What You Need to Know about Playing Iran
From AICbackground
- Remember that unlike the Arabs, Iran involvement in the Arab-Israeli conflict has been more of words and threats than of using military might. Until the Iranian Revolution (1979), Iran was Israel's closest Muslim friend. Hence there is no deep-rooted hatred or bad history between the two states.
- As the major competitor to “Sunni” Saudi Arabia and its influence in the Muslim world, Iran utilizes the Palestinian cause from time to time to rally the Muslim world around its leadership and Shi’ism as the savior of Muslim third holiest site (the city of Jerusalem) from the “Jews.”
-Keep in mind that the United States and Israel view your country as the major sponsor of terrorism in the Middle East. You are blamed for supporting Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and other organizations working against Israel and the United States interests in the region.
-Also remember that Israel has vowed to stop you from developing nuclear weapons at any cost, and will likely accuse you of involvement in any crisis in the Middle East. Therefore, you need to be able to prove to the international community that although you may support the different resistance movements in the Middle East, providing them with “weapons of mass destruction” will never happen.
- It is important to keep in mind that Iran is governed by a Supreme Leader (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) who has ultimate power in the country, theoretically ruling in accordance with Islamic Law. The rule of religious leaders has lately been under great criticism by the Iranian public, who see their countries economic and political conditions deteriorating. Many secular Iranians are demanding reform, and in their attempts to divert attention from these crises, the Iranian leadership has consistently used Israel as a scapegoat.
