Iran: The Illusions of Glory

It is not new for the Iranian regime to cloak itself in the trappings of glory and splendor. Persian history often adorns itself with the robe of pride and superiority on many occasions. There are numerous instances where the ruling narrative has overshadowed reality. This phenomenon is not confined to Iran’s historical trajectory alone; it is also prevalent, and often dominant, in the imagination of its leaders, where wishes override the facts of life. However, it is deeply embedded in Persian history, as recorded by events. This approach was not characteristic of the ancient Persian state but was dominant in the Shahanshah court during the reign of the last monarch, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. He lived his final days in tragedy, with the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat intervening to alleviate his suffering by hosting him in Cairo, providing facilities necessitated by the Shah’s health condition. The Shah died in Cairo and was buried there. This tragedy was painful and incongruous with the displays of grandeur and indulgence he experienced while exercising power in Iran.

I was part of the Kuwaiti delegation that accompanied the late Sheikh Sabah Al-Salim, Amir of the State of Kuwait, during his official visit to Tehran in 1966. I witnessed the displays of modernity and elegance during the welcome ceremonies for the distinguished guest. A prominent feature of that visit was the dinner party hosted by the Shah to welcome Sheikh Sabah Al-Salim. It was a mixed gathering of men and women, with the women exhibiting signs of modernity. The sight of women smoking was what struck me most as surprising. With all the elegance associated with smoking, cigarettes were easily circulated among the male and female guests. The atmosphere of welcome in the Shah’s palaces was notably characterized by the dominance of European traditions.

The visit was successful, marked by the seriousness of the understandings achieved between Kuwait and Iran, including a reaffirmation of their determination to overcome the complexities hindering the realization of agreements on most issues that were among their priorities. It was a brilliant visit in its presentation and highly beneficial in its outcomes. The celebrations revealed the distance the Iranian aristocratic society had traveled in importing European atmospheres into the ruling environment, allowing them to take root in the branches of the Iranian aristocratic class. Frankly, the flexibility the Shah adopted in dealing with the priorities of both countries was a significant indicator for future steps to deepen understanding between the Gulf states and Iran.

These positive atmospheres remained dominant in the approach to working with the Shah’s Iran, but the situation changed with the fundamental alterations that occurred in Iran. The positive atmospheres that had characterized relations with Iran, which had dominated the climate of political understanding between the two countries, disappeared. They were replaced by a phenomenon of suspicion, fear, and excessive caution in approaching steps to enhance relations. Other considerations emerged that do not exist in the agreed-upon rules as a basis for relations among members of the international family. Iran presented a phenomenon that formed a necessary prescription acceptable to the ruling system in Iran, which did not align with the global climate that provides arrangements for understanding among nations and their peoples.

The Iranian regime, which overthrew the Shah’s system, did not exercise good judgment and deviated from the operational rules adopted by the international family. It imposed new developments that secured gains for it at the expense of the operational rules the international family had grown accustomed to. We witnessed Iranian arrangements that the new Iranian regime sought to impose on the international family, defying international laws and diplomatic resolution methods. It assumed it had the right to impose fees on ships passing through international waters and declared the Strait of Hormuz an Iranian passage, claiming exclusive ownership of everything within it according to Iran’s discretion, employing a style that included recourse to force.

Iran, through its new revolutionary system, opened the doors to chaos, reflecting Tehran’s ambitions, which undermine accepted operational rules committed to by all members of the international family. From this illogical and unlawful position, Iran seeks to open passages and formulate laws that suit it and fulfill its ambitions, without regard for the chaos it generates or the tensions it creates among members of the international family. The most prominent product of this Iranian challenge is the way it deals with Gulf states, resorting to force to subjugate them to its will, thereby disabling these countries from defending their sovereignty.

The truth Iran refuses to accept is the global community’s rejection of its propositions and the political rules it seeks to apply to the global system. Moreover, it does not hesitate to resort to violence to secure access to its goals. We in the Gulf states will be victims of this Iranian vision that Tehran seeks to impose by force. Perhaps it would be useful for the Iranian government to listen to the objections of the international family regarding the approach Tehran has adopted and seeks to impose on the world, with all its flaws that harm relations among members of the international family.

There were hopes that Iran would accept global consensus, but the inability of Iran’s moderates and the limited scope of their influence left the fate of issues in the hands of hardline Iranian forces, which cause trouble for the Iranian people and all sides of the international family. There is no need to emphasize that the security of Gulf waterways serves all global interests, and that resorting to violence will lead to significant harm affecting all inhabitants of the globe. From the turmoil and chaos, some power centers will emerge that will work to achieve what they want for themselves and for other members of the international family. Iran will be the greatest victim of these transformations, which stem from the Iranian regime’s inability to understand the facts that underpin the foundations of global stability. There is no doubt that anyone who listened to the statements of US President Donald Trump understands that the damage will affect Iran more than any other party. The Gulf will experience a period of disturbance, after which stability and prosperity will return—not only for us, but for all members of the international family. We will all stand witness to Iran’s loss in the realm of illusions.

Abdullah Basharahil