Iran, Israel, and the Cost of Doing Nothing

The big news over the last couple of weeks is Israel’s attack on Iran, resulting in tit for tat drone and missile strikes between the two countries. Which was followed by the American attack on Iran’s three biggest nuclear facilities.

Of course, lots of people are doubling down on President Donald Trump for authorizing the American move. Look, I don’t like Mr Trump. Not at all. But folks, it’s not about him. It’s about the Jewish people and the peace and security of the whole region.

Let’s take a look at Iran. It’s a theocracy run by a bunch of old men following a medieval doctrine. It’s misogynistic, brutal, and nasty and it has been that way since Ayatollah Khomeini swept into power in 1979, replacing the Shah. The Shah wasn’t popular but it looks to me like a case of ‘be careful what you wish for’.

Iran’s religious police, officially the Guidance Patrol (Gasht-e Ershad) but known as the morality police, are tasked with enforcing Islamic law, particularly concerning dress codes and public behaviour. This includes ensuring women wear hijabs and that public interactions align with Islamic norms. Women can be put to death (legally) for not covering their hair properly. The Guidance Patrol is part of the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“The Islamic Revolution of 1979 brought seismic changes to Iran, not least for women. One area that has come under scrutiny is the way women dress and wear their hair – the old Shah, in the 1930s, banned the veil and ordered police to forcibly remove headscarves. But in the early 1980s, the new Islamic authorities imposed a mandatory dress code that required all women to wear the hijab.” Iranian women – before and after the Islamic Revolution gives an idea of how life has changed in Iran since 1979. It’s not nice.

By the way, did you know that during the Iran-Iraq war multiple sources, including Human Rights Watch, Western journalists, and some Iranian veterans, reported that child volunteers were used in human wave attacks and, in some cases, to trigger Iraqi landmines by walking across them ahead of troops. Children were reportedly given plastic keys (called “keys to paradise”) to wear around their necks, symbolizing entry into heaven if they died.

The regime is vehemently anti-Semitic. When the ayatollahs chant ‘from the river to the sea’ they mean it. They want the absolute destruction of Israel and the purging of all Jews on the planet. They insist the Holocaust didn’t happen. Paradoxically, they also insist Hitler’s ‘final solution’ was right. Death to Israel, death to the Jews, death to America. They’ll tell you the Jews are invaders, that they’ve taken over and occupied Palestinian territory. Before the Romans renamed the place Palestine, it was called Judaea. Before the attacks in October 2023 Gaza had been run by Hamas and there were no Israelis in the area. But facts don’t matter. It’s all about persuading the masses.

The masses include Hamas, the Houthis, Hezbollah, and militia groups in Iraq and Syria. The Iranians have been puppet masters supporting these groups and destabilizing the region without firing a shot.

Is anyone brave enough to guarantee that the Ayatollahs won’t launch a nuclear weapon at Israel, regardless of the consequences for the rest of the region?

The US and others have tried to negotiate with Iran for decades and received promises which were never honoured. Tehran completely circumvented the previous “inspections” regime by insisting on advance notice of any inspections at key facilities, so it could move equipment and ramp down production. The international community was apparently happy to go along with the charade on the basis that it allowed them to say there was “no evidence”, and thus no need to make hard decisions or take any action – much the same as it continues to insist that there is “no evidence” Iran is seeking nuclear weapons. In multiple reports since 2021, the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) has said that Iran has enriched uranium to 60% U-235 at facilities like Fordow and Natanz.

Once again, we’re back to Europe in the 1930s. Germany was arming itself, in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles. They weren’t supposed to have an air force. They weren’t allowed to conscript, no general staff, no subs… And what happened next?

I think America did the right thing.

Meanwhile, I’ve been doing some reading. I loved the Merlin trilogy – but this sequel left me cold. Why? Click on the link to find out.

And here’s a bit of digital art to finish.