Israel’s warnings on Iran are ‘like a record player that got stuck’
The US has been hearing the same arguments from Israel regarding Iran for twenty years, but still appears inclined to sacrifice its own interests for the sake of its relationship with the Jewish state, Professor Seyed Mohammad Marandi told RT.
RT: Is it possible that Iranian President Hassan
Rouhani's diplomatic charm could possibly create a gap between
President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,
just six months after the US President's reconciliation visit to
Israel?
Seyed Mohammad Marandi, dean of the Faculty of World
Studies at the University of Tehran: It remains to be seen what
effect it has on the American political establishment. I think it
has had a major effect in other parts of the world and I’m sure
it has had an effect on parts of the American population –
despite the fact that corporate media and the political
establishment is really close to Israel.
But with regards to the accusation that has been made by the
Israelis, the Iranians in fact have been saying for weeks now
that we’re expecting some fabricated story from the Israelis to
disrupt any potential rapprochement [between Washington and
Tehran].
What the Iranians have been saying for many years now is in fact
that it is in the interests of the US as well as Iran to improve
relations based on mutual respect. But so far, the US has not
been pursuing its own interests. Rather, it has been sacrificing
the interests of its people for the interests of the Israeli
regime.
RT: The latest UN General Assembly has also proved that
the Iranian and US Presidents can actually talk without resorting
to threats and mutual accusations. Do you think that Israel
should be concerned?
SMM: Israel should be concerned in the sense that it has
been dishonest for two decades now. Obama, and I think other
American leaders, have been hearing – the previous [American]
president has been hearing – for almost two decades now Netanyahu
claiming that the Iranians are going to develop nuclear weapons
in two to three years. These two to three years have been going
on for almost 20 years. It’s like a record player that got stuck,
it keeps repeating itself. This by itself reveals the dishonesty
of the Israeli Prime Minister and the Israeli regime.
Obama and the American political leaders know quite well now that
Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program. Iran never had
nuclear weapons program. The International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) has never made any accusations directed towards Iran about
Iran having a nuclear weapons program.
In fact, we all know that the only country in this region that
has nuclear weapons is the Israeli regime. The only country that
practices apartheid is the Israeli regime. And the country that
will have chemical weapons in a year’s time from now is the
Israeli regime.
RT: Is Netanyahu's visit to the US well-timed from your
point of view, in order to try and win back some political
points?
SMM: Well, obviously, Netanyahu’s obsession with Iran is
quite deep. And when President Rouhani was initially elected,
[Netanyahu] called the Iranian president a wolf in sheep’s
clothes.
So, that sort of language is what to be expected from the Israeli
Prime Minister. I don’t think it is going to be very difficult
for him to persuade some people, because in the US, as I said,
the corporate media is very much in the hands of the political
establishment and the Congress and the Senate are very close to
Israel.
But I think if American political leaders take note of what
happened during the Syria issue and how opposed the American
people are now to confrontations and military attacks, then they
will choose a more reasonable approach when it comes to Iran.
Because after all, they couldn’t convince their own people about
Syria, [while] Iran is a much stronger country.
Americans have themselves isolated internationally over Syria. So
it would be best for the US to really think about a different
approach, to treat Iran with respect, to recognize Iran’s right
as an independent country for uranium enrichment for peaceful
purposes – and to ignore Israeli provocations.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.