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Iran:

A Strategic Threat to Israel

An Assessment of Israel's Security Interests

 

"For behold, Your enemies make a tumult;

And those who hate You have lifted up their head.

They have said, "Come, and let cut them off from being a nation,

That the name of Israel may be remembered no more."

For they have consulted together with one consent… ¹

  

I'm sure that by now you have heard the name Ahmadinejad. Who is Ahmadinejad, you say? He is the President of Iran. Mahmud Ahmadinejad took office after his party won the national elections in August 2005. Ever since, his anti-American and anti-Israeli rhetoric has exacerbated tensions not only in the Middle East but across Europe and America.

 

Iran: Its Place in the Middle East

 

Up until 1935, Iran was known as Persia, and until 1979 it was a monarchy ruled by the Shah. In 1979 the Shah was overthrown, and Iran became an Islamic Republic. In addition to having a President as the Head-of-Government, the Iranian conservative Supreme Leader, Ali Hoseini-Khamenei, has the final say in the country's political and religious affairs. The President is elected every four years, while the Supreme Leader is appointed for life by the Assembly of Experts.²

 

Iran shares borders with Iraq and Afghanistan, two countries in which the United States of America is currently militarily engaged, as part of its war on terror. Other border states are Turkey, Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. The country's natural resources include: petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, zinc and sulphur. As of July 2008, Iran's population was estimated at 65.8 million people.³ The Iranian capital is Tehran.

 

Iran's Hegemonic Ambitions in the Middle East

 

Hegemony may be defined as the kind of leadership or predominance that will allow a power, in effect, to dictate the policies of all the other powers in its vicinity, or to defeat any other power or combination of powers with which it might be at war. Examples of hegemonic states in history are the Roman Empire, the British Empire, the United States and the united Germany that had existed from 1871 to 1945.⁴

 

Iran's leadership is accused by the United States of involvement in terror activities in Iraq. On several occasions US military have pointed out, in the mass media, that weapons which they claimed belonged to Iran were later found to be used in attacks inside Iraq. Meanwhile, Iran faces United Nations sanctions as well as sanctions imposed by the US and Europe. Iran's nuclear pursuits are seen as an attempt to change the geopolitics of the region, aided by Tehran's vociferous outbursts, in which she calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. The global community is keeping a close watch on Iran.

 

In reality, Iran cannot be accorded "Friendly Nation" status, a goal envisioned by the UN nearly four decades ago. The Special Committee on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States, which met in Geneva from 31 March to 1 May 1970, opined the following:

 

Emphasizing the paramount importance of the Charter of the United Nations for the maintenance of international peace and security and for the development of Friendly relations and Co-operation among States, Deeply convinced that the adoption of the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the United Nations would contribute to the strengthening of world peace and constitute a landmark in the development of international law and of relations among States, in promoting the rule of law among nations and particularly the universal application of the principles embodied in the Charter…⁵

 

Israel Speaks Out on the Iranian Threat

 

During the visit by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in Israel in July 2008, Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated:

 

"I know you are a partner to the recognition that the most serious threat to the stability of the Middle East and to world peace originates in the posturing of the Ayatollah regime in Tehran for regional hegemony based on a fundamental resistance to peace, broad support for terrorist organizations, a stubborn effort to achieve an atomic military capability, and open and avowed calls for the destruction of Israel."⁶

 

'As someone who has studied history and knows well the story of the Jewish people during the last century, I do not need to explain to you our sensitivity to threats of obliteration – Heaven forbid – behind which stand weapons of mass destruction. As far as we are concerned, this is an intolerable situation with which we cannot come to terms.

 

'However, this threat is not solely directed at Israel, but rather towards all moderate regimes in the Arab and Islamic world, as well as far beyond the boundaries of the Middle East. This is a global threat, and it must be dealt with immediately through a unified and determined international front, because under no circumstances can the deadline be missed.'⁷

 

Meanwhile, Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak, while in Washington in late July, cogently maintained that 'no option should be removed from the table.'⁸ Additionally, the Defense Minister also calls for diplomacy and stronger sanctions to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

 

Iran's Nuclear Ambition vs. United Nations Resolutions

 

It is important to note that the international community views any nuclear acquisition for military purposes, by Iran, as a threat to international peace and security. In UN Security Council Resolution 1737, the Security Council expressed concern over 'the proliferation risks presented by the Iranian nuclear programme and, in this context, over Iran's continuing failure to meet the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors and to comply with the provisions of Security Council Resolution 1696 (2006).'

 

'Mindful of its primary responsibility, under the Charter of the United Nations, for the maintenance of international peace and security,' the Security Council, in Paragraph 17 of that Resolution, 'calls upon all States to exercise vigilance and prevent specialized teaching or training of Iranian nationals, within their territories or by their nationals, of disciplines which would contribute to Iran's proliferation of sensitive nuclear activities and development of nuclear weapons delivery systems…'⁹

 

Furthermore, another UN Security Council (1747) followed in March 2007. In that Resolution, in Paragraphs 5 and 7, the Security Council "decides that Iran shall not supply, sell or transfer, directly or indirectly from its territory or by its nationals or using its flag vessels or aircraft, any arms or related material, and that all States shall prohibit the procurement of such items from Iran by their nationals, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, and whether or not originating in the territory of Iran.'

 

The Security Council also 'calls upon all States and international financial institutions not to enter into new commitments for grants, financial assistance, and concessional loans, to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, except for humanitarian and developmental purposes…"¹⁰

 

Finally, the Iranian regime refuses to back down on its stance on Israel and its covert nuclear policies. Nevertheless, the theocratic republic is not isolated (she has lots of friends among developing countries) and has expressed its intention to take on the international community by way of rallying support for Tehran's bid to seek election to a UN Security Council non-permanent seat, for a two-year stint from 2009 to 2011. Iran remains defiant and wants to find ways to prevent the United Nations from challenging its behaviour. Israel continues to lobby the international community to ensure that they abide by their principles to protect states from aggressive neighbours - notably Iran - seeking that country's destruction.

 

Sources:

 

¹Prophecy Study Bible, John C. Hagee, General Editor, New King James Version, Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1997, (Psalm 83: 2-5).

²The World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ir.html, last updated on 24 July 2008.

³Ibid.

 

⁴Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegemony.

 

5Declaration on Principles of International Law Friendly Relations and Co-operation Among States in Accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, http://www.hku.edu/law/conlawhk/conlaw/outline/Outline4/2625.htm, May 1970.

 

⁶Iran: Statements by Israeli Leaders, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/The+Iranian+Threat/Statements+by+Israeli+leaders/Iran%20Statements%20by%20Israeli%20leaders%20-%20July%202008, July 21, 2008.

 

⁷Ibid.

 

⁸The Jerusalem Post, By Hilary Leila Krieger, "Barak: US to provide missile warning system", http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1215331138518&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull, July 29, 2008.

 

⁹United Nations Security Council, Resolution 1737 (2006), Adopted by the Security Council at its 5612^th Meeting, on December 23, 2006, http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N06/681/42/PDF/N0668142.pdf?OpenElement.

 

¹⁰United Nations Security Council Resolution 1747 (2007), Adopted by the Security Council at its 5647^th Meeting, On March 24, 2007, http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N07/281/40/PDF/N0728140.pdf?OpenElement.

 

NOTE:

 

In October 2007, the Iranian regime was subjected to US sanctions under EO 13382 designations for proliferation activities and EO 13224 designations for providing material support to the Taliban and other terrorist organizations (CIA).

 

United Nations Security Council Resolutions are legally binding upon Member States.

 

Cherub A. Nicholls

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