Iran´s Renewed Threats to Take Over the Arab Gulf States (JCPA) JERUSALEM CENTER FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS) Lt. Col. (res.) Jonathan Dahoah-Halevi Vol. 7, No. 11 07/20/07)
Source: http://www.jcpa.org
JCPA-Jerusalem Center Public Affairs
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Recent Iranian implied threats to "liberate" some of the Gulf
states, and an Iranian editorial calling Bahrain a district of Iran,
have caused great consternation in the Gulf states. In Bahrain there
have been demonstrations at the Iranian embassy, and an official
protest was submitted to Tehran. An additional Iranian article by the
same author again disparaged the Gulf states and made further
territorial threats.
Iran has territorial ambitions in the Persian Gulf and does not
hide them. In its view, every region of the Gulf is essentially
Persian and not Arab; moreover, a large Shiite population lives in
the Gulf.
The tireless Iranian endeavor to build a large, powerful military
and develop a civilian and military nuclear capability is a central
part of a strategy aimed at transforming Iran from a regional power
to a global one that can contend with the United States and the West.
The closer Iran gets to nuclearization, the bolder it is likely to be
toward the West and its neighbors.
Iran´s prophetic vision is already being translated into practice
in the propagation of the Shiite faith in many Muslim countries
including Pakistan, India (Kashmir), Turkey, Egypt, Algeria, Lebanon,
Jordan, and others. Senior Sunni theorists keep warning of the
Shiite "missionary" campaign that is spreading in the Arab world.
The Sunni world has tended to support Iran in its confrontation
with the United States over the issue of nuclear development. Now
that the situation is getting critical, there is a basis for
strategic cooperation between the United States and the Sunni world
aimed at stopping Iran.
In the eyes of the Arab states, the threat to wipe the Sunni
world from the map is graver than the Iranian promise to annihilate
Israel. Paradoxically, Israel and the Arab world are in the same
boat, with similar interests; moreover, it is in fact Israel that can
save the day for the Arabs.
Iran Eyes "Illegal Regimes" in the Gulf States
Tension is increasing between Iran and the Gulf oil principalities
over Iranian territorial claims that imply a threat to "liberate"
some of these states and annex them to Iran, the "mother homeland."
The crisis was triggered by an editorial by Hussein Shriatmadari,
adviser to Iran´s spiritual leader Ali Khameini and editor in chief
of the newspaper Kayhan, who asserted that "Bahrain is one of the
districts of Iran." On July 9, 2007, Shriatmadari wrote:
At present, and in line with the documents that prove Iran´s complete
and unequivocal sovereignty over the three islands [Greater Tunb,
Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa], we must again ask the question: is the
motive for their claim [regarding UAE sovereignty over the three
islands as indicated in resolutions of the Gulf Cooperation
Council] not their fear of the earthquake that the Islamic Revolution
has stirred up against their governments, [whose foundations] are in
previous centuries and are illegal? All these governments [of the
Gulf states] were established as a result of direct intervention of
the arrogant forces [imperialism], and the peoples were not involved
in appointing their governments, formulating their policies, or
decision-making. Indeed, all the governments that are members of this
council [the Gulf Cooperation Council] are accused by their peoples
of cooperation with the Zionist entity....
The earthquake stemming from the example set by the Islamic Republic
[of Iran] will lead to the collapse of their illegal regimes. They
well know this and have started to express hostility to Islamic Iran
as a strategic objective. This path is dangerous not only for Iran
but also for the continuation of their governments.1
Consternation in Bahrain
The article caused great consternation in Bahrain. Demonstrations
were held at the Iranian embassy and an official protest was
submitted to Tehran. A member of the Bahraini parliament, Muhammad
Khaled of the Muslim Brotherhood, stated in a newspaper interview
that Iran needs to officially apologize for Shriatmadari´s article,
and if it does not do so, Bahrain should recall its ambassador from
Tehran and cut off diplomatic relations. He expressed fear that Iran
is already preparing to foment a domestic uprising in Bahrain, whose
Shiite residents account for 70 percent of the total
population. "Bahrain has always taken a positive position on the
Iranian nuclear crisis and has announced more than once its
opposition to a military attack on Iran, and this is the ‘nice´
response to Bahrain´s position," said Khaled.2
Following Bahrain´s protest, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr
Mottaki met with his Bahraini counterpart, and the two issued a joint
statement affirming that "Bahrain and Iran respect each other´s
sovereignty and territorial integrity." Someone in the Iranian
Foreign Ministry clarified that Iran had not submitted an apology
since the Kayhan editorial did not express an official position but
rather only the view of its writer.3
Senior Iranian sources told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that the article was a
reaction to an announcement by the foreign and defense ministers of
the Gulf states at a meeting in Jeddah at the beginning of July which
expressed support for the UAE´s claim to sovereignty over the three
islands captured by Iran. The Gulf Cooperation Council, which unites
the oil principalities, stated in its resolutions:
As for Iran´s continued occupation of the three islands, Greater
Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa, which belong to the UAE, the council
reemphasizes its established positions:
1. Support for the right of the UAE to restore the three islands to
its sovereignty, with the territorial waters and the airspace...which
are an inseparable part of the UAE.
2. Expression of regret that no progress has been achieved in the
direct and regional and international contacts being held with Iran.
3. Calling on the Islamic Republic of Iran to respond to the efforts
of the UAE and the international community to solve the problem by
direct negotiations between the sides or by submitting the problem to
the International Court of Justice.4
Iranian Pressure Continues
The Iranian explanations did not placate the fears of the oil
principalities, particularly in light of the ongoing attack on them
and the accusations that these regimes are illegitimate and,
furthermore, cooperate with the United States that is seeking to
attack Iran. Shriatmadari was not deterred by the criticism against
him and in a further article in Kayhan on July 15, 2007, under the
headline "What´s Going On with You People?" he again disparaged the
Gulf states, refraining from calling Bahrain "the state of Bahrain"
and instead calling it "the island of Bahrain." In this article
Shriatmadari also asserted that several decades ago Bahrain was one
of the districts of Iran, but was severed from it because of an
agreement between Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi and the governments of
the United States and Britain. He attacked the rulers of the Gulf
states who deny "the total Iranian sovereignty over parts of the
recognized Iranian lands" and accused them of becoming spokesmen for
the United States and its allies who are working to open a new front
against Iran in the context of the key struggle between Tehran and
Washington.5
Ali Ahmadi, a member of the Iranian parliament and of the
Parliamentary Committee for National Security and Foreign Policy,
also attacked the position of the Gulf states regarding sovereignty
over the three islands. "If these states want to raise the ghost of
these issues, it will harm them more," said Ahmadi, who noted that
during certain periods some of the Arab countries, including Bahrain,
were part of Iran.6
The Rajah News website, identified with Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, stated that the Shiites in Bahrain constitute 70 percent
of the original residents and many of them speak Farsi. They watch
Iranian television and are fans of Iranian soccer teams. The website
noted that Iranian leaders have warned the Gulf states that continued
support for the UAE´s claim to sovereignty over the three islands
will resurrect Iran´s claim to sovereignty over Bahrain, despite the
Shah´s concession of Bahrain in 1971.7
A former senior Iranian figure said in an interview with Al-Sharq Al-
Awsat that Shriatmadari´s article reflects the view of Ali Khameini,
who takes an aggressive line on foreign policy as reflected in a
recent speech in which he berated former presidents Rafsanjani and
Khatami for conducting a foreign policy during their tenure that was
defensive rather than offensive. However, he criticized Shriatmadari,
saying his words unnecessarily complicate Iran´s relations with the
Gulf states.8
Iran has territorial ambitions in the Persian Gulf and does not hide
them. In its view, every region of the Gulf is essentially Persian
and not Arab; moreover, a large Shiite population lives in the Gulf
states. The tireless Iranian endeavor to build a large, powerful
military and develop a civilian and military nuclear capability is a
central part of a strategy aimed at transforming Iran from a regional
power to a global one that can contend with the United States and the
West. The closer Iran gets to nuclearization, the bolder it is likely
to be toward the West and its neighbors.
Iran is careful not to repeat the error of Saddam Hussein, who
invaded Kuwait in August 1990 before completing the program he was
working on to develop unconventional weaponry. Iran´s overriding
interest at present is to deter the United States (and Israel) from
carrying out a military attack that would damage its nuclear program,
and to deter the Gulf states from militarily assisting the United
States.
Ahmadinejad´s Prophetic Vision
In the next stage, the nuclear umbrella is meant to serve as the
basis for a more activist foreign policy that will carry the banner
of the Islamic revolution. The religious vision that motivates Iran
is a platform for political and military activity, and this vision
centers on the goal of reestablishing the Islamic Caliphate, which
will then create the conditions for the appearance of the Mahdi, the
Muslim messiah. Ahmadinejad announced this explicitly in a speech to
senior religious figures (November 2006),9 and in an epistle to
Christians (December 19, 2006) in which he stated that "the era of
distress, suffering, and threats will come to an end on the Day of
Days and Jesus will return to the world with the appearance of the
descendant of the Holy Prophet of Islam, the Imam Mahdi [the Shiite
messiah], and he will remove any signs of oppression, suffering, and
travail from the world."10
In the Shiite communities, Ahmadinejad is seen as the embodiment of
the Muslim leader who can advance the redemption. In the book
Ahmadinejad and the Coming World Revolution, Shadi Fakia makes a
direct link between Ahmadinejad and the Mahdi and says the present
president of Iran fits the description of the commander of the
Mahdi´s forces who will liberate Jerusalem according to the Shiite
faith. Ahmadinejad is described as a resolute individual who is
directly guided by Allah and believes the "Jerusalem liberation army"
will pass through Iraq, similarly to the belief of Khomeini, who said
that "the way to Jerusalem leads through Karbala." Ahmadinejad´s
determination to develop nuclear weapons is also interpreted as one
of the signs of the messianic redemption, since for him and his close
associates, confronting the international pressures to stop Iran from
acquiring nuclear technology is one of the ways to prepare the stage
for the Mahdi´s appearance.11
Sunni Reactions to Shiite Missionizers
The prophetic vision is already being translated into practice in the
propagation of the Shiite faith in many Muslim countries including
Pakistan, India (Kashmir), Turkey, Egypt, Algeria, Lebanon, Jordan,
and others. Senior Sunni theorists keep warning of the
Shiite "missionary" campaign that is spreading in the Arab world. A
few months ago the Supreme Muslim Council in Syria called on all
Sunni Muslims to rise up against the campaign of religious conversion
that Iran is conducting with the help of the Syrian regime. Its goal,
the Supreme Muslim Council claimed, is to push the Sunnis to emigrate
from their countries while abandoning their identity and religion
and, indeed, destroy them. The propagation of Shiism, the council
claimed, is also seen in the establishment of schools in every city,
the construction of Shiite mosques in Sunni neighborhoods, and
imposition of limitations on Sunnis in practicing their faith.12
Especially harsh in his attack on the Shiites was the Mufti of Mount
Lebanon, Sheikh al-Juzu. In an interview with the Egyptian weekly Ruz
al-Yusuf (December 22, 2006), al-Juzu said that "Iran aspires to take
over the Arab region. It is seeking to take control of the oil in the
[Persian] Gulf and to make the whole Arab region Shiite. There are
complete villages that have become Shiite....What is now happening is
a Persian Iranian Shiite invasion that Khomeini was not able to
achieve, but which today is being carried out by Hassan Nasrallah,
Muktada Sadr, Alaziz Alhakim, and Muhammad Ali Taskhiri."13
The manifestations of an aggressive Iranian foreign policy are
multiplying and are well reflected in the profound fears of the Gulf
states. The commanders of the Iranian army have threatened more than
once to attack the Gulf states and the oil facilities if they assist
the United States in attacking Iran. Now, in addition to these
threats, comes a declaration indicating Iran´s intention to take over
the Gulf region and its huge oil reserves, which will serve as a
source of immense economic power and a tool to devastate the Western
economy.
The Sunni world has tended to support Iran in its confrontation with
the United States over the issue of nuclear development. Now that the
situation is getting critical, there is a basis for strategic
cooperation between the United States and the Sunni world aimed at
stopping Iran. In the eyes of the Arab states, the threat to wipe the
Sunni world from the map is graver than the Iranian promise to
annihilate Israel. Paradoxically, Israel and the Arab world are in
the same boat, with similar interests; moreover, it is in fact Israel
that can save the day for the Arabs. (Copyright © 2007 JCPA. 07/20/07)
Notes
1 Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), July 13, 2007,
http://www.asharqalawsat.com/details.asp?
section=3&article=427952&issue=10454.
2 Al-Khalij (UAE), July 14, 2007,
http://www.alkhaleej.ae/articles/show_article.cfm?val=405611.
3 Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), July 15, 2007,
http://www.asharqalawsat.com/details.asp?
section=3&article=428190&issue=10456.
4 Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), July 13, 2007,
http://www.asharqalawsat.com/details.asp?
section=3&article=427952&issue=10454.
5 Al-Qabas (Kuwait), July 16, 2007,
http://www.alqabas.com.kw/Final/NewspaperWebsite/NewspaperPublic/Artic
lePage.aspx?ArticleID=296043.
6 Al-Qabas (Kuwait), July 14, 2007,
http://www.alqabas.com.kw/Final/NewspaperWebsite/NewspaperPublic/Artic
lePage.aspx?ArticleID=295412.
7 Ibid.
8 Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), July 13, 2007,
http://www.asharqalawsat.com/details.asp?
section=3&article=427952&issue=10454.
9 Al-Hayat (London), November 19, 2006.
10 IRNA, December 19, 2006.
11 http://www.alrased.net/show_topic.php?topic_id=431.
12 http://www.ikhwan.net/vb/showthread.php?t=24237.
13 http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2006/12/21/30114.html.
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