Dr. Morris Mottale

One of the consequences of the War in Ukraine and the Russian invasion has been a resetting of the configuration of power in the International System. The Mullahs of Iran, in the wake of the popular revolt lead by young women, reasserted themselves internationally and while proving their national credentials by backing the Russian invasion of Ukraine and providing Moscow with very cheap drones for the Russian army to attack Ukrainian infrastructures while in Europe and North America, governments and international organizations denounced the crackdown on young Iranian demonstrators and the executions of dissenters.

The Mullahs found themselves with South Africa, Brazil, Venezuela, China, and North Korea as supporters of Putin. Contrary to European and American perceptions, most of the countries in the world were either neutral or backed Russia in the Ukrainian conflict. The Iranian case pans out as the Ayatollahs reasserted themselves domestically and internationally by pushing once again their ideology in Iran, and their Anti-American, Anti-women, Anti-Semitic position within the Islamic world. Contrary to many people’s perceptions and perspectives, most of the Islamic populace sympathizes to some degree or another with Iran, both in the Mullah’s pro-Russia position and virulent and pathological anti-Israeli stance. In Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, just to mention a few key states in the Islamic world, Iran is not perceived as it is in Europe and North America. The Chinese position has been very clear. Iran is a sovereign country, and can do whatever the Mullahs want domestically.

As it is, the Middle East is still torn apart by regional and local conflicts, and the spread of Islamic fundamentalism. The war in Ukraine rightfully received the greatest attention in North America and Europe. It is the first war in modern European history since the Yugoslav Civil War. We should not forget that the problems of the Middle East, whether it is tensions between Morocco and Nigeria, Tunisian domestic upheavals, chaos and economic downturns in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and East Africa have not disappeared.