Understanding Iran: The Head of the Snake

Understanding Iran: The Head of the Snake (Source thetrumpet.com) If you are watching the Middle East, chances are that startling, graphic headlines about the Islamic State have grabbed your attention. The Islamic State’s barbarism is mirrored closely by the brutality of the civil war raging in Syria. The horrific headlines keep viewers mindful of the atrocities taking place in these regions and the urgent demand for a solution. But focusing solely on the loudest stories in the Middle East would be the equivalent of a mouse being worried about a rattlesnake’s tail. A far greater threat coiled up in the Middle East must be recognized: Iran—the head of the terrorist snake. The media decries the Islamic State collecting up to $3 million per day on black market oil, ensuring its status as the world’s richest terrorist organization. Yet Iran—the world’s largest state-sponsor of terror—goes unnoticed with a 2013 gross domestic product of $368.9 billion. People worry about the Islamic State seizing United States military hardware abandoned after the Iraq War. Meanwhile, Iran is on the cusp of building nuclear weapons. The Islamic State controls northern Iraq—while Iran controls the fourth-largest crude oil reserves in the world and the second-largest natural gas reserves. It also borders one of the world’s most crucial sea gates, the Strait of Hormuz To ignore these facts is to decide that the snake’s tail is more fearsome than its head. It can be easy to focus on the loudest stories in the region and fail to recognize the greater dangers. If you haven’t been keeping a wary eye on the deadly end of the snake, here is a snapshot of where that head is today. For almost a year, Iran has been involved in negotiations over its controversial nuclear program. Furious attempts have been made to cement a deal whereby Iran gives up its capabilities to create a nuclear weapon in exchange for sanctions relief. Short-term deals have been reached where Iran has promised certain measures to “roll back” its nuclear program. Of course, the process has been drawn out by Iran, which gives it a distinct advantage. Firstly, it gives the nation a chance to rebuild an economy crippled by sanctions. Stalling also means Iran has more time to transform its image. Since Hassan Rouhani came to power last year, Tehran has been working to establish a fresh image as a “moderate” nation. Calls to Western leaders and the occasional tweet have been enough to distract people from the hate-filled speeches that still rain down from Iran’s ayatollahs.

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