Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair just spoke to us at the Council on Foreign Relations about Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Yes, Tony's back. Blair's Institute for Global Change has issued a report on the IRGC, whose malignancy is felt every day in the Middle East and around the world.
Blair said Iran faces a "fundamental choice" between the radical objectives of the IRGC or sanctions relief. It cannot sustain both directions over the long term. After all, as Blair reminded us, the IRGC would be classified everywhere as a terrorist entity if it were not part of the Iranian nation state.
He lamented the constant "oscillation" of the West's policy toward Iran over 40 years between, in his words, "wanting to destroy it and wanting to contain it." Blair's chagrin is justifiable, although he certainly contributed to the West's wasteful yo-yo approach to Tehran. And then there's the lunacy of one U.S. administration collaborating with the nuclear powers and Iran to enact the imperfect but effective JCPOA while the succeeding administration withdraws from it. What a glaring and shameful case in point. All Western intelligence agencies concur that Iran was in full compliance with a productive but flawed JCPOA and that the country is now once again proceeding with its nuclear program after the U.S. exit.
Interestingly, Blair pointed to the role Iran and the IRGC have played since the 1979 Shia Revolution in altering Saudi Arabia's course, too. From the storming of Mecca in 1979 to Iran's recent attacks on Saudi oilfields, Tehran's actions in Blair's words have seen Riyadh "lurch to conservatism" that has "stunted its growth." One thing is certain; bloodthirsty religious fundamentalists generally hate other bloodthirsty religious fundamentalists.
Blair rightly said that Iranians are a "great people." He added that they should not be defined by their current leadership. This raises an interesting question, however, as to when after so many decades a people should be defined by their ruling regime. He invoked the Iranian-young-people-won't-take-this-much-longer notion that I've been incorrectly spouting for at least two decades now.
Amidst such hatred for and violence against women, gays and lesbians, practitioners of other faiths, artists and anyone who doesn't toe the line in Iran, we can only hope that wisdom prevails and conditions are created for Iran to re-enter the so-called global community.
Blair said Iran faces a "fundamental choice" between the radical objectives of the IRGC or sanctions relief. It cannot sustain both directions over the long term. After all, as Blair reminded us, the IRGC would be classified everywhere as a terrorist entity if it were not part of the Iranian nation state.
He lamented the constant "oscillation" of the West's policy toward Iran over 40 years between, in his words, "wanting to destroy it and wanting to contain it." Blair's chagrin is justifiable, although he certainly contributed to the West's wasteful yo-yo approach to Tehran. And then there's the lunacy of one U.S. administration collaborating with the nuclear powers and Iran to enact the imperfect but effective JCPOA while the succeeding administration withdraws from it. What a glaring and shameful case in point. All Western intelligence agencies concur that Iran was in full compliance with a productive but flawed JCPOA and that the country is now once again proceeding with its nuclear program after the U.S. exit.
Interestingly, Blair pointed to the role Iran and the IRGC have played since the 1979 Shia Revolution in altering Saudi Arabia's course, too. From the storming of Mecca in 1979 to Iran's recent attacks on Saudi oilfields, Tehran's actions in Blair's words have seen Riyadh "lurch to conservatism" that has "stunted its growth." One thing is certain; bloodthirsty religious fundamentalists generally hate other bloodthirsty religious fundamentalists.
Blair rightly said that Iranians are a "great people." He added that they should not be defined by their current leadership. This raises an interesting question, however, as to when after so many decades a people should be defined by their ruling regime. He invoked the Iranian-young-people-won't-take-this-much-longer notion that I've been incorrectly spouting for at least two decades now.
Amidst such hatred for and violence against women, gays and lesbians, practitioners of other faiths, artists and anyone who doesn't toe the line in Iran, we can only hope that wisdom prevails and conditions are created for Iran to re-enter the so-called global community.
Image courtesy of the BBC.