airstrikes against residential areas on the Iraqi-Syrian border at 1AM this morning. As a result, one child died and three other civilians were wounded, and their homes were destroyed.
https://newsmedia.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Image/1399/12/09/139912092050216322320874.jpg — Hashd al-Shaabi has vowed a crushing response to the US savagery.
Hashd al-Shaabi is reporting that 4 resistance fighters were killed in the US strikes against their base.
They have released a statement:
We have said many times that the US occupying presence is against the Iraqi constitution, against the Parliament’s legislation, and it is against the wishes of the Iraqi people.
They are criminal occupying forces who continue to murder Iraqi armed forces who are fighting terrorism on the Syrian border.
The fighters who were killed today were defenders of Iraqi peace and security.
We will make the occupying enemy taste the bitter flavor of revenge for our fallen brothers, and if they still continue their attacks, we shall make their presence in Iraq a nightmare.
https://newsmedia.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Image/1400/04/07/1400040704331596923107694.jpeg — Back to Yemen again, where the armed forces are reporting that the crucial Al Dhiza mountain range in Al Jawf has been liberated.
The report states that the entire area has been cleared of coalition mercenaries. The operation, dubbed Operation Martyr Abu Fazel Tomer, followed five routes up the mountain, and resulted in the capture of the whole mountain range.
Coalition bases were shelled, resulting in heavy damage. Over 50 coalition armored vehicles were destroyed, and 11 Saudi mercenaries were captured alive.
The operation included assistance from Al Jawf tribes.
The importance of the mountain range is that it is the last position overlooking the deserts in the East of Al Jawf, and it is very close to the Saffr oil wells near Marib and the road between Marib and Al Wadiyah.
And in other news, Iran is refusing to further cooperate with the IAEA, claiming that the deal between the two has expired.
On Sunday morning, during the unveiling ceremony of the new Noora covid vaccine, Iran’s second domestically produced covid vaccine, General Hossein Salami, head of the IRGC, reported that the IRGC has attained drones with a range of up to 7000 kms.
The General spoke about various achievements in science and technology at the ceremony, where he also mentioned that in the aerospace department, Iran now makes wide-body drones that can fly up to 7000 kms, and can land anywhere.
These words from the General come after the Sepah (IRGC) unveiled its latest wide-body drone last month, the Shahed-149 dubbed “Gaza”, with a turboprop engine, and larger dimensions than the Shahed-129, which can carry more munitions and has a longer range.
https://newsmedia.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Image/1400/04/06/14000406130807468231050310.jpg — The Shahed-149 “Gaza” drone
Before this, the Shahed-171 drone, which is an exact replica of a captured US RQ-171 drone, with a range of 4400 kms, was Iran’s longest range drone.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Shahed_171_Simorgh.jpg — The Shahed-171
The Sepah’s aerospace division has invested heavily in drone technology in recent years, and they have achieved a great deal in the field. Resistance groups all across the region have the power of advanced drones at their disposal, which has made them all quite formidable, and this drone power is the White House’s biggest worry and operational concern in Iraq right now.
https://newsmedia.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Image/1400/04/06/1400040613150181323105044.jpg — Iranian Mohajer-6 drone equipped with Qaem bombs at the Hashd al-Shaabi military parade in Iraq.
Drone attacks against US forces in Iraq has been increasing and intensifying in recent months.
Meanwhile, in Syria, the Al Amr US base was targeted with rockets, as retaliation for US airstrikes carried out yesterday. After the surprise rocket attacks, US fighter jets have been in the sky over the region in numbers, randomly striking targets in confusion.
https://newsmediab.tasnimnews.com/Tasnim/Uploaded/Video/1400/04/07/1400040722471317723112323.mp4 — A clip of the rocket launches.
https://youtu.be/eod5XaSNCrk — And the Yemenis have released this footage of Yemeni armed forces advancing in Al Jawf as part of the Martyr Abu Fazel Tomer Operation.
Well written. Keep going with your critics and analysis, Sir. Fight the imperialist and colonialist with any means. I’m sick of seeing washington and the gang propagate their false democracy. They are devilly & evilly big liars. It’s time for them to be, at least, morally defeated.