On January 3, two explosions were heard at the tomb of General Qasem Suleimani during a mourning ceremony in the Iranian city of Kerman. In the largest terrorist attack in Iran’s history, 84(103) people were killed.
Qassem Suleimani himself was an effective architect of what Iran calls the “axis of resistance,” a network of paramilitary pro-Iranian movements in the Middle Eastern countries of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq.
In January 2020, Suleimani was killed in Iraq by a U.S. drone.
Immediately after the terrorist attack in Kerman, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi blamed Israel, “Israel will pay heavily for this crime and will regret what it has done.”
The logic of the statement is clear, isn’t it?
In a black-and-white world, there are only two sides to a conflict. There is Iran and its proxies – Hamas and Hezbollah, primarily. Hamas, on orders from (or in coordination with) Tehran, launches a savage attack on Israel on October 7, and in response, Israel strikes Iran…
But no. This is where the logic of simple reasoning breaks down into fact. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the Kerman bombings. To clarify. Iran is a Shiite religious state that supports Shiite organizations, including terrorist organizations, throughout the region.
ISIS – fanatical Sunnis, longtime and blood enemies of Shiites.
I would like to repeat an obvious truth that many people for some reason aggressively dislike. Middle Eastern conflicts are tied to centuries-old and therefore complex religious, confessional and ethnic contradictions.
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Now tensions in the Middle East are being fueled by Tehran. As is the case with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shiite militias in Syria, or the Yemeni Houthis, who constantly threaten Saudi Arabia.
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For the last two months we have often come across people who claim that, say, it is enough to create an independent state of Palestine and … the conflict will be over.
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No, that’s not how it works. The creation of a Palestinian state has always been opposed by … Arab countries. This is also because they fear Iran’s strengthening in the region.
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It is tempting to find simple answers, but there are none. The world is more complex. And the solutions can only be complex.
5.01.24
Alexander Rodnyansky
