It goes without saying that it is useless for any party to rely on the time factor. Everyone remembers what happened to Japan in World War II including the Japanese kamikaze attacks on neighboring countries, the attack on Pearl Harbor in the United States, and the destruction of the American naval fleet.
However, the end was not what Tokyo wanted. It refused to heed advice and ignored the voice of reason. Japan persisted in its stubbornness until the matter was settled on August 6, 1945, with its surrender after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Technology was not as advanced then as it is today. Now, social media and the press expose everything instantly, unlike the situation during World War II. Furthermore, Iran today is not like Japan during World War II.
The current Iranian regime has squandered opportunities for decades. Instead of seizing available chances, Iran’s leaders chose to bully neighboring countries and the Arab world. They even boasted of controlling four Arab capitals and attempted to influence the culture of these countries, including trying to change their religious beliefs, which were actions that the world could not accept.
As a result, the path taken by the Tehran regime proved detrimental. Iranian leaders ignored voices of reason, both from the Gulf and the international community, particularly as the international community had made clear it would not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction. Despite this, Iran continued its delaying tactics, attempting to outsmart the international community.
Throughout the past five decades, Iran has instigated numerous problems, beginning with the eightyear Iran-Iraq War, which ended with Khomeini’s admission of defeat in 1988 when he described accepting UN Security Council Resolution 598, calling for a ceasefire, as “drinking from a poisoned chalice.” This was followed by terrorist attacks launched by Iran against neighboring countries.
Meanwhile, the suffering of the Iranian people continued to worsen, as the regime failed to use the country’s natural resources to alleviate hardship or improve economic and living conditions. Instead, Iran directed its national income toward supporting sectarian terrorist groups throughout the Arab world and pursuing harmful activities globally. Despite this, opportunities have existed for Tehran over the past decades to reach a common understanding.
However, Iran chose intransigence and continued its destructive path instead of pursuing positive and friendly relations with its neighboring countries, which form its strategic and economic sphere. Today, nations will not stand idly by while Iran attacks their countries. This is a reality for which Tehran is unprepared. The world will not remain silent about Iranian terrorist activities, especially following the US president’s revelation that the Iranian regime is developing weapons and missiles capable of reaching the United States.
This indicates that a large number of capitals could fall within the range of Iranian threats. The time has come to put an end to this bullying. Countries have long tried to avoid confrontation and give negotiations a chance, hoping the disruptive party would cease its harmful behavior. But when the situation escalates, the only remaining option is drastic measures. In such cases, the strongest prevails. We do not believe the world is weak, nor that Iran is stronger. An Arabic proverb aptly reflects these circumstances - “If God wants to destroy an ant, He gives it wings.”
