Is Iran Next?

Newark, Del. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – In 2005, in the summer of that year, while visiting Iran, I happened to meet an opinionated man. The first thing he asked me was whether I was coming from abroad. He could tell.  I replied, yes.  He told me, well you are lucky.  Here we’re suffering.  We want America to come and help us.  I said, in response, but look at what happened in Iraq—referring to the invasion of Iraq two years earlier.  I said, the whole country is now in ruins. In response, he said, but here we are miserable every single day; it is better to be miserable briefly than forever.  

I told him, but if Iran is attacked, Iranians will all suffer to no end.  

The lines spoken by that man have always stayed with me.  

For nearly four decades, Iranians have lived under oppression, tormented by corruption, mismanagement, and the burden of sanctions.  

Yet, I believe most Iranians do not want their county to be attacked much less destroyed. Yet, there are those who want regime change at any expense.

Perhaps some “L.A. types” or some monarchists are rooting for it.  In fact, in recent weeks, some in the Iranian diaspora have been calling for direct attack.   

As history shows, foreign intervention does not ensure the well-being of the citizens of those countries involved.

Look at Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan.  Life is not better, nor is democracy in full swing in any of these countries. 

In 2006, the Bush administration allocated some $75 million for regime change in Iran.

Speaking to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice declared that the US would “actively confront” Iran and called for an extra $75 million to fund anti-Tehran propaganda and to support opposition groups inside and outside the country.

  There were many willing Iranians who accepted funds and worked towards that goal.  NGOs too were involved in this initiative, among them the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), Tavana, Freedom House, Iran Wire and various others in and around the Beltway. 

The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) received a good chunk, close to a million dollars.   A few Iranian “analysts” were and are working for this entity. 

“Azadi Tower under Attack,” Digital, Midjourney, 2024

In 2007, John Mearsheimer, the Chicago professor who co-authored a book on the Israeli lobby, described FDD as part of the Israel lobby in the United States.  

In addition to making money out of the “regime change” gravy train, there are also those who seek money by suing the Islamic Republic.  Many names come to mind, even some progressive Iranians.  

According to Mr. Hooman Fakhimi, a lawyer in California who has tirelessly investigated these lawsuits.  Nearly 200 billion dollars has been filed in judgement against the Islamic Republic in various courts by individuals and organizations from victims of 9/11 (!) to those whose families were directly or indirectly harmed.  Many of these lawsuits are spurious.  Even Ukrainian nationals have entered the fray, presumably because Iran has sold drones to the Russians in its war on Ukraine.   

Mr. Fakhimi acknowledges that if all these lawsuits succeed, “It could bankrupt Iran.” 

The Israeli regime under the war-monger Netanyahu has been itching for a war with Iran for years. Remember him showing maps and graphs at the UN every year?

Additionally, most mainstream U.S. media,  mainly CNN and MSNBC warn us daily of an upcoming surprise attack on Iran.

It is as if we are watching a war game on play station.  But this is no child play.  It is the real thing as we witness the human tragedy unfolding in Gaza and Lebanon.

Is Iran next?

As an IDF spokesman said recently, “Iran is next.”

Israel has destroyed Gaza and is now in the process of destroying Lebanon.  The excuse is Hamas and Hezbollah. Many in the Israeli government are now openly spewing the idea of annexing and appropriating the occupied West Bank, the Gaza strip and parts of Lebanon. 

War is always destructive.   Look at Ukraine, Gaza and Lebanon.

Far from bringing about regime change, an attack on Iran will only strengthen the current rulers in power.