The Strategic Relationship: Israel, Iran and the US

By Geoffrey Cook, MMNS

San Francisco–Trita Parsi is the National President of Iranian American Council. He gave two talks in the Bay Area. In this City early last November, and later that month across the Bay in Berkeley towards the very end of that month. This narrative derives from both.

The tensions between Israel and Iran are running perilously high at the moment, and the possibility that Washington may be subsumed is dangerously excessive, too. Unfortunately, diffusion of the tensions has not succeeded due to the fact that the root causes of the antagonism between the two have eluded official Washington.

Iran’s President Ahmednejad stated last week, after Tel Aviv’ successful long range ballistic missile test (the 17th), that the Zionist Regime (still) “lack the courage” to attack the Islamic Republic of Iran even though Al Jazeera reported that the Israel Defense Force(s) (IDF) could carry a nuclear load upon its projectile! “The Zionist entity …will…not [be] save[d]from its doomed collapse.” While the Jewish State (politically) claims that Tehran will be a dangerous nuclear weapons State within the Middle East by 2010 [Israel is already the lone present nuclear nation inside the district], on the other side, Ahmadinejad interjects that the “destruction of Israel” is the (only) solution!

Dr. Parsi came to Northern California to promote his book, Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran and the United States. Trita Parsi is the National President of the Iranian American Council. He gave two talks in the Bay Area. In this City earlier last November, and later that month across the Bay in Berkeley. This narrative derives from both.

This is a major three-way strategic relationship! It is the first book to get behind the motivations of all three governments simultaneously. He was able to access the three administrations’ (depressing) archives, and, thus, was able to create a three-way history incorporating the perspectives of each.

From ancient times the Jews and Iranians had a superior relationship until the Palestinian Mandate ended with the State of Israel. Even so, the Republic has the highest population in the Middle East (26,000) with 200,000 Iranian Jewish emigrants in Israel – unfortunately, some of those in government in Tel Aviv are the most hawkish against their ancestral homeland. One of the most rabid, a former Air Force General, was questioned on Tehran’s supposed nuclear program, he replied succinctly – “2,000 kilometers” – the air distance between Tel Aviv and Tehran! This can be interpreted as a very aggressive threat! The rhetoric only confuses the geopolitical situation, and the already complex state of affairs!

After 1979, there was a sea change. Iran and the Arabs seemed hostile to Tel Aviv, and, to a lesser extent, the District of Columbia itself! Israel was found selling spare parts to Persia, for the Persians only gave rhetorical support to the Palestinians throughout the 1980s.

There was a major shift in the tri-partite relationship between 1991-1994. The end of the Cold War (1989), allowed Iran to rebuild its relationship (to a degree) with the West. It even leaned strategically towards the Coalition during the First Gulf War (1990-1991).

The end of the Cold War, was a difficult time for Israel. The U.S. secretary of State of the moment, James Baker, quite openly recognized Tehran’s assistance. “There was a fear if Iran and the U.S came together,” there would be trouble, threatening Israel’s dominating position within the Middle East.

Then, the Land of the Medes began to take a part in the behind the scenes negotiations to construct a peaceful Palestine; that is the acceptance of a two-State solution. Israel, though, “is the new glue to the radical Islam of Iran!”

Now, this “…has made it complicated for [total] rapproacement with the U.S.,” for Tehran has started to target Israel in support of their improved relations with Ramallah! Therefore, D.C. has been advocating Regime Change on the Eastern shores of the Arabian Gulf.

At the moment, there can be no solution because there is no ideological basis for a strategic shift.

It is, as though, we are statically living through 1938 again: Iran has become the second “Germany.” Diplomacy – either from the West or the Farsi – is impossible!

Dr. Trita Parsi, depressingly, warns of a forthcoming clash between Bush and Ahmedinejad!

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