Should We Rejoin the Nuclear Treaty With Iran?   -   February 6, 2021

Ayatollah Khamenei and Iran – Existential Threat to America?

The Ayatollah Khamenei of Iran is a dangerous adamant aggressor.  He likely envisions a restored Persian Empire beginning with the former territory of the Ottoman Empire and then extending around the world as his militant Islam subdues other countries.

Khamenei has inherited simply-defined, inflexible goals, the achievement of which justifies any feasible means.  He knows he won’t achieve them all in his remaining lifetime, but he expects his successors to continue on the same course; he has a long view extending over several generations.  Each small victory is a step toward full achievement.


Agreements, truces, cease-fires, appeasements, compromises, or other accommodations short of the goal will be observed just long enough to consolidate gains and initiate the next move toward the ultimate goal.  Each and every agreement will be broken when Khamenei or his successors feel they can get away with it.  In May of last year, ten years ahead of treaty terms, Iran announced it would no longer abide by restrictions on uranium enrichment and production it agreed to in 2015, and it recently announced it is enriching uranium to levels much higher than specified in the accord.


But why worry about Khamenei now?  He can’t significantly hurt America, and we have no responsibility for middle-eastern countries; they should fight their own battles.


Khamenei’s goals are in conflict with America’s interests, not just those of future generations but also right now.  It’s easy to dismiss long-term ramifications; you and I won’t have to deal with them.  But if we want to feel safe even now, inside America or as we travel around the world, we need to be concerned.  Iran is, arguably, the number one sponsor of international terrorism, and it will soon have nuclear weapons.  We must either forego our own interests and those of future generations, or we must prevent Khamenei from realizing his.


America and our allies must deal from strength, both economic and military.  We must maintain economic sanctions against Iran and its leaders to minimize their ability to fund terrorism.  We must not let the international community dismiss Iran’s violations of its nuclear treaty; keep them in the spotlight.  We must consistently confront Iran diplomatically, at the United Nations and elsewhere, when it violates human rights.  We must support Iranian dissidents, symbolically and otherwise.  And we must respond promptly and appropriately to military provocations by Iranian forces.


History is clear.  It is easier and safer to stop an adamant aggressor sooner, rather than later.  If we fail to consistently counter Khamenei’s/Iran’s actions now, Americans will be subjected to increasing risks of terrorism here and abroad, and our descendants may lose freedoms we now enjoy.


Rejoining the nuclear treaty that Iran has blatantly violated does not serve America’s interests.


(For more, preview Adamant Aggressors here.)



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