LOS ANGELES.–Firing missiles and drones into Israel, Iran’s 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has some tough choices whether to escalate the war with Israel or try to resolve the conflict peacefully. President Donald Trump told Khamenei he could still return to peace table to sign a new nuke agreement that allows U.N.’s IAEA inspectors to supervise Iran’s nuclear enrichment program and arrange for the U.S. to purchase Iran’s stockpile. U.S. position before the talks began two months ago was the Iran must dismantle its nuclear program. Now a new solution emerged where the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] would supervise all of Iran’s nuclear enrichment and allow the U.S. to purchase Iran’s nuclear stockpile. As of right now, the Ayatollah continues to fire missiles at Tel Aviv, hoping to exhaust it Iron Dome missile defense system.
Some of Iran’s ballistic missiles have penetrated Israel’s Iron Dome and wreaked havoc on some residential building around Tel Aviv. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Khamenei that if he doesn’t stop firing missiles into Israel, he would start bombing Tehran, including the Ayatollah’s headquarters. “Tehran is burning,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz posted on social media, saying more to come if the missiles don’t stop hitting Tel Aviv. Trump hoped to hold a sixth round of talks in Oman on a new nuke deal on Sunday, now officially cancelled by Iran. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said it would be a farce to host talks give the current situation. Mideast tensions are already high with the Gaza War on Hamas over a year-and-a-half old. Foreign leaders would like to see a de-escalation from Israel and Iran, resolving issues at the peace table.
Trump and Netanyahu decided after five rounds of nuke talks that the Ayatollah was unwilling to compromise on a new nuke deal. Trump told the Ayatolllah that it’s not too late to sign a new nuke deal to avoid future problems. But given Israel’s continuing bombing campaign the Ayatollah’s in no mood yet to start de-escalating. Shah’s of Iran’s son Reza Pahlavi urged Iranians to break with the regime and reclaim their freedom. “It could fall. As I have told my compatriots, Iran is yours and yours to reclaim. I am with you. Stay strong and we will win,” Pahlavi said in a statements. Netanyahu echoed similar statements letting Iranians know that Israel has no problem with the Iranian people, only the Ayatollah’s oppressive regime. If the Ayatollah continues to fire missiles at Tel Aviv, Netanyahu will have no choice but to go after the regime headquarters in Tehran.
Netanyahu knows that there’s another approach short of war if Ayatollah shows more openness to another round of peace talks. Why would the Ayatollah object to U.N. supervision if it satisfied international demands to monitor Iran’s nuclear enrichment program? Iran could continue enriching uranium under IAEA supervision under the new arrangement. Since Trump ended former President Barack Obama 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] May 8, 2018, Iran has been enriching uranium to 60%, leaving nuclear experts to wonder if it’s got a covert A-bomb program. While Iran says it has no bomb-making ambitions, nuclear experts are baffled why the Ayatollah needs 60% enriched uranium. It could be that he uses Iran’s enrichment program as a deterrent against foreign enemies, like the United States, from undermining Iran’s sovereignty.
Iraq’s Saddam Hussein refused to let Dr. Hans Blix, then head of the IAEA, come to Iraq, to inspect his alleged stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction [WMD]. Turns out, Saddam had no WMD but pretended to have them. Only explanation was that if other nations feared his WMD they would leave him alone, including the United States. Instead, Bush-43 went to war in 2003 to find-and-destroy Saddam’s alleged stockpile of WMD. Blix begged the Bush White House to give him more time to avoid war. Well, we all know what happened. When it comes to the Ayatollah, it’s possible he’s only using Iran’s nuclear enrichment program as a deterrent, with no intent to producing an A-bomb. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Israeli air strikes were a “result of direct support from Washington.” Trump denied knowing anything about Israel’s strikes on Tehran.
Ayatollah Khamenei has some big choices going forward with his throwaway missile strikes on Tel Aviv. If he continues the strikes, he risks Netanyahu turning his ire on mullah headquarter in Tehran, actually going after his mullah government for regime change. There’s enough opposition in Iran to encourage Netanyahu to complete the job of removing the Ayatollah’s mullah regime. Shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi, asked Iranians to end the mullah’s destructive regime on Iranian life. Younger generations crave a less repressive government, know exactly what they’ve been living with under mullah rule. “I have told the military police and security forces: Break from the regime. Honor the oath of any honorable serviceman. Join the people,” said the Shah’s son. “To the international community, do not throw yet another lifeline to this dying, terrorist regime.”
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.