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It had become inevitable… The airstrikes and attacks launched on Thursday night by the United States and the United Kingdom against more than a dozen military installations and positions held by pro-Iranian Houthis in various Yemeni cities, including the capital Sanaa and the port of Hodeida, were foreseeable. The recent surge in drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea by one of Tehran’s primary military proxies (the Houthis) – following Hezbollah and “Hashd el shaabi” (Popular Mobilization) in Iraq – posed an increasing threat to commercial maritime traffic in the Bab el-Mandeb area.
The White House statement released at the end of the strikes, shortly before 2:30 AM on Thursday night, carefully highlighted that over 50 countries were adversely affected by Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. Notably, more than 2000 ships were compelled to alter their routes, leading to increased maritime transportation costs and, consequently, rising prices for certain products in many countries.
By Thursday evening, some American and British media outlets’ leaks seemingly allowed Tehran’s allies sufficient time to take appropriate measures to minimize damages and losses. Could these media leaks have been orchestrated to limit the impact of the American and British strikes, solely framing them as a serious warning to the supporters of the Pasdaran? This possibility gains credence with the statement made on Thursday night by a senior US official who dismissed any “escalation intent” following the Western attack.
Regardless of the unfolding events in the near term, the strikes carried out by the American and British forces, with “support from Australia, the Netherlands, Bahrain and Canada,” as disclosed by a high-ranking Pentagon source, confirm an undisputable reality that some observers tend to downplay—the global nature of the conflict involving the Islamic Republic of Iran. A global conflict requires a comprehensive and decisive counteraction. The Pentagon recently highlighted that since October 7, American forces and bases in Iraq and Syria have been subjected to 130 attacks.
In such situations, a limited and isolated response serves as a stimulus for the adversary, inevitably leading to an escalation in hostile actions — especially when these actions are driven by an ideology, particularly a theocratic one, and a geopolitical vision that pays scant attention to the basic interests of populations in other ostensibly “allied” countries. It is crucial to remember that following Ayatollah Khomeini’s rise to power in 1979, the Pasdaran set the strategic goal of exporting the Islamic Revolution right from the start. To achieve this, they established themselves with all the attributes of a state within a state: a powerful parallel military, large-scale autonomous economic activities, control of vital ports, an aviation company, intelligence services, financial networks and more.
True to their principles, the Pasdaran have effectively implemented their objectives. Their extensive operation to export the Islamic Revolution, undertaken with determination and professionalism in the late 1970s, led to a gradual and pervasive destabilization of the entire region. By their own acknowledgment, they managed to assert their influence over Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Gaza and, undoubtedly, Lebanon, with thwarted attempts in Bahrain.
In addition, they pursued an assiduous media and political campaign against Saudi Arabia.
The tentacles of the “Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps” have been meticulously deployed and steadily established, ultimately reaching the stage of complete control over state decision-making centers. The Gaza war, clashes in southern Lebanon, security upheavals in Iraq and Syria, as well as the tensions shaking the entire region since last October, are the direct and predictable consequences of the gradual, four-decade-long expansion of the tentacles of the emerging Persian empire.
The conflict has a global dimension. Consequently, the response must transcend a mere “warning” and be all-encompassing. If the destabilization efforts are not radically halted, their dangerous expansion will persist. Now more than ever, it is of essence to establish a new regional order that compels the radical mullahs in Tehran to reconsider their approach. This could potentially pave the way for lasting peace and foster openness to “the other,” particularly in Lebanon.
