For weeks now, the Ukrainians have been complaining and warning of the danger of the Iranian drones that Russia is using in the war in Ukraine. The US administration, however, prefers to discuss the production cuts of OPEC+ and criticize Saudi Arabia in frivolous ways.
The Europeans are also aware of this. Rather, we debated the matter with them last month and candidly asked: “Now you are concerned with the Iranian drones given to Russia, after years of us trying to convince you of the threat they pose to us… Is Europe more important than the rest of the world?
Despite all of this, the US administration and the Europeans did not move to put an end to Iran’s expanding terrorism. Instead, they continued to discuss better alternatives for communicating with Iran until last week- until they were left embarrassed by the peaceful protests in Iran, which put the mullahs and the West in an awkward position.
Last Monday, Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said that “Iran is responsible for the murders of Ukrainians” after the Russians attacked Ukrainian cities with the Iranian Shahed-136 drones.
Taking to Twitter, the advisor shared his opinion poignantly. “Iran is responsible for the murders of Ukrainians. A country that oppresses its own people is now giving ru-monsters weapons for mass murders in the heart of Europe.” He then added, and this is the important part, indeed the most important “that is what unfinished business and concessions to totalitarianism mean. The case when sanctions are not enough…”
We would not have found ourselves in this position had it not been for the leniency of the US, especially since Obama, who tried to rehabilitate the Iranian regime, came to office. Responsibility also lies with the muted European reaction to Iran’s intervention in Europe, to say nothing about its role in four Arab capitals.
I say the naivety of Obama’s policies because he himself admitted days ago, on camera, that he had made a mistake by not supporting the green revolution in Iran in 2009, choosing to “extend a hand” to the terrorist regime instead.
Obama’s administration told the late former president of Egypt Hosni Mubarak, “leave; now means now,” during the alleged Arab Spring.” Up until a week ago, we saw his party, including former members of his administration who are part of the current administration, trying to get the mullah regime back on its feet. They would have continued to do so if the Iranian people’s protests had not embarrassed them. Obama is making these statements now in an attempt to ride the wave and give the Democrats a boost in the Midterms.
The story in the United States does not end with the current administration. Rather, some seem to live in another time. One person this applies to is Bernie Sanders, whom I doubt has read a single new story about our region since 2001, if he reads at all.
The same is true in Europe, which was begging to enter Iranian markets and obtain energy resources from there until a few weeks ago, with no concern for human rights, like the Biden administration, which has been trying to exploit the OPEC+ decision to make electoral gains.
The point, as the advisor to the Ukrainian president put it, is: “That is what unfinished business and concessions to totalitarianism mean. The case when sanctions are not enough…” Will the US administration and the West understand this? Or are they unable to? Or is it hypocrisy?
