Iran’s government a ruling system with retrospective and deviant thinking was not a collaborating structure with the present world since its beginning. In addition to its crime inside the country, the regime started to seize other countries in the Middle East and Arab nations of North Africa, by direct or indirect meddling with the help of fundamentalist proxy groups.
The founder of the regime as the supreme leader regime Ruhollah Khomeini justified this action by calling it the ‘export of revolution’. His successor Ali Khamenei justified this action under the names of, ‘regional presence’, ‘cross-border view to the region’ and the ‘strategic depth of the Islamic Republic.’
“Regarding our presence in the region, some constantly ask why Iran should be present in the region, the system of the Islamic Republic is obliged to act in such a way that its friends and supporters in the region are strengthened. This is our duty. Our presence means strengthening our friends and strengthening our supporters. So, this regional presence is definite, it should exist, and it will exist.” (Khamenei, January 8, 2021)
“Muslims are the strategic depth of the Islamic system, and Muslim nations in Asia, Africa, and our region support the Islamic system.” (Khamenei, May 25, 1999)
For the existence of this regime meddling in other countries is the ‘most important obligation.’ Therefore, if this regime stops its interference in other countries, it will lose its control inside the country and will topple. This is the inseparable link between repression and terrorism.
“Do not miss this vast geography of resistance. Do not miss this cross-border look. Let’s not be satisfied with our region. This broad cross-border view, this extension of strategic depth, is sometimes even more important than the most important duties of the country and must be taken seriously, but many do not realize this, many do not respect this.
“Now some are paying attention but are speaking in favor of the enemy [for example they say], ‘Neither Gaza nor Lebanon.’
“But many do not pay attention. This is the reality. Do not let this view of this vast geographical area, which is part of the duties and responsibilities of the IRGC, be weakened within the IRGC.” (Khamenei in a meeting with the IRGC commanders, October 2, 2019)
This is the reason why many of the regime’s officials are attacking the people’s slogan, ‘Neither Gaza nor Lebanon – I sacrifice my life for Iran.’ Because this simple slogan is attacking one of the regime’s pillars of existence. And Khamenei is equaling this slogan to the ‘weakening of the IRGC.’
The recent protests of the people have weakened this strategic lever of the regime so that one of its state-run dailies in an article entitled, ‘What depth of strategic influence?’ attacked it and count some of the losses of this action and wrote:
“Underdevelopment, the state of the economic system, the unpopular government structure, the dissatisfaction of the masses with the rulers and the rule of a violent and repressive system,” are the result of such policy.
And the regime is finally forced to admit that this policy has been defeated and is harming the regime.
“A correct and unambiguous study of the realities of the world and our region will lead us to other results, and this hope [domination on Muslim countries and the establishment of an empire] will disappear.
“Our presence in some countries is not fundamentally established and is completely shaky. Some many Shiite currents and clerics oppose us. Let’s say that the scope of influence of the United States and the Arab countries in the region in Iraq is not less than that of Iran, and we are witnessing their influence on the political situation in this country.
“We spent a lot of money in Syria, but our position in the future of this country is still unclear, and it is said that even Turkey, which opposes Assad, is now exploiting the interests of this country more economically and politically than Iran.
“In Yemen, as long as there is a war and we support the Houthis, they will be with us. We should not be very happy with the situation in Afghanistan because the disappearance of the threat and its replacement with another threat left no place for happiness.”
