Iran Hopes Its Continued Terrorism Empowers American Moderates

“We know this strategy worked during the Obama administration.”

Tehran, September 19 – Regime officials in the Islamic Republic expressed desire this week that their ongoing efforts to sow instability, political violence, ethnic cleansing, and attain regional hegemony will encourage US political figures of a less antagonistic orientation than the current administration to assert themselves more in policymaking.

Iranian leaders told visiting journalists that in the interest of reducing tensions with the US, they hope to empower moderates within the American government and legislature, and to that end they will continue to direct their proxies in the Middle East to attack American and American-allied interests, and will continue to plan and bankroll terrorism around the world. Minister of Foreign Affairs Javad Zarif informed reporters that the current Iranian strategy of blowing things and people up aims to soften President Trump’s attitude toward Iran, and to provide legitimacy for those within his administration who otherwise might feel too timid to advocate for conciliatory measures toward Tehran.

“We know this strategy worked during the Obama administration,” noted Zarif, who represented the regime in talks that resulted in a 2015 deal all but green-lighting Iran’s eventual access to nuclear weapons. “Our support for Hezbollah, Houthis, and other violent actors demonstrated to the president and Secretary Kerry how serious we were about achieving a peaceful resolution of tensions after decades of friction. Given the success we enjoyed with this approach during the previous administration, we remain confident it can yield similar strategic dividends now.”

The regime’s clarification of its approach to the matter follows a week in which they launched direct cruise missile attacks on oil facilities in American-allied Saudi Arabia, took foreign journalists hostage, impounded a foreign oil tanker, and continued to move arms and personnel to proxy militias in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, all part of Iran’s ongoing efforts to foster better relations with the US. Analysts believe it too early to judge whether the strategy will succeed, given that the US is now in the throes of a grueling presidential election campaign.

“It can go either way at this point,” explained commentator Lafmiya Bulli. “If moderate American elements can again paint Iran’s activities as aimed at achieving mutual prosperity and security, and can make that the ascendant view among enough prospective voters, then the approach will pay off. But it’s just as likely that other elements will attempt to stifle that message by portraying it as appeasement of a warmongering, imperialist regime.” He added that the long-term success of the approach vis-à-vis Europe became evident long ago.

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