Iran: A colossus with feet of clay Another provocation by the clerical regime

The phrase "a colossus with feet of clay" is used to describe something that seems mighty and imposing at first glance but is fundamentally fragile. Undoubtedly, modern Iran is a quintessential example of such a colossus.

The very same colossus that, for decades, invested in creating and funding proxy forces in the Middle East. And which, in essence, no longer exists. One of the key events of the year was the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. This is the very regime that repeatedly acted against Islamic solidarity, supporting not Baku but Yerevan in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

Bashar al-Assad's regime was nurtured and protected by the theocratic regime of Iran. However, at the most critical moment, it became clear that Iran had no means left to save its protégé. As a result, in the post-Assad Syria, Iranians are no longer welcome, and even the preservation of minimal diplomatic ties is now in question.

It is not surprising that in Iran, social discontent and unemployment have reached alarming levels. The population of this country is asking simple, reasonable questions: was it necessary to spend such colossal amounts supporting regimes in various countries, condemning its own economy to dire straits? What is left for the theocratic regime to do in these conditions? The answer is clear: resort to primitive provocations, attempting to shift the blame for its own failures onto others.

And here is evidence of this. In Ardabil, a provocation took place. At a religious event in this city, insults were directed at the Presidents of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. It is no secret that in a country like Iran, any mass religious event is sanctioned solely by the authorities. They are the ones who decide who will speak, when, what, and with what tone at these events.

In Baku and Ankara, everything is clear; everything is understood, and everything is duly assessed. The conclusion is simple: before us stands a glaring example of Iran's hypocrisy and duplicity. It is evident that the growing influence of Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, not only in the region but also globally, frightens the theocrats. They remember that President Aliyev is the political leader who was able to unravel the Gordian knot of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, fully restoring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of his country.

And we recall how, during the First Karabakh War, Iran sided with Armenia. Unlike Türkiye, it did not close its borders with Armenia. It participated in the plundering of natural resources in the temporarily occupied territories of Azerbaijan. It actively sought to prevent Azerbaijan's victory in the 44-day war. Yet, it was precisely the brilliantly conceived and executed strategy of President Ilham Aliyev that led to the triumph of justice, which Iran so feared.

It is no coincidence that Iran's ambassador to Yerevan, Mehdi Sobhani, regularly makes provocative, anti-Azerbaijani statements. But what are statements? We all remember that on January 27, 2023, at around 8:00 AM local time, an attack took place on the Azerbaijani Embassy in Tehran. The terrorist, Yasin Hosseinzadeh, armed with an AK-47 assault rifle, opened fire on embassy staff. As a result, the head of the embassy's security service, Orkhan Asgarov, was killed, and two other guards were injured. Despite the fact that two years have passed since the incident, the perpetrator has yet to be executed.

Such actions once again reveal Iran's true intentions and behavior. Azerbaijan will not back down from its position. Let us remind you that former Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, during his visit to Baku, promised that the terrorist would be executed. Yet, this has not happened to this day. If anyone in Iran believes that Baku will retreat, they are gravely mistaken. The fulfillment of this promise by Iran is a condition for the normalization of diplomatic relations. However, it seems that the theocratic regime in Iran has decided to escalate the situation by orchestrating a dirty provocation against the leaders of Azerbaijan and Türkiye.

In Iran, they often bring up Azerbaijan's cooperation with Israel, but it has always been transparent and never aimed against Iran. At the same time, according to a report from the Israeli Alma Institute, Armenia has served as a key transit point for Iran, facilitating the supply of military equipment to Assad's Syria and Lebanon. Furthermore, in the autumn of 2024, Iran International reported on a secret arms deal worth half a billion dollars, which, according to experts, may include the unprecedented sale of drones to Armenia.

Iran’s strength today is limited to launching vile and pathetic provocations against the leadership of Azerbaijan and Türkiye during religious events. When the U.S. eliminated General Soleimani, the theocratic regime could not respond. Iran was driven out of Syria, yet the regime remained silent once again.

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, whom the Iranian theocratic regime had long nurtured, was killed in September as a result of an airstrike on the terrorist group’s headquarters in Beirut. Iran once again failed to respond effectively. Finally, just last week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz publicly acknowledged that Israel had eliminated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran earlier this year. In a speech at a ministry ceremony, he stated that, in addition to Hamas, Israel had defeated Hezbollah, dismantled Iran's defense systems, and destroyed its weapons production capabilities. And what did the theocratic regime do in response? It simply wiped its face. This is because, in reality, it is a classic colossus with feet of clay.