Iran, U.S, and the False Neutralism!

13 November 2016

By Tariq Alhomayed

When the departing U.S. President Obama rushes to deal with Iran and grant it what it's not worth of, we do not have the luxury of neutralism.

When the tension in the American-Iranian relations during the stage of President-elect Trump is revealed, we do not have the indulgence of being impartial. It is rather false neutrality.

How can we prepare for the expected Iranian – Trump escalation?

Certainly, when Trump takes the presidential oath, he will discover the magnitude of the Iranian destruction in the region, and he will find that Iran is influential in four Arab capitals: Damascus, Beirut, Baghdad and Sana'a.

It is dangerous to be reassured into the thought of what Trump could do about Iran, but we must consider what we can provide the president-elect with, about the position regarding Tehran; this is our region and we know it better.

Surely, no one wants a war in the region, specifically with Iran. This region has been worn down by military and sectarian wars. No one accepts leniency with Tehran or wants to see the area divided between Arab and Iranian powers as Obama used to think.

As the famous American Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said in his interview with Atlantic magazine, Tehran must deal with the region in accordance with international laws and good neighborliness.

Only then situations will settle in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria, while the Gulf and the whole region are reassured.

This will not happen unless Iran returns to its borders and acts as a state, not as a state sponsor of terrorism in our region.

As Kissinger said, Iran needs to decide whether it is a country or a cause.

For those who think that talking about the impact of Iran is an exaggeration, they need to remember that vandalism is easier and faster than construction and Iran has been a sabotaging power since the beginning of the Khomeini evil revolution.

So, we can't afford the luxury of being unbiased in any rapprochement or escalation in the Iranian-U.S. relations, especially that Iranians expressed their willingness to cooperate with Trump despite their intensified statements during the stage of president-elect.

According to the Financial Times, which came out Monday, Tehran said that if Trump showed good intentions, they are ready to cooperate with him on issues such as ISIS, Taliban and the war in Yemen.

This means that Iran is trying to exploit the chaos it sponsors in the region to gain points with Trump, which Tehran did with Obama in a blatant bargain blatant.

Accordingly, all of this requires us to develop ideas and initiatives to deal with the Trump stage, and the possible escalation from Iran.

We need to be consistent with statements, attitudes, and consider the big picture. We need internal and external initiatives and plans in restraining extremism and empowering moderation that surprise Trump's strategies.

We should present solutions and practical ideas toward Syria, Yemen and Iraq.

It is also essential that we maintain a real legacy, inspired by our experiences from Obama's eight years in the office and the results of his absurd rush after Iran and others.

Tariq Alhomayed is the former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat. Mr. Alhomyed has been a guest analyst and commentator on numerous news and current affair programs, and during his distinguished career has held numerous positions at Asharq Al-Awsat, amongst other newspapers. Notably, he was the first journalist to interview Osama Bin Ladin's mother. Mr. Alhomayed holds a bachelor's degree in media studies from King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah. He is based in London. 

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