WhatsappIran has been a rogue regime for the last 40 years. Ever since the Ayatollahs took over in 1979 under the Carter Presidency, Iran has literally been turning the clock backwards. They have gone from being a Western-oriented friendly dictatorship to a world-wide sponsor of terror. But, their main focus is on the Middle East – especially the State of Israel.
How did Iran devolve into a worldwide sponsor of terror?
Iran has been struggling for decades for control of it’s vast wealth and influence. The Shah, who led Iran until the late 70’s was rather popular abroad, but less so at home – especially among the radical elements. He was often ridiculed at home for being too Western and out of touch by his detractors. Could the United States have done more to keep Iran from falling into the hands of the Ayatollahs? It’s debatable, but there are limits to what the United States can or can’t do in certain situations.
So, even if the Carter Presidency was not strong on foreign affairs, it should not necessarily be the place where blame lies for the rise of the radical leadership of Iran. However, once the Iranian leadership began building the bomb, then it was clearly a major international issue that the US and other freedom-based democracies had to deal with. It was not an issue that the Obama administration was the first to grapple with. Both President Bush and Clinton basically kicked the can down the road until it became a pressing issue that Prime Minister Netanyahu effectively brought to the forefront of world discussion. Once the issue was a huge issue, it was mishandled by President Obama with appeasement. Now, President Trump has made it clear that he will not appease. But, will every small threat be met by overwhelming force by President Trump. Probably not. He will probably tighten sanctions that are already hurting Iran badly. But if Iran does put the US in a corner, I have no doubt that President Trump, with Secretary of State Pompeo and John Bolton on his side, will not hesitate to pull the trigger.
