During these “golden years”, the Iranian regime was able to expand further across the Middle East and to strengthen its military power – at home, and abroad with the use of militias and proxy groups.
Therefore, it is critical that President Trump adopts a more confrontational policy and puts an end, once and for all, to the appeasement of Iran. And it seems like he may be open to this. For one, he has given the European Union one last chance to fix the flawed nuclear deal otherwise the US will be pulling out.
However, as much as Trump has expressed his intentions to crack down on Iran, he has done very little to put this into action. The Iranian regime has shown that it is completely incapable of reform, and those who believed that the nuclear deal would bring reconciliation between Iran and the wider international community have been proven wrong.
On numerous occasions Iran has had the opportunity to reform, but it has been made very clear that those in charge do not want better relations with the United States. It counts the US as its enemy and it treats it as such. In the past, there have been more moderate leaders in Iran, but they have not been allowed – by higher powers – to ensure better relations between the Islamic Republic and the US.
Israel, a US ally, has been threatened by Iran on a number of occasions and its proxy groups and militias have vowed to eradicate the Jewish state. Hamas is now being supported by Iran against Israel. Iranian officials have said that the regime is determined to help Israel’s enemies and has expressed its determination to ruin Israel.
Iran is fuelling the conflicts across the region. In Yemen, it got involved in the war to hurt US ally Saudi Arabia. Threatening US allies in the region can have profound consequences for the US, and the allies do not want a direct confrontation with Iran.
In Bahrain, for example, US interests are being undermined by Iran. Furthermore, Saudi Arabia – despite its numerous challenges and major incompatibilities with the United States – can only be described as a strong ally. It too is being threatened by Iran and it recently intercepted a missile sent by Iran from Yemeni territory. Thankfully it was intercepted before it hit the kingdom’s main international airport in the capital city.
If Iran is allowed to continue to mould the region, it is certain that instability and impoverishment will prevail. Iran is looking for conflict and refuses to cooperate and compromise. It is the responsibility of the United States, and international leaders, to confront Iran and its malign policies.
