In all the discussions that the foreign policy community in the United States has been having about the catastrophic disasters and the reprehensible civil war in Yemen, the one country that we should be talking the most about, and yet we seem to talk the least about, is the Islamic regime in Iran. Iran is the political entity which has fueled, funded and provided the weapons of war to the Houthi rebel movement. The Houthis in turn, has historically hit Saudi Arabia countless times, at great cost to civilian lives in clear terrorist activities. And now it has twice attacked our ally in the figure of the United Arab Emirates.
Iran since the 1990s has cultivated ties with radical elements in Yemen. Iran is manufacturing the weapons that this dangerous rebel movement is utilizing in its terror campaigns. The Houthis are importing their weapons from Iran. And this is the single greatest gasoline on-the-fire impetus of the civil war. It has turned out to be a humanitarian crisis. In fact, it is one of the greatest humanitarian crises in the world right now. And it also represents a serious strategic threat to the security of the United States and the West in addition to our Gulf allies.
The Houthis shelling of ARAMCO which is the largest Saudi oil facility was designed really to drive up the price of petroleum. This could help the boosting of the economy of Iran. Iran derives over 80% of its revenue from petroleum exports to only a few countries and has a collapsing domestic currency and a collapsing domestic economy. Iran is playing with fire in the Gulf and Yemen to rescue a dire domestic situation. And under the Biden Administration, sadly, their orientation for a pro-Iran policy has been moving America’s Middle East policy in the wrong direction. It is the wrong twist in just about every respect in U.S. national security policy and in U.S. foreign relations are the actions espoused by President Biden and his advisers as far as our elations with our Gulf allies are concerned.
The Islamic regime in Iran is supportive, literally, of every terrorist movement one can almost think of in the region. It has global reach to conduct terror and in causing damage to humankind.
It is the predominant sponsor of Hamas and Hizbollah and the other Palestinian terrorist factions. Iran’s reach to foment terror has been seen in Latin America, in Europe, and in Africa. Meanwhile, this is a country that's not able to take care of its own people. The Ayatollahs cannot feed their own population.
And what to say of Qatar. Can we make clear to Qatar that their support for Iran is unacceptable? That support needs to end and we need to have written provisions in place on these matters. This is just a non-negotiable stance. This is not about the Middle East, it's about American security interests around the world. And this regime in Tehran has defined itself as an enemy of our country. It's acting on those sentiments. It's not just domestic rhetoric, it is acting in aggressive, and threatening ways. The world needs to decide whether they are going to stand with this brutal, autocratic, tyrannical, despotic regime. Or are the nations of the globe going to stand with the United States and free world? This brings the topic of Qatar again to discussion. Qatar’s support for Iran is not an act of symbolism. It is a defiance of the security interests of the United States of America.
In appreciation, the United Arab Emirates is a very prosperous nation comparatively in that region. So it remains a small but a very important country. It is the nation where the initiation of the Abraham Accords took place. The Emirates is a nation of accomplishments. And with the restoration of relationships with Israel, by and large, Emirati foreign relations are constructive. As an analyst I refer to Israel as a country that has legitimate sovereignty and recognition around the world. Some Arabs say it is an illegitimate regime. However, this idea that you're not going to recognize Israel which has been in existence since 1948 is absolutely absurd.
Everyone and myself included praise immensely individuals like Jared Kushner, President Trump, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo because they masterminded all an exceptional job diplomatically. They were being able to bring together these nations to sign peace agreements. In honestly, previous U. S. Administrations had put some focus on it. Nevertheless, they could not accomplish any peace deal.
And, increasingly, the Iranian regime is an intolerable regime. One should ask the question: at what point does the regime become so utterly repressive of its people, and so dangerous to the rest of the world in its terror attacks? That now, it's a time for a change. And I have felt that way for a long time and not ashamed to say. The United States does not necessarily need to take the lead in inducing change in Iran. Change in Iran is inevitable. Finally, I do believe that changes are due in Iran and they will be having the most instructive developments in world politics at least in this 21st century.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Johns is an American conservative commentator, policy analyst, writer, a former speechwriter for President George H. W. Bush, a leader and spokesman in the Tea Party movement.