What Do We Do About Iran?

There is an important question that hasn’t been asked by previous administrations. I understand why, it’s a hard question. It’s the kind of question that is just easier to ignore. Let the next administration step on the land mine. It’s a question that should have been asked by every administration since 1979. That question is “what do we do about Iran?”

The answer, I’m afraid, isn’t simple. Regardless of the time period, dealing with the Islamic Republic would never be easy. In the beginning, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was immensely popular. His government could not have been dislodged without massive popular backlash from the Iranian populace.

As time passed, the Iranian Revolution entrenched itself and solidified it’s power over the nation. Currently the regime maintains power through economic controls, propaganda via control of media and internet, monopoly on force (gun control), repression of all opposition, and terror.

The Iranian leadership are hard line Islamists. However, of specific concern is their belief in the Twelver branch of Shia Islam. In short, Iran’s rulers believe they are on a holy mission to “prepare the ground” for the return of their Mahdi. It’s a call to fight evil. However, their definition of evil is anything that goes against Islam, the regime, or specifically the supreme leader who is the caretaker of the hidden Mahdi). They are also commanded to spread Islam to the rest of the world, even by force. According to their belief, Israel and the United States are the main source of evil they must fight against.

This kind of religious messianic focus is taught in schools. You can’t hold any position of authority without being a firm believer.

There little decent within the ruling structure! Decent is framed as disobeying the hidden Imam. It’s a religious act even more disastrous and life threatening than declaring yourself a follower of Satan in the west.

Lastly, their Imam will only return at the time of an apocalyptic war against evil, one that looks like they are loosing (kind of like this war). During this war, their Muhammad al-Mahdi and the “prophet” Jesus, will appear to lead the forces of good to victory.

Imagine this theology influencing/controlling a powerful nation like Iran. What can you do about an entire nation that views deploying terrorism against other nations as a service in a holy war? How can you deal with a nation that will condone anything, kill anyone, destroy everything in service to their holy war?

President Trump decided to act. It’s not easy. There’s no way to soften the consequences. And because former administrations have ignored the problem, like most problems, it only got worse.

There’s a reason Trump acted. Trump knew what would happen if a nation like Iran had nuclear bombs!

However, now that the conflict has started, how do we get out? Iranian leadership believes this war could be the apocalyptic war that will bring forth their Twelfth Imam. How do you negotiate with a regime who believes its prophecies predicted this exact war and commands them to continue to fight? Their continued resistance in the face of an enemy vastly more powerful then they are is how they show devotion to Allah. It’s how they are commanded to prepare the way for their messiah.

Iran will not quit. They are not going to stop because of threats. The Iranian leadership is not going to come begging for peace because we bomb their civilian infrastructure.

Stopping Iran from being able to create nuclear weapons and stopping the terrorism is an important goal. However, now that we’re in, the Trump administration will have to put a lot of thought into how to get out!