WASHINGTON: The world must confront Iranian aggression in a way that it failed to do in the 1930s with Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Saudi Ambassador to the United States, has warned in an exclusive political essay published in Arab News.
Appeasement was unsuccessful in halting Nazi Germany’s rise to power, and it will be equally unsuccessful in deterring the theocratic regime in Tehran, Prince Khalid says.
“At a time of thunderous echoes of the 1930s — the sustained fallout from an economic crisis, extreme polarization of the political spectrum from the far right to the hard left, inaction from the global community and malignant actors determined to fill a void in leadership by spreading their ideology of hate and violence — it is incumbent on the global community to act with resolve,” Prince Khalid writes.
He argues that the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, far from curbing Tehran’s regional meddling and support for global terrorism, has in fact provided it with more than $100 billion in resources to finance these activities.
“As at Munich eight decades ago, when Western concessions failed to satisfy Nazi Germany’s desires for a bigger, more powerful ‘Reich,’ the world is again faced with the twin options of offering treasure and territory to placate a murderous regime, or confronting evil head-on,” Prince Khalid writes.
He draws a comparison between Saudi Arabia, with its ambitious development plans in investing for a strong and stable future, and Iran’s lavish spending on military adventurism in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and elsewhere. “Those who adhere to terrorism and violent extremism are but a small minority in both Saudi Arabia and Iran,” he writes. “The difference is that in Saudi Arabia these terrorists are on the run, while in Iran they are running the country.”
Prince Khalid welcomes the avowed determination of US President Donald Trump to take a more realistic approach to the Iranian menace, and he offers Saudi Arabia’s unqualified support.
“The world must join us to confront Iran with seriousness and intent. Iran needs to know it will pay a price if it continues to violate international law and interfere in the affairs of its neighbors,” he writes.
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