IRAN: Claiming wins in regional war, Iranians gloat

No need to dig deep to find signs of Iranian gloating over America's struggles in the Middle East.

This week Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Iran's top religious and military authority, voiced confidence that Iran is winning a regional conflict against the United States and its allies.

During a visit to the city of Kazeroun in southern Iran, Khamenei voiced an opinion shared by many Iranian officials.

He called on all walks of Iranian society to unify in order to preserve "national interests and create a role-model Islamic society for the world."

Good times are at hand for Iran, he said:

I do not share the cynical views expressed about the current situations in the Islamic Republic of Iran. One of the divinely arranged situations for us, at this juncture in history, is that the U.S. has failed in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon and elsewhere in the world.

The statement evokes similar comments expressed by Iranian officials such as Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the chairman of Iran's powerful Expediency Council and Assembly of Experts, who during one Friday prayer sermon, thanked God that "the U.S. was stuck in the quagmire in Iraq."

Analysts say Iranian officials view U.S. struggles in the Middle East as windfall for the Islamic Republic, which has reaped a bountiful harvest of petroleum money thanks to political tensions and rising consumption in Asia.

— Ramin Mostaghim in Tehran

Photo: Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Credit: Islamic Republic News Agency

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Comments

[H Mehr]

Kyle,
I echo what you are saying as much as I echo what Ardeshir said in his comment. One thing that most American and perhaps the world tend to forget is that Iran had a democratic government in middle east in 1952 (something that you don't even see right now even among American allies) and CIA engineered a coup de'tat in 1953 to install the Shah (king) of Iran. Ironically, America claims it wants democracy in the middle east. One would ask what kind of democracy America wants? So, to some extent it is understandable the frustration in taking the hostages, however, it could be handled much better, no doubt about that. Also, based on Algeri agreement in 1980's, US agreed not to interfere in Iran’s afair, yet, in 2002 State of UNION label Iran as axis of evil and sang the song of regime change despite Iran's help and cooperation in both Afghanestan operation and also capturing top Al-quada members after 9/11. There are a lot to benefit by dialogue between Iran and US, a win-win scenario, something that the current admin has been reluctant to do and unfortunately American tax payers would have coughed the price so far and continue to do so as long as the American foreign is status quo.

[Edalat]

Well what Khamanei says isn't that Iran is winning, he says that US is failing. If you take the view that Iran is fighting US everywhere then those statements are the same. But I don't see Iran and US fighting everywhere. They actually worked together to get rid of the Taliban and Saddam - and only US continual provocations has turned Iran from them since then. So I don't think they are gloating, but pointing out the failures of the recent US Imperialistic adventures.

And as for Iran/Iraq war, Saddam killed thousands of Iranians with chemical weapons - weapons supplied by Western countries. The hypocrisy of the West (of which I belong I will add) is astounding. Saddam was demonised for using WMD on Kurds - yet the preceding years of using them on Iranians was swept under the carpet for they were our enemies at the time.

[Kyle]

One commentor says"The US & its allies supported Iraq in its invasion of Iranian soil during the 8-year war between Iraq & Iran in order to weaken Iran's government with utter disregard for the precious lives of the Iranians or the Iraqis who died in the hundreds of thousands." You are obviously well-schooled in the "official" rewrite of your country's history. Do you actually think the US would support Iran against Iraq after you seized our embassy and held Americans hostage for 444 days? It is your own government who prolonged the Iran/Iraq war needlessly, refusing all attempts by the UN and third countries to sponsor a peace agreement. Why? To make sure at the end of it all, Khomeini and his people would be in power, not any of the secular or democratic forces vying for control of the country. Who gave "keys to paradise" to youth and sent them to die as human mine-field clearers? Stop blaming the US. Your own government did that.

[hasan]

Ironic how Iran accuses the US of "meddling" in countries in the Middle East yet Iran is guilty of the worst kind of meddling--causing maximum death and chaos just because they like the feeling of power. If you want to vomit, try reading Iran's news every day for a week, if you can stand it. (www.irna.com or some other internal Iran news site). That government is a bunch of thugs with turbans lining their pockets with their people's money, claiming historical, cultural, and racial superiority above all other people on the planet. Now they claim victory but also claim they dont' arm militias. Whenever you hear denials from Iran (like denials of nuclear weapons intentions, denials of supporting terrorism, etc), you need to add "and they deny the holocaust" .

[Dr. Ardeshir Aryani]

What goes around comes around! How true!
The US & its allies supported Iraq in its invasion of Iranian soil during the 8-year war between Iraq & Iran in order to weaken Iran's government with utter disregard for the precious lives of the Iranians or the Iraqis who died in the hundreds of thousands.
Now the US is stuck in the quagmire of Iraq on a misguided adventurism by the neoconservatives (In pursuit of the Iraqi oil), and what is poor Iran to do???
Well Iran does not want to be the next Iraq, so it is fighting for its existence as it has for 3000 years of great Persian history by making sure that the occupiers of Iraq will be stuck in Iraq for as long as possible. The Iranians should NEVER forget that they can not count on any outside powers to insure their peace & security. We have learned this during our long history that we can only count on our own brilliance, ingenuity & resourcefulness. The title of this article is fundamentally wrong and alien to the Iranian culture as Iran & Iranians will never gloat about their prowess & victories in the geopolitical arena, because Iran is only striving for its survival & its power is only a defensive power that will never be used for aggression on a neighbor. The sad reality is that the United States & its statesmen do not even know Iran, its history, culture, art, its contributions to the world, its abilities & its true potential. There is nothing more dangerous than your oponent's ingorance about your capabilities as it can lead it to another mistake that will make the US invasion of Iraq look pale in comparison.
If we do not learn from history we are bound to repeat it.
Dr. Ardeshir Aryani
Professor of History & Political Science
Iran

[HonestAbe]

IRAN AND AMERICA HAVE BECOME DE FACTO NEIGHBORS, THEY BETTER FIND SOME WAY TO GET ALONG OR HELL WILL BREAK LOOSE.

[ping pong]

what you sow, so shall you reap...the united states is tasting the fruits of what it sowed in the land of the prophets in the past 70 years....it is tasting the curse of babylon,,,it turned the birthplace of abraham into a hell and now God is very angry....heheheheheeee

[gaetano]

Not sure what Pyruz means exactly...here in Camp America gas IS 400 cents a gallon and we the people are nothing more than profit generators for the corrupt and morally bankrupt corporations that control every aspect of our life here. Wonder how the health system works in Iran? Or even in Israel ? Better than here? ya think? And the kicker is we will never ever ,not in a million years get anything even close to what even Canada has cause of our corporate control.You can elect Obama, Clinton and resurrect Kennedy and it just won't happen here.
As for Ramin's quote I must say that these men,however despicable they are, have not been too far off in anything they say.And in fact Iraq has been,like Viet Nam, much more than the Americans can chew and God help us all if we even dare to take on Iran. Most Americans ,I am sure ,must think of Iran as some sort of Rhode Island size place with a few Arabs in it.Boy have I got news for them.

[Mark Pyruz]

Khamanei's memorable quote from years past: "Iraq is not a morsel the United States can quite swallow."

How is the weather in Tehran, Ramin? Is gasoline 40 cents a gallon? It is 400 cents a gallon here in America.

[Jean Gerard]

And "Mission Accomplished" standing on deck in a flack jacket wasn't "gloating?"