(The Australian) Michael Danby - It is wrong to think a conciliatory shift in policy by the West would bring a corresponding softening of Iranian positions. Iran has shown repeatedly that it will pursue its perceived interests regardless of the consequences. Iran's principal aims are to undermine the Middle East's U.S.-backed Sunni-led status quo and to replace the U.S. as the regional hegemonic power. Tehran also persists with the apparently unchanged ideology of its Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, to destroy Israel. These Iranian policies contradict the notion that because Iran has allegedly moderated, Australia can join the cozying up to Iran. The writer is a member of the Australian House of Representatives.
2015-05-25 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive