Islamism and the Arab world have dominated the attention of US leaders and their European allies since the tragic 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers. However, the Persian/Shiite world, spanning from Iraq and Iran to Afghanistan, represents a cultural, linguistic, and religious unity often viewed narrowly from a ‘geopolitical’ or ‘military’ perspective.
This region, once among the most powerful in the world, has been enduring an ongoing tragedy for the past 40 years with no apparent end in sight. Let’s first focus on Iran, where the country and its civilian population are particularly affected by the wide-ranging and stringent embargo imposed by the USA and its allies.
Centuries ago, the Ottoman Empire, the Safavid Empire, and the Mughal Empire held sway over a vast expanse of land, spanning from the Balkans in Europe to North Africa, encompassing significant parts of Western Asia, including present-day Pakistan and India. European countries, Russia, and the Hindu people had to contend with fierce and highly modern armies equipped with powerful gunpowder weapons during that time.
The tragedy in this region began in Iran when the country chose to sever its close ties with the USA and other Western nations, opting instead to establish a new “Islamic” regime. This period is marked by well-known events such as the 1979 hostage-taking of the US embassy, subsequent embargo, and the West’s support for Saddam’s regime in Iraq during the war against Iran (1980-1989). Simultaneously, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan (1979-1989), further exacerbating political instability. Even with the withdrawal of Soviet troops, the situation did not significantly improve. The West later ended its traditional alliance with Saddam’s regime when the Iraqi dictator decided to invade Kuwait, leading to a new war against Iraq (1990-1991) and subsequent embargo, despite the established futility of this “weapon” and its cruelty towards the civilian population.
This geopolitical quagmire has significantly shaped the current landscape of the Persian/Shiite world, fostering ongoing tensions and conflicts. The strategic importance of this region in global affairs remains undeniable, with implications for international relations, security, and the well-being of its inhabitants.