The region was on the brink of a major conflict yesterday as stated by American President Donald Trump, who posted on Truth Social that “the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, have asked me to postpone our planned military attack against Iran, scheduled for tomorrow (yesterday), because serious negotiations are now underway.” Fortunately, the attack was halted at the request of the leaders of Gulf states, whose governments understand that any attack on Iran will only exacerbate the crisis. They are also aware that the oppressed Iranian people have been living under systematic repression for 47 years, and that any misstep will have repercussions for the region.
Therefore, they worked hard to stop such a major attack, hoping to pave the way for diplomatic efforts. Unfortunately, for five decades, this positive Gulf approach has been met with increasing intransigence and arrogance by Tehran – repaying kindness with evil. This is its modus operandi. Nevertheless, as they say in the world of politics, “there are no permanent enemies or permanent friends, only permanent interests.” It is in the interest of the Gulf states, as well as the Iranian people, to end the war, regardless of the interests of the pillars of the regime -- those who are visible and those who hide behind statements that only fuel doubts about the ability of the head of the State to lead.
This raises many questions about the essence of the continuous intransigence in failing to reach a solution. Everyone knows that the regime does not care about the interests of its people. History records many tragedies it has caused. Since the beginning of its rule, it has killed thousands of opponents. The most infamous incident was the execution of more than 30,000 dissidents, sentenced by former President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a plane crash, when he was a judge in the ‘Revolutionary Court’.
This pattern of state-led violence continued. After the 12-day war last year, around 32,000 protesters were killed in the popular uprising against deteriorating living conditions. This regime disregards its own people and its commitments to neighboring countries, which, from a position of strength, strive to prevent the collapse of a neighboring nation, given the regional chaos it could cause. However, the Tehran regime persists in its terrorist activities, not only domestically but throughout the region as well, including Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen, in addition to planting cells in Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE and Saudi Arabia.
There is no solution for this rogue nation, whose leaders still live in the caves of medieval backwardness, but to uproot it entirely. This can only be achieved through internal action. Perhaps, the great Iranian people are more capable of doing this now, after the weakness caused by the recent war. Poet Abu Al-Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi aptly summarized the natural order of things: “There is no hand but Allah’s hand above it ... and no oppressor but one who will be afflicted by a greater oppressor.” In contrast, Arabs, particularly those in the Gulf, are known for their patience and prudence -- traits stemming from the harsh climate of their countries. They operate on the principle that “patience is bitter, but its reward is sweet.” Thus, the request for President Trump to halt the attack has several advantages, the most important is that the day after the ceasefire, regardless of the agreement reached, will likely lead to internal unrest in Iran. This will prevent any regional losses, as the anticipated change within the regime will proceed smoothly and without chaos.
