SOAS expert Burzine Waghmar argues the West Asia crisis stems from the 1979 founding of the Islamic Republic. He criticizes the late Ayatollah Khamenei's 'homicidal' regime for regional instability and calls for decisive international action.
Amid the escalating tensions in West Asia, Burzine Waghmar, of the Centre of Iranian Studies at School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, argued that the roots of the crisis stretch back to the birth of the Islamic Republic in 1979 rather than recent military developments.
Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Waghmar said the conflict "did not start with Operation Epic Fury yesterday in the early hours of Tehran. It started, if you must, 47 years ago with the inception of the Islamic Republic from February 1979."
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'Homicidal Regime Murdering Its Own Population'
Referring to the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who assumed office in June 1989, Waghmar sharply criticised the leadership of the Islamic Republic. He described the regime as having presided over widespread repression within Iran and contributing to instability across West Asia.
"Supreme Leader Khamenei, now deceased, in office since June 1989, was quite frankly responsible for running this homicidal Islamic Republic regime that was murdering its own population in cold blood without batting an eyelid. Now, that is a fact. It's not an opinion. It is not anecdotal evidence. It is a blatant fact borne out by the suffering of Iranians," Waghmar said, asserting that the suffering of Iranians over decades underpinned his view.
He further contended that Iran's regional policies have had destabilising consequences, stating that "Iran has created havoc for everyone in the region."
Call for Decisive International Action
According to Waghmar, meaningful peace in West Asia would require a fundamental political shift in Tehran. "To see this homicidal regime go, would be something nobody would share a tear about, even if the Arab or Muslim street and its rulers are reticent to publicly air that," he said. Waghmar also argued that international actors, including the United States and Israel, should take a firmer stance." But that is the long and the short of it, that President Trump and the Israelis and others must come on board and see the job finished this time after 47 years once and for all," he said, suggesting that only a decisive resolution in Iran would open the door to broader regional stability.
Iran Not the Sole Source of Tension
"It needs to be done because only once Iran turns this page, there will be peace in the region, not entirely, because there are other issues like Palestine and Israel," he said while acknowledging that Iran is not the sole source of tensions in the region, noting that longstanding issues such as the Israel-Palestine conflict continue to shape dynamics even after political transformation in Tehran.
US, Israel Launch Strikes; Khamenei Killed
Earlier on Saturday, the US and Israel launched joint military strikes on Iran that led to the death of the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his family. Following the strikes, Iran launched a wave of strikes, using drones and missiles targeting multiple arab countries in the region, as a retaliatory action by the Islamic Republic.
Trump Urges Iranians to Topple Government
After Khamenei's killing, Trump again addressed the Iranian public on Saturday, calling for them to topple the government. "This will probably be your only chance for generations," he said on Saturday after the US and Israeli attacks on Iran began.
Interim Council Formed Amid Attacks
The Provisional Leadership Council was formed shortly after Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei and top security officials were killed in the US and Israel's ongoing attacks. The interim council, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, will oversee the country until a new supreme leader is elected.
Iranian state media say at least 201 people have been killed in the attacks across 24 provinces, as per Al Jazeera. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
