Moreover, it is the one that decides to wage war against Israel, sometimes to support Gaza and other times in retaliation for the killing of Ali Khamenei, the former Iranian Supreme Leader. The result is the destruction of villages and cities in southern Lebanon and their occupation by Israel, which completely contradicts the axiom or wisdom that "the decision-maker, regardless of their position, should think about the consequences of their decisions"! This is something Hezbollah did not account for!
Two days ago, Iranian-produced Iraqi militias, which undoubtedly receive their instructions from Tehran, launched drones toward the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. According to a statement by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, these drones attacked its East-West pipeline. However, the Saudi statement confirmed that the Kingdom would not respond at this time, "at the request of the Iraqi Prime Minister, to allow the Iraqi government the opportunity to take measures to prevent attacks originating from Iraqi territory against the Kingdom and neighboring countries." This is a reckless act that embarrassed the Iraqi government, which is supposed to have the militias hand over their weapons to the Iraqi state by the end of this current month, September, in accordance with the fundamental rule of consolidating arms under the state, as is the case in other countries!
This is not the first time Saudi territory has been exposed to drones originating from Iraq; last July, the Kingdom's air defenses intercepted and destroyed such drones, noting that those drones attempted to target oil facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh. The following day, the Kingdom was forced to respond using its fighter jets, bombing the locations of those militias!
Naturally, Arab countries condemned the targeting of the East-West pipeline in the Riyadh and Medina regions of Saudi Arabia by several drones coming from Iraq, affirming their rejection of attacks targeting the Kingdom's security, sovereignty, and facilities, and their support for the measures it takes to protect its lands, citizens, and residents.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs added in a statement that it reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security, and vital facilities!
Among the condemnations was that issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, considering this targeting a "flagrant violation" of Saudi sovereignty, a "threat" to its security and stability, and a "blatant breach" of international law and the UN Charter.
As is the case with Hezbollah's adventures in Lebanon, the same model can be applied in Yemen, where the Houthi militia carried out a coup against the legitimate state, wreaked havoc in the country, and became more powerful than the state with Iranian support, arming, and training!
The most dangerous thing Iran has exported since the 1979 Khomeini revolution is the "virus" of political sectarianism, which has divided the societies of the Arab Levant countries and spread sectarian conflict. One can point to the results of Iranian intervention in Syria to support and protect the Bashar al-Assad regime, and the resulting horrific disasters, whether in terms of the killing of nearly a million Syrians or the displacement of nearly 12 million, in addition to the arrest and torture of tens of thousands in terrifying prisons, the most brutal of which is the Sednaya Military Prison!
As a reminder, Iran's oil wealth is concentrated in the Arabistan region, which Iran annexed by military force in 1925 following a military campaign led by Reza Shah Pahlavi, during which its last Arab ruler, Prince Khazal al-Kaabi, was overthrown. The region's name was later changed to become the province of "Khuzestan"! Were it not for this oil wealth, Iran would be among the poor countries today, but it spends hundreds of millions, and perhaps billions, on the militias it arms, trains, and funds in the countries of the Arab Levant!
Iran's problem is that it wants to play the policeman of the Middle East, repeat the experience of the Shah of Iran, and impose its hegemony over the Arab region, while ignoring the existence of Arab countries that have political and economic weight and influence!
The most appropriate Arab formula for dealing with Iran is for Iran to respect its Arab neighbors and treat them as independent states with their own sovereignty and independent decision-making. There would be no objection then to it putting forward whatever slogans it sees fit against Israel and America; such talk is free of charge!
As for Iran trying to impose its hegemony through armed militias, this is impossible to deal with. The mullahs' regime itself would not accept having armed militias in Iran, so how can Iran accept infringing on the sovereignty of other countries and exporting armed militias to them? This is a contradiction that no rational mind can accept!
