Donald Trump’s warning on Iran couldn’t have come at a better time. A video posted by an Iranian media outlet threatening Gulf states with missile attacks is ample evidence of the lingering danger posed by the regime in Tehran. In his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, the United States president stressed the threat posed by Iran and called on the world to isolate the Islamic Republic. Trump’s words on how Iran has been sowing chaos, death and destruction in the region have echoes in what the Gulf states have been saying for a while, and with good reason.
The war in Yemen, the instability in Iraq, the political deadlock in Lebanon and the bloodbath in Syria can be traced to Iran. Tehran’s proxies have held these countries hostage through their destabilising activities. By funding and arming Al Houthis in Yemen, militias in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Bashar Al Assad regime in Syria, Iran has been “spreading mayhem in the Middle East”. That’s precisely what Trump said.
When Iran was rocked by the deadliest attack in the country in nearly a decade — 25 people were killed in the firing on an annual military parade in Ahvaz, southwest of the country, on Saturday — Tehran pointed its finger at neighbours and the West. The video threatening Gulf states, which was retweeted by the semi-official Fars news agency before deleting it, came close on the heels of those allegations. Such accusations and muscle-flexing are unacceptable in a region in turmoil. By blaming others for its internal strife, Iran chose to ignore the simmering dissent at home. And that is perilous.
Trump’s speech also shed light on the massive spike in Iran’s defence budget. That is worrying. It also shows that the US was justified in withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal. Because all the funds that flowed into the country when the US lifted the sanctions in the wake of the deal went into refurbishing the Iranian defence infrastructure. How can a country spend on arms when its people are suffering from high inflation and soaring prices? It merely attests to the fact that Iran’s priorities lay in advancing its military ambitions even if it is detrimental to the countries in the region and its own people.
All these reaffirm the US and Gulf stance on the need to curb Tehran’s instincts to undermine the region. For that, the rest of the world should support the US campaign to apply economic pressure on the Iranian regime. Trump’s call to isolate Iran should be heeded so long as Tehran continues to act brazenly to advance its hegemonistic agenda. That would encourage Iran to act responsibly, paving the way for peace to return to the region.
