The martyrdom of Ismail Haniyeh, along with the earlier loss of his sons, nephews, and niece, is profoundly sad, worrisome, abhorrent, and unforgivable. The entire Muslim world and all those with any sense of humanity globally have condemned this horrendous attack and are mourning the heartless killing of Ismail Haniyeh, a prominent leader of the Gaza Strip who was waging a relentless struggle against Israeli occupation on both political and military fronts. However, Iran and the rest of the Muslim world should not let their emotions drive them to impulsive decisions and actions. It is crucial to avoid giving any pretext to Israel, the USA, or the Western world to justify actions that could further harm Iran, similar to the devastation seen in Afghanistan.
Our memories remain vivid when George Bush Jr. issued an ultimatum to the Taliban in Afghanistan to hand over Osama Bin Laden to the USA, who was accused of masterminding the 9/11 attacks and other high-profile assaults on American interests globally. The Taliban, compelled by their tradition of hospitality and their readiness to sacrifice their lives to protect a guest who had sought refuge with them, refused. This defiance enraged the USA and its allies, leading to a devastating attack on Afghanistan, the wounds of which remain fresh and painful. Now they have forced Iran to fall into a similar position expecting similar action and similar reaction.
It is widely speculated that the CIA of the USA, MI-5 of the UK, and Mossad of Israel have chosen the timing, event, and place to eliminate their sworn enemy with great intelligence. For the USA, Israel, and the rest of the Western world, Iran is considered an evil country governed by an evil regime. They are extremely wary of Iran’s pursuit of nuclear enrichment, believing that Iran has achieved weapons-grade uranium. Consequently, making an atomic bomb would be a relatively straightforward task for Iran. Moreover, Iran’s national pride, the religious revolution that has persisted since 1979, and its support and influence over various militant factions have solidified its position as a formidable adversary to the USA, the West, and particularly Israel.
Iran’s leverage extends to Hezbollah in Lebanon; in Iraq, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), including groups like Kata’ib Hezbollah, Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, and the Badr Organization; in Syria, Liwa Fatemiyoun and Liwa Zainebiyoun; in Yemen, the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah); and in Palestine, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Additionally, in Bahrain, Iran supports various small militant groups involved in anti-government activities. This extensive network of influence and support has positioned Iran as the number one enemy to the USA, the West, and especially Israel, which views Iran’s backing of these groups as a direct threat to its survival. The timing of targeting Iran coincides with the inauguration of the new president, who succeeded former President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter accident—an incident that some conspiracy theories suggest was orchestrated by Israel to avenge missile and drone attacks on Israel. Analysts believe this strategic timing aims to provoke Iran into attacking Israel and the USA, thereby providing a pretext for a robust military response. The prime objectives of such an attack would be to neutralize Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities, diminish the strength of its armed forces and the elite Revolutionary Guard, and cripple its economy to curtail its ability to finance and supply weapons to its proxies across the Middle East. I will be adding to my argument in my upcoming letter to the Editor very shortly.
Qamar Bashir
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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