By Ameer Ali –

Dr. Ameer Ali

Donald Trump and the US military-industrial-media-academic-congress-complex (MIMACC) with support from the Saudi Regime and Benjamin Netanyahu has virtually declared war on Iran by raising the possibility of unilaterally abrogating the internationally agreed nuclear deal signed in 2015. This has obviously embarrassed the US allies, isolated the superpower and above all rekindled the anti-US and nationalistic sentiments in Iran on which that nation’s conservative Mullacracy thrives.

The roots of this anti-US sentiments in Iran go back to the early 1950s when the CIA successfully engineered a coup to topple Dr. Mossadeq’s democratically elected government and to bring back the puppet Shah to the Peacock throne.  From then on and until Obama’s equally successful nuclear deal Iran-US relations had been topsy-turvy to say the least. To keep Iran calm and friendly is an asset to minimise troubles in the volatile Middle east and to stabilise the oil market at affordable price to the consumers.

However, successive US administrations seem to have never come to grips with the Shia mindset that has historically demonstrated a rabid intolerance towards oppression and outside interference in domestic affairs. The current Iranian regime came to power in 1979 by exploiting that mind set and calling the U.S. “the Great Satan” and the U.S embassy a “den of thieves”. Yet, the presidential elections of 2009 showed a rising wave of discontent against the Islamic regime. Even though the Green Movement that started that year was a civil rights movement provoking nationwide demonstrations against the regime, planted the seeds for the Arab Spring two years later and sent shock waves to the Mullahs, the regime’s survival was secured only after indiscriminate slaughter of the opponents by the security forces and vigilantes. Even now there is serious discontent against the current rulers in Iran and given time a regime change towards a more democratic rule is inevitable. Obama administration must have singularly read the situation accurately and wanted to normalise U.S-Iran relations so that a regime change in the future will occur spontaneously without outside interference. The internationally agreed nuclear deal was the outcome of that realisation.

Now, an unpredictable and a sociopath Donald Trump in pandering to the wishes of a tiny elite that thrives on selling weapons of mass destruction and waging wars internationally is now trying to jeopardise a hard won peace device. The allies are naturally embarrassed and their refusal to support Trump will isolate the superpower. Like the proverbial bull in the China shop this man is bent on destroying every positive achievement made previously.  His opposition to the Obamacare, withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Trade Deal, withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, withdrawal from UNESCO and now the abrogation of the Iran Nuclear Deal are demonstrations of Trump’s cyclonic path of destruction.    

From the point of view of the unpopular Iranian regime however Trump’s anti-Iranian rhetoric will provide a golden opportunity not only to rekindle the traditional anti-US and aggressive nationalist sentiment but also to resume the nuclear program. If a war is to be declared by the US eventually the Middle East volatility will certainly worsen with the Shia in Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia rising in support of Iran and causing irreparable damage to an already sensitive sectarian balance. All this will favour the conservative Mullahs in Iran who will continue to remain in power, thanks to Donald Trump.

As a final note, Iran is also closely watching Trump’s empty rhetoric against North Korea. It is that nation’s potential nuclear threat that is keeping the US war mongers away from indulging in any rash military action.  It was also by surrendering the nuclear weapon preparations that Ghaddafi became an easy prey to NATO and US attacks. It was the destruction of the nuclear reactor by Israel that made Saddam Hussain totally powerless in the face of the US invasion. Trump’s latest war mongering is clearly sending a message to other nations that if they want peace let them prepare for war.