‘War necessary…Iran always wanted to control West Asian energy’

The Iran war is, by far, the most important military confrontation of the 21st century, and possibly the most important event of this century. What is at stake is no less than the global order. Specifically, the ability of US to maintain the order established in recent generations, that enabled a large part of the world to maintain an open and liberal system, willing and able to defend itself against radical, totalitarian, and barbaric enemies.

The Ayatollah regime in Tehran is nothing like Stalin’s was in Soviet Union, or that of Hitler in Nazi Germany. But it similarly harnessed the qualities of an impressive society, to the aggressive hallucinations of a radical and brutal regime. The Islamic revolution came up with a dangerous strategy, which could have had dramatic implications in West Asia, and a significant impact on the global order. The political arm of this strategy mobilised disgruntled Shiites and radical Sunnis, creating a ring of Iranian proxies throughout the region.