As Gasiorowski, Mark J., points out in his book “The 1953 coup d’état in Iran,” the Islamic Republic of Iran is a result of the US coup in Iran.
Mohammed Mossadeq (1882-67), supported by the communist Tudeh party, dissolved parliament and ordered a crackdown on the protests. The Shah had fled and the country was left in chaos.The British were interested in the oil, and the US was interested in a military dictatorship in Iran that could fight communism. Therefore, the US chose Fazlollah Zahedi (1892-1963) as Prime Minister after the 1953 countercoup, but since the Shah did not want US influence, he was removed after a short time. The Shah was under US pressure all the time and was repeatedly threatened to crack down on communism. He himself admits to the US coup on a video.
Cracking down on political activities allowed Islamism and extremism to become popular with the people.
Rise of the Islamic Empire
The revolution in Iran in 1979 not only changed historians’ view that the impossible can happen, but it also changed the Islamist group, the Muslim Brotherhood’s view that the impossible is possible.
While the last Iranian Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar (1914-1991) desperately tried to save his government and suggested the liquidation of the Iranian revolution leader Ayatollah R. Khomeini (1902-1989) to the Mossad, the Mossad assessed that Khomeini did not pose a potential threat to Israel; therefore, the Mossad rejected the proposal while the revolutionary leader was in exile in France. Later, the Mossad regretted its decision because it had never believed that the Islamic Republic of Iran would pose the greatest threat to Israel.
Even during the Iran-Iraq War, Israel believed that Iran should be supported against Iraq because Arabs posed a greater threat to Israel than Iranians. Israel wanted a strong Iran that could keep Iraq, Syria, and other Arab states that were against Israel at a distance. Therefore, Israel helps Iran in the war by providing sensitive information about Iraq, while the United States, the Soviet Union, European countries, and some Arab countries helped Iraq to weaken Iran and sell weapons.
After the Iran-Contra Affair, the US began to supply Iran with weapons through Israel.
Israel supplied around 11,000 surface-to-air missiles to Iran, which saved Iran from Iraq’s victory in the war. Arms sales were secretly funneled to the Contras, right-wing rebels in Nicaragua, which was an illegal international act. Later, Iraq’s Saddam Hussein (1937-2006) was accused of having nuclear weapons.
Which he did not have. Saudi Arabia paid all costs of nuclear power in Iraq with the hope of obtaining nuclear power through Iraq. Both Israel and the USA knew that Iraq’s atom had been bombed by Iran and Israel (Operation Opera) during the war, but after Saddam Hussein had found out that the USA had used him against Iran, he was no longer good friends with the USA, so he came up with the idea to sell his oil for euros and boycott the US dollar.
In addition, Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu did not doubt that Saddam Hussein should be overthrown when he helped Palestine with large sums of money. The last thing George W. Bush (1946-) lacked was support from his European allies. Previously, his father had bombed Saddam Hussein when Saddam Hussein lacked money after the war with Iran and the occupation of Kuwait.
This was done in consultation with the British Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013), who supported the Gulf War.
What George W. Bush now lacked was the September 11, 2001, which a group of Al Qaeda terrorists carried out. As early as 1995, Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu wrote a book about Islamism and the World Trade Center. These terrorists were trained in the USA and had not flown from Afghanistan to the USA, but they were in the USA and took an American plane to carry out the attack.
Previously, before the fall of the Soviet Union, the United States had good cooperation with these terrorists, but at that time, they were called Mujahideen, freedom fighters. I am referring to the American “Green Belt Theory.”
Islamic Empire
The idea of building an empire is not new, but what is new in modern times is the idea of an Islamic empire that existed several hundred years ago. For the first time, the German Friedrich Ratzel (1844-1904) explained the term ‘Lebensraum.’ This term was not only used by the Nazi ideologues in the Third Reich but also by Islamic Iran. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, for the first time in history, Iran succeeded in building an Islamic empire. This success was based on expanding territory in order not to collapse. Later, Turkey tried to imitate Iran, but in vain, because the Turkish ideology only aimed at pan-Turks and not a pan-Islamic ideology like the Iranian one. We have seen this failure with the pan-Arab ideology that the populist Gamal A. Nasser (1918- 1970) invented.
His ideology was not well-received in the Arab world, as several monarchs saw his ideology as a threat to their monarchy. In addition, he was supported by the Soviet Union after the American coup d’état in Egypt. Indeed, Egypt was supposed to play the role of Israel in the Middle East, but Gamal A. Nasser failed and changed direction. Later, Israel showed in the Yom Kippur War (1973) that Israel is the right choice for the United States to secure American interests in the Middle East. The conflict between the United States, the West, and the Iranian monarch Reza Pahlavi also started when he refused to lower the price of oil after the war.
After the British-backed revolution in Iran with the help of the BBC, which was able to overthrow the monarch, Mohamed R. Pahlavi (1919-1980), countries in the Middle East understood what a strong propaganda machine meant; therefore, all countries from Qatar and Saudi Arabia to Iran established their own global TV stations. Al Jazeera, which was supposed to serve Qatar’s interests, came up with the idea of presenting Osama bin Laden (1957-1911) on the screen and then became a rival for the BBC and the Saudi Al Arabiya TV. For Iran, it was absolutely not easy to capture the interest of the Islamic world. Countries that were characterized by nationalism and Arabism now had to listen to the Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah (1960-2024), who on TV called the Iranian spiritual leader Ali Khamenei (1939-) an Arab, and not a Persian.
Someone who fought for Islam and not for the Iranian identity. No doubt he was right because Ali Khamenei comes from South Lebanon, like many other imams found in Iran. They were brought in (1501- 1736) by the Safavid dynasty to spread Shiism in Iran. By supporting Shiism in the region, Ali Khamenei managed to build his Islamic empire from Lebanon to Yemen. A successful empire that consisted of Iranians, Lebanese, Palestinians, Iraqis, Pakistanis, Afghans, and Yemenis. All fought under a flag called the Axis of Resistance.
Iran always knew that after invading Iraq and Afghanistan, it would be Iran’s turn one day. That is why Iran used the opportunity to support anti-American groups in all countries. Even in Afghanistan, Iran used Taliban groups to fight the US, and the same thing happened in Iraq. The funny thing is that Iran helped the US invade these countries by releasing sensitive information.
When the US overthrew regimes in the Middle East, Iran took advantage of the opportunity to expand its empire. In addition, after several years of fighting in Afghanistan, the US had to make a peace agreement with the Taliban in 2020 in the Doha agreement. This was what Iran wanted, as the Taliban could keep Pakistan’s influence away, which resulted in the Afghan-Pakistan war in 2024, The Durand Line conflict . For decades, the US, through Pakistan, had destabilized the region by supporting Pakistan in training militants in the city of Waziristan. These militants later posed a significant threat to Europe, where they were called terrorists. Iran and Russia had both initially wanted a good relationship with Europe.
J. W. BUSH and Vladimir Putin (1952-) became good friends during the fight against what they called terrorism. Russia had a strong desire to become part of NATO, but the US did not want this. Putin had at that time suggested to the US that all countries unite against Iran. At that time, Putin also had a good relationship with Israel. Iran also wanted good cooperation with Europe.
The Iran nuclear deal in 2015 was clear evidence of this desire. The agreement was successful, and, according to the American Antony Blinken (1962-), Iran had complied with its agreement in exchange for the removal of American sanctions until Donald Trump (1946-) withdrew the United States from the agreement and sanctioned Iran. What resulted in the Iranian economic collapse was that Iran opened up to the West and trusted the West. This is not the first time we have seen this in history. When communism was in economic collapse, Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-2022) opened the country up to the West; he opened up the possibility of privatization, which resulted in corruption and oligarchy. The war in Afghanistan was what the US had long been waiting for: for the Soviet Union to collapse economically and for riots and nationalism to take over. What the Iranian pro-Western Mohammad Javad Zarif (1960-) did was the same.
He signed an unconditional right to the West that they could stage international sanctions against Iran if Iran did not comply with the nuclear deal. Although it was the US that withdrew from the deal, the West activated international sanctions against Iran. This resulted in the significant currency drop and collapse of the Iranian economy in 2026. Since the nuclear deal ‘snapback’ was on Western terms, neither Russia nor China could save Iran from sanctions, even though they had the veto right. As I mentioned in my previous articles, Iran and the West had a good relationship until 2019, when the anti-Iran conference was held in Poland. Thanks to the American Donald Trump, the United States now has a pro-Israeli president who will listen to Israel.
Iran had learned a lot from Iraq and Libya. Entirely disarming its weapons of mass destruction, as Libya did in 2003, was only the beginning of a Western military occupation. Western powers did not keep their promises to Libya. Libya remained isolated and ignored; the country was occupied. What hurt the West the most was when Iran and Russia signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty in January 2025. After the 12-day war against Israel, Iran realized that it needed to boost its military capabilities further.
However, Iran has helped Russia throughout the war in Ukraine since 2022. When Russia showed off Iranian Shahed drones in its military parade, the world was shocked by the Islamic empire. The Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky (1978-) said in his speech that only Ukraine and Saudi Arabia know how dangerous Iranian drones are. The Islamic empire achieved success not only militarily but also in the region. It was a great success when the Saudi Mohammed bin Salman (1985-) and the Azerbaijani Ilham Aliyev (1961-) both congratulated Iran on the Revolution Day. They were both opponents of the Iranian revolution, but after the loss in Yemen, Saudi Arabia realized that it might be best not to stand in Iran’s way.
Iran had the last chance to open up to the West when Russia came under sanctions. The American Joe Biden (1942-) wanted to trade with Iran, but Iran refused. Neither the Russian Foreign Minister nor the Iranian Ali Khamenei was positive. As Ali Khamenei said, the Iranian problem with the United States cannot be solved diplomatically because it is about ideology and not politics. It took both Iranians and Europeans a long time to understand why Iran is the way it is. Ali Khamenei fought for a long time for Palestine to establish a state.
If Palestine is established and the people of the resistance axis conquer Jerusalem, then the savior Imam Mahdi will likely show himself. The Mahdi will arrive with armies under black banners from Khorasan (a region) and conquer Jerusalem (“Baitul Maqdas”), where he will raise his banners. The battle for Jerusalem has long been a hotly debated topic, dating back to the Crusades. It was also at that time that Jews fled to Europe, but when Europe was not good at integrating them, they were exported back to the Middle East. The first Zionist movements became a reality under the name Hovei Zion in the early 1880s. The Capitulations of the Ottoman Empire also made it very attractive for Jews to return to Palestine. They were considered Europeans and, among other things, did not have to pay taxes.
Later, these privileges also helped make Palestine a popular destination for wealthy Jews who could afford to pay off Nazi Germany’s Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), under the Transfer Agreement (1933).
Collapse of the Islamic Empire
As the Tunisian Ibn Khaldun (1303-1406) said, empires come and go; they are strong while their ideology is at its highest level and become weak when their ideology is forgotten. It has now been 47 years since the Iranian revolution came into being with its anti-colonial ideology. They supported all anti-Western and American groups in the Middle East, like their good friend M. Gaddafi in Libya (1942-2011), but the young generation in Iran now wants to live an everyday life like everyone else in the world. They are tired of sanctions and poverty, a life without a future (‘Lipstick Effect’), and a fight against Israel that they cannot identify with.
Israel is thousands of km away from Iran. Why should we interfere in their fight? No Arab country is sanctioned and in a fight against Israel, so why should the Israel-Palestine conflict affect us? Why should we be sanctioned and die for this fight? The Islamic empire gained more popularity outside its borders than inside. The Arab people and people who live in the West, of course, do not live a hard life like Iranians in Iran, so it was easier for them to sacrifice Iranians rather than sacrifice themselves.
What sanctions led to was more corruption. Yes, sanctions bring corruption because now the regime’s people can import things into the country through other countries and sell them to Iranians at a higher price. They could create a luxurious life for themselves while the other people had to live in poverty. On social media, Iranians could now see their luxurious lives in Western countries and Iran itself. This is very similar to what happened in the 2025 Nepalese anti-government protests. People were tired of the great poverty and corruption.
Inflation in Iran is increasing day by day. This is happening while China can advantageously buy Iranian oil at a much lower price due to sanctions and the Iran-China 25-year Cooperation Program. Russia, Iran, and Europe were the bigger losers in global conflicts. China could now
advantageously get Russian and Iranian oil at a much reduced price. Russia’s goal with the war was to keep NATO away from its borders, but when Finland and Sweden became part of NATO, Russia lost. What Russia can take home is control of the Black Sea, but what does that mean when Turkey still controls the Bosphorus?
The Bosphorus connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and runs through Istanbul. If the Russian Revolution in 1917 had not happened, Turkey would not exist today because the Russians were very interested in the Bosphorus. The revolution was the worst thing for Russians and Kurds, who never got an independent country, while it was gold for Turks, Iranians, and countries that were under Russian occupation. First, the Kurds were divided in the Battle of Chaldiran in 1514, and later the dream of an independent state came to nothing in the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923.
The fall of the Islamic empire began when General Qassem Soleimani (1957-2020) was assassinated. This happened when the US and allies could not handle Soleimani, so they had to eliminate him. Even Donald Trump said in his speeches how difficult it was for them to deal with Soleimani. After Soleimani’s death, it became possible for Syrians to think about a revolution.
Assad’s fall became possible when he, hoping to get money for reconstruction from Arab monarchs, wanted the Iranian resistance axis reduced in numbers through Hezbollah. The Arab monarchs wanted Iranian influence reduced in Syria so that they could take over.
In addition, those closest to him were spies for Israel. Among others, Luna al-Shibl (1975- 2024), special advisor to former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad (1965-), and her brother can be mentioned. Although Iran tried to save Assad, it was too late because US and Israel blocked all roads, and the high-ranking Iranian generals were liquidated in Syria. Even when Abu M. Al-Golani (1982-) reached the city of Hamah, Putin agreed with him that the battle was over if he let Russian and Iranian personnel out of Syria. What remains a mystery about Abu Al-Golani is that he was in the same prison as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (1971-2019) in Iraq, and shortly after the civil war in Syria, he went to Syria to fight Assad.
The Women’s Movement
After the Mahsa Amini protests in 2022, the regime in Iran was forced to retreat when violence against women meant that more women began to resist, such as by riding motorcycles.
Social media certainly played a central role in the women’s movement in Iran. The protest strengthened national sentiment and the community between men and women. Many feminists tried to abuse the movement even though it was aimed at the hypermasculinity of the regime and not the patriarchy. After massive repression, Iran, like Russia, used TV personalities to promote untruths. Among them is the British Pakistani Bushra Sheikh: “Apparently, Dr. Pepper says Iran is executing protesters in hospital beds—with patients shot in the head while still wired up to machines.” I am in Iran, and nothing of the sort has ever happened nor is happening. More DAILY FAIL Propaganda.’’
Economic Crisis
In 2025, the US came up with its TRIPP Corridor to reduce the influence of Iran, Russia, and China in the South Caucasus region. The corridor would allow people and goods to travel between Turkey and Azerbaijan and beyond to Central Asia without passing through Iran or Russia. The US also signed a civil nuclear agreement with Armenia to limit Armenia’s dependence on Iranian energy sources. The US also signed a gas agreement with Turkey to weaken the Iranian economy after Turkey terminated its agreement with Iran. All this is happening on top of the Iranian gas crisis, which forced Iran to import gas even though it has the world’s second-largest gas reserves. In addition, Iran has suffered severely from a water crisis, partly due to poor management and partly due to sanctions.
Although Iran is among the largest oil-producing countries, it has had to import fuel, as it has not been able to meet internal needs despite the use of extremely high sulfur levels in fuel, which has made the air extremely unhealthy and dirty. Despite all these major internal problems, Iran has continued to send millions of dollars to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Even though Iran lost Syria, Iran has continued to maintain control of Lebanon’s airport through Hezbollah to smuggle money in.
The Iranian Revolution of 2026
Since the Green Revolution in 2009, Iran has not experienced a major protest like in 2016.
In 2009, the regime was finished and had no hope of survival, but when the regime supposedly arrested the protest leader in Iran and ordered people to go home, the regime managed to survive again. The same thing happened with several Arab countries in the Arab Spring (2010-2011), where the leaders were arrested, and the revolution stalled. Like the Arab Spring, which was a series of CIA coup d’état, the Iranian revolution of 2026 is an Israeli coup d’état. Many Iranians know this, but they are so tired of the Islamic regime in Iran that many choose to cooperate with Israel.
The protests began with traders and merchants in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar after the fall of the currency affected purchasing power and trade with foreign suppliers. Later, university students and the demonstrations quickly spread to other major cities and small settlements, and anti-regime slogans were used. Like Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak (1928-2020), the regime in Iran cut off the internet and began cracking down on the people. Although Israel had not initiated the protests, the Mossad seized the opportunity. Poverty and discontent for decades made it easier for Israel to recruit people in Iran. “Go out together into the streets. The time has come,” the Mossad wrote. ”We are with you in the street.”
Already in the 12-day war in 2025, Iran was surprised by so many Iranians cooperating with the Mossad. The operation started from the inside with Israeli drones. Several high-ranking figures were hunted in the streets by armed Iranians working for the Mossad, such as Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a senior figure in Iran’s nuclear program, who was gunned down in a city near Tehran while moving in a vehicle with his wife and bodyguards.
These events show once again how effective Israel is in eliminating its opponents. In the book Scent of Death, written by Issac Goldstein, we read how Mossad uses new methods to eliminate people, and probably the Iranian ex-president Ebrahim Raisi (1960-2024), who died in a natural event. Israeli tactics have throughout history been to strike first and surprise the enemy.
Both Hamas (October 7) and Egypt in 1973 tried the same tactic, and it proved to be effective until Israel got help from the US.
The Palestinian Yahya Sinwar (1962-2024) used the same tactic, and if the entire resistance axis had helped him at the same time, Israel would not have had much chance of surviving, but both Hassan Nasrullah and Ali Khamenei failed. Ali Khamenei was not interested in a direct war with Israel, even though Iran had the strength. Hassan Nasrallah had the strength to conquer the northern parts of Israel with his forces, but he also failed to strike quickly. On the other hand, Iran had no interest in Hezbollah going to a direct war with Israel, as it was intended that Hezbollah would guard Iran in a possible Israeli war against Iran.
Yahya Sinwar’s desperate attempt was to prevent Saudi Arabia from becoming part of the Abraham Accords. After the Israel-Palestine war, Palestine lost land but achieved a great political victory and recognition. It is so great that England established the first Palestinian embassy.
Israel’s biggest weakness is its size. Israel cannot last long alone against a large country, even though it has modern weapons. Saudi Arabia also has modern weapons, but they cannot last long in a war. Iran tried for a long time to join a coalition with Egypt to fight Israel, but Egypt is a good friend of Israel. Egypt controls the Suez Canal, and Iran controls the Red Sea with Yemen, so cooperation was enough to bring Israel to its knees.
After October 7, the world changed; the West and the USA showed their unilateral support for Israel until B. Netanyahu was convicted of war crimes. Then Europe had to keep its distance to preserve its democratic mask. After September 11, 2001, the Palestinians were labeled as terrorists like Al-Qaeda, and that allowed Israel to expand its policy uninhibited.
Israel has a vision of becoming a larger country, but Israel does not have enough workforce, so I am not so much a supporter of the concept of ‘Greater Israel,’ land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. Israel is expanding proportionally to its population. That is why Israel handed back the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula at the time due to a lack of workforce.
Many in Europe tried to justify the legitimacy of Israel and the occupation. Israel belongs to the Jews. The question is, who are Jews? The Jews we know today are not the same as those of thousands of years ago. We must not forget that many Jews descended from the Khazar Empire (c. 650–965 CE) and immigrated to Europe. This means they do not originate from Jerusalem.
Already when Gaddafi was liquidated in Libya, it became clear how he was tracked from his phone. Several Hezbollah members and high-ranking Iranian officials were tracked from their phones and bombed to death. Of course, Israel would not have been able to eliminate Hassan Nasrallah if the US had not given Israel bunker-buster bombs. Most believed that eliminating H. Nasrullah would bring Iran into the fray and start World War III, but Iran chose to act in a limited manner.
The US attack on Iranian nuclear power plants was an act of aggression. The US attack on Iran was a violation of international law (Article 2(4) of the UN Charter). European countries should condemn the attack, but they chose to look the other way as the action was in their interest. Iran is a member of the NPT, and that is why Iran’s nuclear program is under supervision to avoid a bombing and misinterpretations. The Russians did not leave the Bushehr nuclear power plant because they believed that, according to the NPT, Iran had the right to some enrichment.
While both the Russians and the Chinese helped Iran during the 12-day war, Israeli air defenses could no longer clear Iranian missiles, which led to the end of the war. The Islamic Republic once again had to thanks the Iranian father of long range missiles, Hassan T. Moghaddam (1959-2011) . Soon after, the regime was forced to adopt a nationalist image of itself to thank the people for their support.
Israel, the US, and the allies helped Israel shoot down Iranian missiles and drones, but despite the great help, several places in Israel were destroyed, and it cost Israel. According to the Israel Central Bank Governor, the economic cost of the 12-day war with Iran is $6bn. Russian aid to Iran was limited. Russia and Israel have had good relations, and many Russians live in Israel.
In 2019, Israel revealed it had an agreement with Russia not to sell arms to Ukraine and Georgia in exchange for Russia refraining from selling arms to Iran. Therefore, Iran never received the Russian aircraft that Iran had long ordered and paid for. Although Putin had a meeting with Palestinian Ismail Haniyeh (1962-2024), the Russians do not want a direct conflict with Israel. Putin tried to delay the delivery of aircraft so that they would not be used against Israel.
Therefore, Iran was forced to order aircraft from China. China supplemented Iran with weapons in both the 12-day war and the future coming war. Several Chinese cargo planes have landed in Iran. For China, Iran is essential. Without Iran, China will collapse.
Iran was well aware in advance that Israel’s Iron Dome was just a myth. During the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, Iran tested Israel’s Iron Dome. Around 4,360 Palestinian rockets were fired towards Israel, and over 90 percent of the rockets bound towards populated areas were intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome. Israel was unable to shoot down all the missiles.
The US tried to disarm Hezbollah, but Lebanon’s Nabih Berri (1938-) asked Khamenei for a fatwa on the handover of precision missiles and drones. Iraqis also know that if they turn their backs on Iran, their fate will be like that of B. Assad and Mohamed Mursi (1951-2019).
Although Iran tried to create its own internet and limit telephone activities, it is definitely not easy. A large part of the global internet traffic goes through undersea fiber optic cables, of which the US has strategic locations and control over many nodes. Israeli companies, especially NSO Group, develop powerful spyware like Pegasus that targets iPhones, exploiting vulnerabilities to spy on users. However, Israel plays a significant role in the Android ecosystem, primarily through innovation like Waze.
Project Nimbus, a deal with Amazon and Google, sparked massive protests during the Palestine-Israel war. The deal was against democratic values. What Edward Snowden (1983-) revealed in 2013 was only the beginning of a world of surveillance. Israel’s significant influence in Europe through its organizations, ELNET, IAF, and EFI. These organizations exert influence in European politics.
Iran has more history with Jews than Muslims, and Israel is interested in good cooperation with Iran, but Israel is definitely not a good friend to Iran. Even before the revolution, Israel cheated Iran in Project Flower. The book “Israel’s Secret War in Iran” was published by Ronen Bergman.
Israel used Iranian money to develop modern weapons for itself. In addition, Israel developed its own atom in secret. Israel has not even signed the NPT agreement. John F. Kennedy’s (1917-1963) death also remained a mystery after he blackmailed the Israeli atom program. The Shah of Iran did not trust Israel, so he helped the Shia community in Lebanon, helped Egypt in the war against Israel, recognized Pakistan, and helped Pakistan in the war against India. He distanced Israel and changed tactics when Nasserism in Egypt disappeared, and Soviet influence in the Middle East weakened. He tried to create a good relationship with his Muslim neighbors.
Iranian visions of building a nuclear weapon started even before the revolution. Shortly after Pakistan and India got nuclear weapons, Iran wanted one too, but the US did not want an Iran with nuclear weapons, so France was an option. President Richard Nixon (1913-1994) had accepted that Iran could buy all kinds of modern weapons except those with nuclear weapons. At that time, the relationship between the Shah of Iran and the US was like that of Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi (1954-), where Trump called him his favorite dictator. Namely because he had helped Trump in the presidential election with a large sum of money, in return, Trump will ensure Egypt US economic support.’’ The American view of the Shah of Iran changed when Jimmy Carter (1924-2024) came to power.’’…
The Israeli Mossad could never tolerate a country with nuclear weapons in the Middle East, so Mossad started to liquidate nuclear scientists. The French nuclear scientists who wanted to help Saddam Hussein’s Iraq with a nuclear weapon were liquidated shortly after, and Egyptian nuclear scientists were liquidated as soon as Egypt also wanted to develop a nuclear weapon. After the 1979 revolution, Iran, like Israel, tried to develop a nuclear weapon in secret. It went well until the Islamic-Marxist group called the mujahedin in Iran revealed the Iranian nuclear program. Since then, Iran has been both sanctioned and under surveillance. Later, Israel tried to destroy Iran’s nuclear program with a virus, the Stuxnet worm attack in 2010.
In 2020, Iran was blocked by the United States from borrowing from the IMF during the coronavirus pandemic, even though Iran, as a member, like other countries, had the right to borrow. The United States itself is the largest debtor in the world.
The American Trump bombed Iran’s atom during the 12-day war. He did not want to admit the failure of the bombing, so he fired those who argued the opposite. Shortly after, Iran began rebuilding roofs over two damaged buildings at the Isfahan and Natanz facilities. No one knows for sure how much was destroyed, but one thing we know for sure: the Iranian atom in Kolang Mountain that Iran built in 2020 is undamaged and is so far below the mountain that the United States cannot bomb it.
The US has put Iran’s IRGC on the terrorist list. Several European countries want the same.
A terrorist group designation would subject its members to travel bans, asset freezes, and “a prohibition on making funds or economic resources available to those listed,” according to rules established by the European Council. A terrorist group would also be a legitimate military target. Spain had to say goodbye to its anti-colonial struggle against the United States and its sympathy for Iran and Palestine. This is happening because Europeans know with great certainty that the regime in Iran is collapsing. Europe’s sanctions against Iran started in 2011 due to human rights violations and the nuclear program. While gradually in line with Iranian aid to Russia against Ukraine and further human rights violations, they were gradually expanded. Sanctions not only affect the private and public sectors but also individual persons who are part of the regime in Iran.
Iran was therefore forced to use countries such as Turkey and Qatar as a third party in money laundering to send money to Hamas. Hezbollah in Lebanon also developed close relations with countries such as Venezuela. Iran also used many oligarchs, such as Babak M. Zanjani (1971- ), for money laundering around the world, including in a country like Canada. Shortly after Russia
was sanctioned, it used the Iranian method of a shadow fleet to sell its oil. Countries such as Russia, Iran, and Syria were found to use the same methods, such as the divide-and-rule method, to maintain control. This is not the first time the United States has attacked Iran. In 1988, in Operation Praying Mantis, the United States tried to weaken Iran.
The US is completely indifferent to the Iranians, and this can be clearly seen in the decades of US demands against Iran. It is all about weakening Iran. US demands for Iran: 1- Iran must cease all uranium enrichment on its soil. 2- All highly enriched uranium stockpiles must be removed or exported. 3- Iran’s ballistic missile range and production must be strictly limited. 4- Iran must end all support for regional proxy groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.
When Trump in the USA wrote that he would help Iranians overthrow the regime, the idea of a revolution became possible. Now it was no longer a thought but a reality that could be made possible with the help of the USA. To reduce its losses, the US used the same strategy in Iraq, where Kurds were supported to overthrow Saddam. It cost many Kurds their lives, and the strategy did not work, so the US had to go to war against Iraq later. The same is happening today with Iran. The American Ted Cruz (1970-) suggested arming Iranians, as the US did in Syria. A civil war will definitely not benefit Iran, as more actors will intervene. On the other hand, Lindsey Graham (1955- ) insisted that Trump should bomb Iran.
The pro-Israeli prince Reza Pahlavi (1960-), with his Iran Prosperity Project, concluded that without the USA and Israeli help, it would be impossible to overthrow the regime in Iran. What he had previously thought was possible. He has therefore accepted Israeli conditions regarding the atom. When thousands of Iranians were killed on the streets by the resistance axis, which we also saw in Syria, the distance between the state and the people became even greater.’’ Families are forced to pay for bullets or sign false confessions.
The protests were so massive and the threat from outside so threatening that Iran chose to imprison some reformists again as part of the Green Revolution. The revolution resulted in thousands of dead, injured, and blinded people on open streets and liquidations in hospitals and residential buildings.
What really made the Islamic Empire viable in Iran was the new class that was created in society after the Iran-Iraq war… The families of the martyrs were guaranteed bonuses and social benefits in society and received special treatment. This class, which is a minority, supported the regime all the way against the majority. On the other hand, the country’s strategic location with the Strait of Hormuz made Iran an undesirable target for foreign powers, as a small war could cause oil prices to explode: The Ottoman Empire with its Janissary was a success, the Soviet Union with its partisans and five-year plans was a success, and the Islamic empire in Iran, which stretched from the Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea with its resistance axis, was a success, but all empires have one thing in common before they fall apart: economic collapse and the rise of the ideology of nationalism from within.
The Big Game
Israel’s occupation of Palestine was about resources. Both off the coast and beneath the occupied lands of Palestine, over 3 billion barrels of oil are estimated to exist, according to a 2019
U.N. report. The Gaza Marine field holds an estimated 1.6 trillion cubic feet in recoverable natural gas resources. Israel has signed a gas deal with Egypt that will be transferred to Europe. It runs from 2016 to 2040. In addition, the so-called David’s Corridor project is part of Israel’s bigger plans in the region.
Turkey, which tried to limit Iranian influence, became good friends with Iran again as soon as Israel and Greece recently signed significant defense cooperation agreements in late 2025.
Turkey, Iran, and Qatar have supported Hamas, so Israel sees Turkey as a threat since Turkey has moved closer to Israel through Syria. Assad’s fall was good for Israel because Israel could cancel the peace agreement with Assad, bomb Syrian weapons, and invade part of Syria. Turkey can now see that if Iran disappears, Turkey will have a huge problem with Israel. Even though Turkey sided with Hamas, Turkey traded with Israel during the Palestine-Israel war. Israel’s main sources for crude oil are Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, via the port of Ceyhan in Turkey and the Russian port of Novorossiysk. Syria has recently invaded Kurdish areas because of the oil.
Furthermore, the US did nothing. The fight in Yemen between Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE; the fight between the UAE and Iran in Sudan; and the UAE’s support for anti-Iranian militants in Afghanistan. Qatar and Turkey are in Syria against Iran. As the Turkish Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (1954-) said, the fight for corridors and resources has begun. India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), Lobito Corridor, (BRI) Corridors, European Union TEN-T Corridors, Middle Corridor. While Richard Nixon (1913-1994) established the hegemony of the US dollar in the world and saved the country from economic collapse after the Vietnam War, Trump now has the same plans in mind because of the US’s huge debt.
In 2025, when the Washington Post revealed the Donroe Doctrine, the whole world realized that Trump wanted US hegemony in the world again. Either you do as I say, or it will be expensive for you. He introduced a tariff war. The next step was Greenland. Already, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came up with the idea in 2018 that we must do something about Greenland. The country has an important strategic position in the Arctic. France promised Denmark that it would protect Greenland, but at the same time, it promised the United States that it would not go to war against the United States but would support the United States in a war against Iran.
Trump has filled Ramstein Air Base in Europe and has moved ships like the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to the Middle East. In order for Russian nuclear missiles to reach the US, they must pass by Greenland. The Russians do not doubt that the US will build a nuclear power plant in Greenland. Trump said he wants to build a Golden Dome, a missile defense system for the United States. He also wants to keep China away from Greenland so they cannot invest in the country, which is why rich American people have already invested in Greenland.
It is like Venezuela, according to Trump; Venezuela’s oil should only be sold through American companies. Venezuela became interesting when Saudi Arabia started selling its oil to China in Chinese currency. In addition, Iran was increasing its presence in the country. Apart from Chinese investments. Trump gave Iran two choices: either you end your nuclear program entirely, or there will be war and blood. This tactic is very similar to the British in colonial times: either you listen to us, or we will bring our warships and smash your country to the ground. Since Trump became president, he has significantly increased his wealth while increasing US hegemony in the world. Since the US kicked Russia out of the gas deal in Europe, the US, as the EU’s largest supplier, has exported 273,000,000,000 cubic meters of gas to the EU.
India buys Russian gas and sells it to the EU at a higher price, while the EU will stop direct Russian gas imports in 2027, but the US still buys uranium from Russia. The United States imported uranium and plutonium from Russia for approximately $624 million in 2024. In the first months of 2025, imports have actually increased; up to June 2025 alone, the amount was $755 million.
In the Munich Security Conference, Europe agreed that it must be more independent of the United States and be better prepared for an American or Russian attack. Therefore, Europe has sought agreements in the Gulf countries, Africa, and India. UK will spend over £400 million this financial year on hypersonic and long-range weapons including joint projects with France, Germany, and Italy. Canada, Denmark new defence cooperation agreement.
Western countries like France support the US-Israel war against Iran because Iran stood in the way of French influence in the Middle East. It started as early as 1983, when a suicide pro- Iranian truck bomb destroyed the French military command post (Drakkar building) in Beirut. In 2025, Iran warned that foreign military assets, including French ones, would be targeted if they intervened in regional conflicts.
Iran’s neighbors have proven to be unpredictable. Saudi Arabia will negotiate with the regime in Iran for America’s advanced air defense systems (730 Patriot PAC-3 missiles), and Turkey will do the same for F-35 aircraft. On the other hand, Turkey and Saudi Arabia lose their importance in the Middle East for the US with a regime change in Iran, and Iran will become their competitor.
Turkey has a good relationship with Iran, but the US used Incirlik airbase in Turkey and other bases against Iran during the 12-day war. These bases are not only for carrying out operations but also for gathering information. Turkey has signed a $350 million defense agreement with Egypt; Saudi Arabia has signed agreements with Turkey and Pakistan. These actions for Turkey and Pakistan are to expand their arms exports and influence, while for Saudi Arabia and Egypt, it is more about isolating Iran and Israel, while making themselves more independent from the US. After Israel bombed Qatar in 2025, Arab monarchs became skeptical of the United States and Israel.
Pakistan, as a Muslim country, could use crises in other Muslim countries to its advantage. Sudan’s $1.5b arms deal amid worsening humanitarian crisis with Pakistan. Israel’s recognition of Somaliland is to create a counterweight to the Iranian Houthis in Yemen. UAE and Saudi competition in Yemen and Somalia. This is not the first time Arab monarchs have sought influence in Africa, Sudan, and Libya.
Israel is using Kurds and Druze against what it calls radical Sunni Islam in Syria, while Turkey and Qatari supporters call it terrorism. Syria is probably waiting for the US to seize Iran so they can attack Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The US seeks control and hegemony. As long as countries trade with US dollars and buy US weapons, the US can control them because technology today is controlled by small chips and electronics that can be easily turned off. This is why Taiwan is important to China. If you control strategic places like the Persian Gulf, the Malacca Strait, and the Strait of Taiwan, you can potentially isolate China. If you control the Persian Gulf, the Arctic, and the Bosporus, you can isolate Russia.
The fight for a free Palestine or a free Iran is not about freedom but politics. When Iranians took to the streets, they silenced the left, and when Palestine cried out for freedom, they silenced the right in Europe. The right-wingers abused the protest to their own advantage against Islamic instrumentalism and primordialism while trying to raise patriotic feelings among their population and replace trust in the welfare state with a new form of attachment to the regime. The left-wingers tried to exploit the freedom struggle in Palestine to their advantage in the fight against US imperialism. The leftists only talk about US imperialism but never about Soviet imperialism and
Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow. Here, Islamists and leftists joined forces, choosing not to support the Iranian freedom struggle.
Arab monarchs in both cases were silent because of economic interests, since an Iran in conflict with Israel and under sanctions benefited them the most. Qatar has invested heavily in
advanced extraction, becoming a major LNG exporter, while Iran’s development has been slower, largely due to sanctions.
’’Unfortunately, the Iranian freedom struggle was labeled Zionist, just as the Palestinian freedom struggle was labeled anti-Semitic and terrorist. Here we see how NGOs, authoritarian states, parties, feminists, and Western democracies, who claim a just struggle for a better world, choose to remain silent and close their eyes because of personal interests.
I firmly distance myself from violence and propaganda. My intention with the article is not to promote Israel, Western democracies, or authoritarian states. Both in Iran and Israel, there are human rights violations, human trafficking, and violence. Corruption in the USA is no less than corruption in Saudi Arabia, and democracies in Europe are in crisis. Freedom of expression is under restrictions, and several arrests have occurred in England. In addition, presidents in countries such as Bulgaria and Poland have veto rights, which raises questions about European democracies.
