Since the 1979 revolution that led to the establishment of a totalitarian theocracy, the Tehran regime has threatened the stability and security of the Middle East.

In deciding to withdraw the United States from the Iranian nuclear agreement and reinstate sanctions against Iran, President Donald Trump stressed on May 8, 2018 that the Joint Global Action Plan, concluded in 2015, was the “worst agreement ever signed by his country”.

Indeed, this agreement was conceived by former President Obama who wanted to reverse alliances as part of his destructive strategy, of which the so-called “Arab springs” are a sad illustration. In reality, it was a fool’s market that mainly allowed the Iranian regime to strengthen itself and use most of the income from sanctions relief to finance Iran’s sectarian expansion.

We must be clear-sighted enough to say that the mullahs’ Iran continues to threaten the entire Middle East region, from Iraq and Bahrain to Morocco, including Yemen, Syria and Lebanon.

Iran is a terrorist state. Many of the Al-Qaeda operatives are protected in Iran and it refuses to surrender them to justice, and continues to refuse to extradite them. This includes the son of Osama Bin Laden, the new leader of Al-Qaeda. He lives in Iran and works out of Iran. He is supported by Iran.

In fact, Iran is indeed the dangerous state threatening the stability of the entire Arab world, directly or through its armed arm, Hezbollah, which organizes terrorists everywhere: the Houthis in Yemen, where Iran wants to take control of the strategic strait of Bâb el Mandeb; Hezbollah supports the agitators of the Wefaq movement in Bahrain; it supports terrorist groups in the Arab Gulf; it also supports the Polisario separatists against the Moroccan Sahara.

In Iraq, where the 2003 US invasion precipitated chaos, pro-regime militias are led by a General of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards who is also present in Syria where he leads ethnic cleansing operations.

The mullahs’ Iran is planning the division of Iraq, Syria and other Arab states in order to change the regional balance to serve its sole interest. Tehran has worked to prevent any peace settlement in Syria. As in Iraq, Iranian leaders in Syria are pursuing the policy of the worst, knowingly promoting artificial conflicts between Shiites and Sunnis. They promote, in a cynical way, the rise of extremist groups like Muslim Brothers, for example in Palestine or in Egypt.

The Iranian regime is violently repressing the Arab population in the Ahwaz region. In this region of Arabistan the Iranian regime behaves exactly like the Israeli regime in Palestine.

Iran continues to occupy the three islands of the United Arab Emirates in the Arab Gulf: the Greater Tunb, the Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa.

Iran is also trying to extend its influence in Africa and in countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Finally, Iranian propaganda spends considerable sums to buy journalists, academics, researchers and politicians all over the world, mainly in European countries.

In this context it, is clear that all Arabs must be united and not play a double game. One should not forget that the Islamic-chauvinist regime, i.e. Chiito-Persian regime, is pursuing the dream of reconstituting Cyrus’ Persian empire as far as the Mediterranean. It already dominates four Arab capitals: Baghdad, Damascus, Beirut and Sana’a.

This imperialist regime is a danger to the security of all Arab states, from the Arab Gulf to Morocco. This is not new since the mullahs’ regime started the war against Iraq in 1980 and obtained weapons from Israel through Ayatollah Khomeini’s own son-in-law.

Above all, the attack on Saudi oil installations on September 14 demonstrates that Iran is a State that seriously undermines regional stability and world order. It is clear that apart from the risk of an Iran with nuclear weapons, what should be challenged by the international community is the subversive action of Iran and its allies in the Arab and Muslim world and the continuation of that State’s ballistic missile programme.

In 2015, thanks to Obama and the gullibility of the leaders of many European countries, the Tehran regime bought cheap peace and the opportunity to pursue its strategic objectives. The cheers that welcomed the agreement of 14 July 2015, adorned with all its virtues, were reminiscent of the “cowardly relief” that followed another supposedly “historic” agreement, the one that had strengthened Hitler at the Munich conference in September 1938. Once again, powers of the international community have presented as a victory of common sense what is nothing more than a renunciation in favour of a dictatorship without faith or law.

Faced with a system that manipulates its own art of concealment to perfection, European suckers continue to believe in the supposed moderation of a Hassan Rohani, who is there to put them to sleep but who de facto has no power whatsoever in this matter since the cards are in the hands of the Supreme Leader and the militiamen “guardians of the revolution”.

In this context, it is obviously not Trump who poses a danger to international peace and security, but the regime in Tehran, which only understands the language of force. In other words, this regime is mocking the gestures of a few European leaders who believe they can get away with pursuing a policy of compromise.

It should therefore be reiterated that Iran is the dangerous state in the region. It’s a rogue state!

Until the regime that has ruined this country collapses, Tehran should be subject to new obligations.

These obligations are specific:

- Strengthen control to completely prevent an Iranian nuclear program,

- Ban the ballistic missile program,

- Compel the Iranian regime to stop interfering in the affairs of Arab countries and stop any threat against Arab nations - mainly in the Arab Gulf - , including by spreading its extremist ideology, supporting terrorism and fueling civil wars in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. For example, if Iran stops its support of the Houthi militia, then the political solution would be much easier.

When the Iranian regime subscribes to these obligations and gives evidence of its good will, then it will be time to ease the sanctions. Not before!

Faced with a regime that only includes force, it takes firm determination. So long as we do not seriously oppose the Iranian regime, it will be impossible to eradicate terrorism and solve the crisis in the Middle East.

In an interview on the US TV channel CBS on September 30, 2019, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman said that

“If the world does not take strong and firm action to deter Iran, we will see further escalations that will threaten world interests”.

The truth is that the international community has been too complacent towards the Iranian regime for too long. It’s time to act decisively!

The author is General Director of Observatoire d’études géopolitiques of Paris.