Opinion

Iran and terrorism: Two sides of the same coin

August 25, 2017

Since the establishment of the Republic of Iran, after the success of the Khomeini revolution, which overthrew the Shah’s regime in 1979, it has adopted the policy of exporting revolution. This terrorism-based policy was not only for the purpose of promotion, but was also a terrorism-based project targeting the Middle East in general.

After Khomeini established his regime, he commenced with his project and targeted neighboring countries. In Bahrain, his loyalist Shiite minorities started setting fires and sabotaging public property in order to destabilize security. At the present time, they are still playing the same role; in 2011, they even attempted to overthrow the government, but the intervention of the Peninsula Shield Force prevented that from happening.

Kuwait also suffered from Iranian terrorism represented in the 1983 explosions, which struck establishments and foreign embassies. This attack was followed by the attempted assassination of the late Prince Jaber Al-Sabah, in 1985. The hijacking of the Kuwaiti plane in 1988 was not the last Iranian terrorist attack in Kuwait.

Iraq suffered from Iranian terrorism represented by the war that broke out between Iraq and the Iranian regime, lasting for eight years. Iranian terrorism manifested itself after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Pro-Iranian militias exercised all types of terrorism over unarmed citizens in Iraq.

Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries to suffer from Iranian terrorism. After the success of the Iranian revolution, some pro-Iranian revolutionaries in Qatif attempted to do the same in Saudi Arabia, but the reaction of the Kingdom was strong enough to nip this revolution in the bud. However, Iran continued its terrorist attacks during the pilgrimage season, such as the attacks that occurred in the 1986, 1987, 1989 and 1990 pilgrimage seasons, followed by the attempt to assassinate the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia in the United States, Adel Al-Jubeir, the current Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Iranian attacks have not been limited to neighboring countries, but have extended to countries, such as Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Argentina. Iranian terrorism is also not limited to using Shiite allies, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq, Republican Guard and its affiliates in Syria, and Houthi militias in Yemen. It also deals with terrorist groups identified with Sunnis, in an attempt to establish a link between terrorism and Saudi Arabia, while Al-Qaeda and Daesh leaders are in Tehran, and the Muslim Brotherhood is in total agreement with them. The most significant evidence that Iran is the source of global terrorism is that terrorism has struck the whole world except Iran.

Finally, the free world must fight Iranian terrorism, eliminate its terrorism plans in the region and impede its attempts to obtain nuclear weapons.

Bandar Alotaibi,

Taif College of Technology


August 25, 2017
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