In a September 23, 2020 column titled "Message to Iran, in Light of the Peace with Israel," Saudi journalist 'Abdallah Zayed reacted to Iran's harsh attack on the normalization agreements between the UAE, Bahrain and Israel. [1] Iran, he wrote, is forgetting that it is the one whose bullying and terrorist behavior is destabilizing the region and who has become the enemy of the Arabs. He added that Iran spouts slogans of liberating Jerusalem, but in practice it does nothing to realize that goal and, moreover, continues to occupy many Arab countries while pursuing the goal of renewing its lost Persian empire.
Cartoon in Emirati daily: Iran outraged by peace agreement between UAE and Israel (Al-Ru'ya, UAE, September 19, 2020)
The following are translated excerpts from his article:[2]
"The wailing, weeping, pain and sorrow of the of the government officials of Iran and its proxies have been steadily growing since the UAE and Bahrain signed a peace agreement with Israel. The spokesman of Iran's foreign ministry keeps repeating terms like 'Arab nobility' and 'Islamic values,' while the Iranian government keeps forgetting its [own] actions in the region and [the fact that it has] crossed many red lines, which have turned it into a blatant enemy [of the Arabs].
"The Iranians are forgetting that it is they who are in a state of hostility and actual war with the countries of the region. Who is occupying the [UAE's] Persian Gulf islands?[3] Who tried to precipitate a coup in Bahrain? Who conspired against Kuwait by employing terror cells? Who are the ones firing their missiles into Saudi Arabia? Who are the ones who sent their mercenaries to [fight in] Syria? Who founded the militias in Iraq? Who founded a terrorist party in Lebanon [i.e., Hizbullah]? Who is cultivating the [Houthi] mercenaries in Yemen to stage a coup against the legitimate government? The truth is that the one who did all this is not Israel but Iran.
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"No Israeli official has ever declared [with pride] that his country is occupying five Arab capitals.[4] Although Iran brandishes the slogan of resistance, although it has [a military force] called 'Qods [i.e., Jerusalem] Force'… and although it claims that its goal is to liberate Al-Aqsa, we have never seen the top Iranian officers [firing] a single bullet in retaliation for Israel's bombing of their bases in Syria. Israel sends planes and fires missiles, constantly bombs the [Iranians'] bases in different areas, yet Iran does not respond. When Russia intervened and ordered the Iranians to move their bases hundreds of kilometers away from the Israeli border, Iran did so, [despite] the intense humiliation.
"Doesn’t Iran claim that it now has a foothold in northern Israel, thanks to Hizbullah, which controls Lebanon, and also thanks to its presence in Syria?! Yet it hasn't liberated Al-Aqsa and Jerusalem, as it constantly calls [to do].
"The clear equation and the obvious [conclusion] is that Iran's real goal is to take over the Arab world and reestablish the obsolete Persian Empire in it. Simply put, that is the reason for the Iranian actions we are seeing on the ground. Is it Israel that is present [in Yemen], on Saudi Arabia's southern border? What does [Iran] want with Yemen? Is it Israel who is present north of Saudi Arabia, in Iraq? What does [Iran] want with Iraq? Is it Israel who is present east of Saudi Arabia, [in Bahrain]? What does [Iran] want with Bahrain?
"These events, which everyone is witnessing, and which require no research or analysis, show us clearly what Iran's real urges, actions and goals are. There isn't a single Arab country that has not been harmed by Iran. Place your finger on any [random] country on the map of the Arab world, and you will find that Iran has harmed it, directly or indirectly. Even those countries in the region that have maintained friendly relations with Iran have felt the sting of the Iranian curses, threats and warnings, and have even been the target of terror and spy cells sent [by Iran], for [Iran] has no respect for its neighbors, for historical rights or for international law.
"Iran sets the region on fire by causing riots, chaos, unrest, extremism and instability and by leading us into a state of war. On top of that, it expects us to adapt ourselves to its positions and plans. This is a mentality of bullying, backwardness and chaos, a mentality that is out of step with the great scientific, economic and cultural progress we are experiencing."
[1] For Iranian reactions to these agreements, see MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 8928 - Iran Reacts To UAE-Israel Normalization: UAE Rulers Are 'Traitors'; The Agreement 'Heralds A Dangerous Future... Particularly For The Residents Of The UAE's Glass Palace' – September 11, 2020.
[2] Makkah (Saudi Arabia), September 23, 2020.
[3] Iran and the UAE both claim sovereignty over three islands in the Gulf - Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa.
[4] On these declarations by Iran, see MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 7379 - 'Kayhan' Editor Shariatmadari, Close To Khamenei: Bahrain Belongs To Iran; The Region Is Under Iranian Control Today – March 12, 2018; Special Dispatch No. 5991 - Advisor To Iranian President Rohani: Iran Is An Empire, Iraq Is Our Capital; We Will Defend All The Peoples Of The Region; Iranian Islam Is Pure Islam – Devoid Of Arabism, Racism, Nationalism – March 19, 2015; Inquiry & Analysis Series No. 946 - Iranian Official: The Loss Of Syria Will Lead To The Loss Of Tehran Itself; Syria Is An Iranian Province; Iran Has Formed A 60,000-Strong Syrian Basij; Israel Is Our Only Threat – March 11, 2013.
