Trio of Territorial Terrorists

"[Russia and Iran need to remain vigilant against ] Western deception."

"[You/Putin ensured Russia] maintained its independence [from the United States; countries need to use their own national currencies when trading goods]."

"The U.S. dollar should be gradually taken off global trade, and this can be done gradually."

"If  you had not taken the initiative, the other side [the West], would have caused a war on its own initiative."

Islamic Republic of Iran Grand Ayatollah, Ali Khamenei

"Both our countries have good experience in countering terrorism and this has provided much security to our region."

"I hope your visit to Iran will increase co-operation between our two independent countries."

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan meet in Tehran, Iran July 19, 2022.  (photo credit: Turkish Presidential Press Office/Handout via REUTERS)

 

Like two powerful magnets the dictatorial leaders of the two countries had much to discuss, brought together by their common interests. Both seen as pariah states by the democratic Western nations of the world who deplore Russia for its war-mongering, its presence in Syria aiding and abetting Bashar al-Assad in his ideological/denominational war against his own citizens, and Vladimir Putin's decision to shed blood in Ukraine while destroying its infrastructure and creating millions of refugees there as in Syria.

The 'terrorists' that the Iranians speak of are not those whom they sponsor like Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, their Iranian-funded and armed militia-clients, but freedom-aspiring ordinary citizens of the country that was once on its way to achieving firmer alliances with the West. In consenting to unseat the Pahlavi dynasty, Persians had no idea that the stopper they pulled unleashing a theological genie would imprison their spirits and souls.

That they were joined by Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan, a controversial member of NATO, loathed by both Tehran and Moscow, illustrates just how manipulative, sinister, corrupt and Medieval politics can be in the Middle East. That all three leaders are pathologically invested in empire building to the extent that they are overlapping rivals who see common purpose in plotting against more powerful states interfering with their aspirations speaks of the realpolitik alliance of unsavoury intent.

Ukraine, Syria and Israel are in their crosshairs for the moment. All three are in fact at odds with one another, yet can find a common understanding in the grater goal of persevering against the travails their threats to world stability and abuse of human rights that have earned them sanctions, suspicion and arms-length diplomatic relations with the West. Hard pressed to achieve their goals, they find sudden unity of purpose.

Turkey's Erdogan anxious to play the deal-maker to convince Putin to open passage to grain shipments out of Ukraine's blockaded Black Sea ports to a grain-starved world. In exchange, Erdogan foresees a grateful world allowing him to increase his territorial holdings beyond the Syrian border while pounding resistant Kurds whose territory it is, within Syria.

Vladimir Putin is solidifying the Russian Federation's business ties in guaranteed oil and gas sales to China, and India so that beyond reduced shipments to the quavering European market heavily dependent on Russian energy, he is assured sufficient state income to continue prosecuting his war in Ukraine while garnering greater swaths of territory there.

Bellicose and threatening themselves, neither Turkey nor Russia see any reason why the Islamic Republic should not have a nuclear arsenal of its own. Tehran has done very well in drawing Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Qatar to its circle of intimates turning the minority Shiite strain of Islam into a power base to overwhelm the majority Sunni sect in the Arab-centric region of the Middle East. And with its own power bloc, Iran feels more comfortable viewing the threat it perceives from its regional opposition.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan meet in Tehran, Iran July 19, 2022. (credit: CEM OKSUZ/TURKISH PRESIDENTIAL PRESS OFFICE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)