The right path that a wise person strives to follow is to pursue good relations with neighbors rather than attacking them for the benefit of both one’s own interests and those of others. This is what the leaders of the Iranian regime should have done from the very first day of their successful coup against the Shah. However, arrogance and recklessness appear to have been fundamental to this large country, and not rationality.

Today, it is clear that an era has ended. The past 47 years can be seen as a closed chapter. Those remaining in the Iranian regime must adopt a rational approach if they truly seek the well-being of their people. For decades, Tehran has deliberately brought misery to its own citizens and has consistently severed ties with the Arabian Gulf states and the entire Arab world through acts of terrorism. Despite this, wise Gulf leaders have consistently tried to bring Tehran to a point of understanding, warning it of the consequences of reckless actions that would not serve its own interests.

However, the opposite has occurred. The regime, entrenched in its outdated ways, has not learned its lesson. The recent Iranian aggression against the Gulf states over the past two days is the latest in a long series of crimes committed by the Iranian regime. Instead of retaliating against the United States and Israel, which carried out attacks against it, the Iranian regime targeted civilian sites in the Gulf. This is how the Iranian regime repaid kindness with harm, and this is how it responded to the ongoing efforts of Gulf governments, who have worked for months to prevent attacks against it.

This is not surprising from a regime that thrives on lies and delusions, which is evident in its attempts to alter the prevailing culture in the region or to influence the decisions of four countries through sectarian groups and mercenary proxies, including the so-called “Hezbollah” terrorist organization in Lebanon and sectarian enclaves in Iraq. Iran has sought to change Syria’s identity, using both enticement and coercion.

Through the Houthi group, Iran has dragged Yemen back into a state reminiscent of a prehistoric era. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have suffered greatly from the Iranian regime. This includes terrorist attacks on Mecca and Medina and attempts to bomb civilian buildings in Saudi Arabia. The Tehran regime also enabled its Yemeni proxy to target oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. For over a decade, it orchestrated attacks on Bahrain through sabotage groups. These followed Iran’s occupation of islands of the United Arab Emirates and the terrorist bombings that targeted Kuwait in the 1980s.

All of these acts of terrorism have deepened the rift between Iran and the Gulf states. Despite these, the governments of the region spared no effort to de-escalate tensions and prevent attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel. Moreover, the Gulf states have opened several channels of communication with Tehran and extended a hand of cooperation. Unfortunately, the Iranian response was further intransigence and arrogance.

Our countries have patiently endured the harm to prevent the region from descending into a third regional war. Indeed, Iran could have become a major economic power in the region, and its people could have enjoyed prosperity. Instead, the Iranian regime has squandered billions of dollars. Iran claimed to use these funds to support the resistance, but in reality, the money was diverted to drug trafficking, money laundering, running prostitution networks, and financing countless other nefarious activities. Today, the Iranian people must have the power to free themselves from this terrorist regime. For 47 years, the Iranian regime has sought to alter the identity of this great nation by practicing oppression, terrorism, and brutality against its own people.