Iran: A crisis that can’t be cloaked

Iranian regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei knows his regime is sinking deeper and deeper into a variety of crises

Analysis by PMOI/MEK

Iran, September 24, 2019—Creating a new crisis to cover and escape the previous one has been the Iranian regime’s typical response since its early days under regime founder Ruhollah Khomeini.

And to this very day, his successors followed in his footsteps by exporting their revolution—read death and destruction—to other countries.

Their latest endeavor in the business of running an oil-rich country that lacks nothing but normal leadership and a transparent, up-to-date political system, is attacking Saudi Arabia’s Aramco oil facilities. The mullahs’ Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei hoped that such a measure would force the U.S. to back down from its maximum pressure campaign and render some economic relief for his suffocating finances. However, it appears that the aftermath of the attack is creating more disorder and mayhem inside his own regime.

Hossein Ghadiani, one of the leaders of the regime’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Basij paramilitary forces, implicitly acknowledged Iran’s role in the Aramco attacks one day after the incident. “The Zulfiqar-like view of the leadership of the Muslims around the world made its magic on the Yemeni Janbiya!”

The Zulfiqar is the sword of Imam Ali ibn Ali Talib, the historical spiritual leader of Shiite Muslims, including Iranians. “Leadership of the Muslims around the world,” is how the regime’s fanatics address Khamenei, revealing their expansionist worldview.

“This is the ‘international cells of resistance’ that Khomeini so much desired!” he added.

But the party was short-lived.

Ali Bigdeli, an Iranian political pundit close to the faction of Iranian regime President Hassan Rouhani, described the region’s response to Tehran as “dangerous.”

The Ebtekar newspaper wrote: “Washington will exploit this situation to facilitate its oil sales and this is something that economic powers don’t like in terms of strategic interests.”

The Iran newspaper, the official mouthpiece of Rouhani’s government, expressed its concerns about “Aramco explosion’s wave over the oil market” and wrote: “This is a rare incident that not only points to the vulnerability of the Middle East but also other countries across the globe. We hope that this issue will increase the U.S. doubts in its approach vis-a-vis Iran.”

Fereydoon Majlesi, another Iranian pundit, warns those who have celebrated the attack on Saudi oil facilities. “The excitement of some individuals and domestic media about the attack on Saudi oil facilities isn’t in your national interests… The U.S. and Europe claimed that the destination of Adrian Darya 1 was Syria. A claim that turned out to be true at the end,” he said, referring to an Iranian oil tanker confiscated by the United Kingdom back in July off the coast of Gibraltar on the suspicion of Tehran transferring oil to Syria’s Bashar Assad regime. This would be a violation of European Union sanctions. The mullahs had pledged the oil was not destined for Syria, which turned out to be yet another lie from Iran’s regime.

The former Iranian diplomat who is close to Rouhani’s faction, adds: “The contradictions in statements made by our country’s officials about the destination of this oil tanker didn’t make a good image for Iran on the international stage. Now this same issue is repeating itself in another manner and with different dimensions regarding the attack on Saudi Arabia’s Aramco oil facilities.”

“The Houthis accepting the responsibility for this attack can also be challenging for the [Iranian] regime, because the Ansar Allah movement is among the [Iranian] regime’s allies and while our country needs to engage the world, this type of attacks can put our country’s active diplomacy at risk,” he concluded.

Mehdi Motaharnia, another political pundit of the Iranian regime, says: “The United States is trying to refer Iran’s case to the Security Council.”

Acknowledging the Iranian regime’s export of terrorism, he further says: “The Americans are trying to highlight the dangers of the [Iranian] regime for the countries in the region and create conflict between us and other players in the Middle East in order to portray the [Iranian] regime as an enemy to international peace and security.”

He concludes: “That’s how the U.S. can, at least compared to the past, act more easily to refer Iran’s case to the Security Council.”

Some political circles also warn about the societal consequences of the warmongering attack against Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities.

In its editorial on September 18, the Arman newspaper writes: “The situation right now is that whenever you enter a group of people, the first question asked is what will happen next? This is a question that everybody asks everyone and there is no answer to it.”

“This question is asked continuously whether there will be a war between Iran and the United States or not? Unfortunately, every day, something new happens that increases this concern and anxiety,” the editorial continues.

“One day, it’s the oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and the next day it’s something new. These issues raise concerns and doubt among people. It’s very sad for them to spend every day under such high levels of uncertainty and stress, both in terms of their mental and economic situation,” the piece concludes.

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