Late Shah of Iran in an interview with a French television crew in the 1970s:
"Why is it normal for you, the Germans and the British to have atomic or hydrogen weapons while for Iran it is not, though we are not in NATO nor automatically protected by any other country? Why for Iran is the simple principle of self defense, the defense of its interests, a problem, while for others it is totally normal?"
Consider me a friend of America, Iran, and Israel. I like and respect all the cultures involved in this nuclear triangle.
But they all have had a negative influence on developments in the Middle East. Their policies and positions need to be corrected, whether of their own volition or otherwise.
They are not acting in their own national interests, nor those of peace, regional stability, and the general welfare of humanity.
Ideology has gripped them and is preventing them from thinking rationally. War fever is a dangerous intoxicant. Killing away your problems may seem great at first, but it can prove fatal on a societal level if it's not checked.
Self-righteousness and victimhood are also stumbling-blocks to good foreign policy. The Europeans wrecked themselves over the course of thirty years in the last century because they pursued war and revenge instead of peace and forgiveness.
The seven suggestions given below for each country are practical recommendations, not pie in the sky dream scenarios.
If the Ayatollahs have any brains left under their stupid turbans they would follow this advice.
If American politicians and leaders have any love left for their country then they should implement a few of these ideas.
And if the Israeli elite want to save their national project without recourse to nuclear terrorism then they should pay attention to the tides of history.
I. To Iran
1. Build the bomb immediately and announce it to the world. Drop the spot watch, and come out the nuclear closet. If there's a fatwa against it then scratch that. National survival is more important than religious purity. Abandon Islam to save Iran.
2. Recognize the state of Israel based on the internationally mandated 1967 borders. Let the Arabs take charge diplomatically. This should not be Iran's fight alone. Calling for the abolition of the Jewish state is folly.
3. Open Iran to Western business, academic exchange, and technology. It's a strategic mistake to tie your ship to China. That's trading one master for another. The Chinese Dragon is not a benevolent creature. It is materialistically oriented and it has no permanent friends. There's no good reason why American or European companies should not be operating freely in Iran.
4. End the position of the Supreme Leader. It is outdated and it has outlived its purpose. An unelected pontificate whose only political attachment to the nation is to serve as an ideological linchpin and symbol of an unpopular regime is susceptible to foreign attack.
5. Mobilize the military and invade Syria, unseating the al Qaeda mercenary in Damascus. He's not a normal head of state, but the spokesman of a terrorist army. The danger of ISIS is now on a state level, represented by him. If he is not deposed then his battle hardened army will take Iraq, and attack Iran from the safety of two powerful capitals. Should it come to that then having an ally in Israel would be a good thing, so recognizing Israel will prove beneficial in the long run.
6. Come to terms with Turkey on the Azerbaijan-Armenian conflict, thereby preventing Israel from penetrating the country from the northern region. If concessions need to be made then so be it.
7. End warm relations with Russia, making it plain that there won't be any long-term strategic partnership moving forward, only cordial and respectful ties.
