Therefore, the United States and the whole world should have dealt with the current Iranian regime realistically. America and the world should have heeded the statements of Gulf and Arab officials that this regime does not seek peace and stability, as it rather seeks hegemony through any means. Iran intends to turn back the clock and revive the idea of the Persian Empire, which dominated the minds of Iranians for about 1,350 years, and the dreams of revenge for Hormuz, who was defeated by the army of Khalid ibn Al-Walid at the Battle of Chains.
The goal is not to dredge up the past, but rather to highlight the reality that has continued to shape Iranian culture since ancient times. Iran has been characterized by treachery for centuries, not only towards the Arab region, but towards all nations it has dealt with. The Iranians have always exploited negotiations to exhaust their adversaries and achieve their goals.
Historically, Iran has never won a single war in two centuries, but it always sought to prolong exhausting negotiations. Hence, when I refer to Iranian treachery, it is a realistic and contemporary observation of events we have witnessed for decades, not just with the current regime, which toed the path of political blackmail and terrorism, hiding behind sectarian religious slogans to establish proxies that corrupted the region.
The Iranian regime also tried to impose a ‘fait accompli’ that contravenes international law and agreements signed with neighboring countries. Iran instructed its proxy in Yemen (the Houthi group) to block the Bab al-Mandab Strait and issue statements threatening Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states almost daily. Events consistently reveal that diplomatic and political solutions serve as a lifeline for the Iranian regime, allowing it to regroup after each setback and return to its old habits.
Perhaps the world understands today, more than ever, that prolonging negotiations with Iran is a waste of time, as it is a rogue state that violates international norms, agreements and laws. It is said that the last resort is cauterization. This is how the Iranian regime should have been dealt with. An Arabic proverb says, “Enduring an hour of pain is better than constant suffering.” Based on this, US President Trump’s statements in Ankara, even if late, put things back on track. His denunciation of the memorandum of understanding with Iran, delivered from Turkiye— which, along with Pakistan, Egypt and Qatar, played a significant role in bridging the gap between the Americans and Iranians—sends a clear message: “Enough is enough”. Tehran’s malicious intentions are undermining everything. Perhaps President Trump ultimately realized that treachery remains the main aspect of the Iranian regime.
