Proving the hardliners in Tehran right

Proving the hardliners in Tehran right

Article:

1. Stanly Johny, author, highlighted that the cornerstone of Donald Trump’s West Asia policy is Israel’s security.

Important facts:

2. The U.S. president Donald Trump recently gave open threats against Tehran from historical hostility towards post-revolutionary Iran, to engagement during Obama era.

3. The focus of Trump’s West Asia policy, is Israel’s security and the containment of Iran is a subplot of this approach.

4. America’s traditional allies, Israel and the Sunni Arab, were upset with Mr. Obama’s outreach to Iran.

5. Obama’s approach was focussed on restoring some balance in the region, which was shaken up by revolts in the Arab world and civil wars.

6. The 2015 nuclear deal with Iran had opened new opportunities for both Washington and Tehran to reimagine their relations.

7. Iran, as the UN atomic watchdoghas been fully compliant with the terms of the nuclear accord.

8. Other signatories of the deal, including the European Union, still stick with it.

9. Mr. Trump, has called it the “worst deal ever” in American history.

10. Anti-Iran bloc

• Trump wants U.S. policy to swing back to America’s traditional allies, Israel and the Sunni Arab world.
• They saw the nuclear deal and the subsequent opening up of the global economy for Iran as further helping Tehran consolidate its position in West Asia.
• By dumping the nuclear deal, Trump’s plan is to deny Iran the economic benefits of the nuclear deal, incite Iranians against the regime and scuttle Tehran’s within Syria using Russian help.

11. Comparison of Iran with other countries:

• Iran is not a great military force.
• It spends far less on defence than what Saudi Arabia, its regional rival, does.
•  In 2016, Iran spent $12.7 billion on defence, compared to Saudi Arabia’s $63.7 billion.
• Even in terms of percentage of GDP, Iran, at 3%, is behind even Jordan, which spent 4% in 2016, not to mention Saudi Arabia’s 10% and Israel’s 6%.
• It’s to overcome this asymmetry,Iran has adopted a ‘forward defence’ doctrine, empowering militias and proxies in other countries.
•  This upsets both Israel and the U.S.  because at the time of war, Iran could activate these groups, unleashing havoc in its neighbourhood targeting both America and Isreeli soldiers.

12.In the past, there have been different attempts, from both Iran and the U.S., for a rapprochement.

13. After the 9/11 attack, Iran offered cooperation to the U.S. in its war against the al-Qaeda and Afghanistan.

14. Recent steps:

• The U.S. administration with a rational policymaking machine would have appreciated the deal and consolidated it, by retaining the checks on Iran.
• Iran is a country which had an active nuclear programme and came forward to negotiate a deal with world powers. But the deal has been jettisoned by the U.S., which is now threatening Iran with force.
• On the other hand, North Korea, built nuclear bombs and missiles, threatened the U.S. and its allies and is living in a permanent state of war in East Asia.