(Daily Mail-UK) Andrew Neil - The dreams of Middle East hegemony by the ruling mullahs of Iran are now in ruins, their genocidal aim of wiping Israel off the map now mission impossible, their ability to supply their murderous proxies across the region with weapons now crippled. There is said to be a growing sense of panic in Tehran among the ruling elite. If Assad can be so easily toppled, what chance their survival? In little more than a year, Israel decapitated the high commands of Hamas and Hizbullah, killing thousands of their most battle-hardened fighters. Iran built them up, at huge expense, to be omnipresent threats to Israel on its very borders, the advanced guard of its mission to engulf Israel with enemies and destroy it. These threats are no more. When Iran's puppet regime in Damascus started to totter in the face of a renewed rebel onslaught last month, Iran's diplomats and military personnel scuttled for the exit. Revolutionary Guard bases had been established on Syrian soil. These bases and supply chains are now shattered. Israel stands vindicated in its uncompromising stance post-October 7. Palestinians who thought Hamas, Hizbullah and Iran were the routes to a better future have, yet again, made the wrong call. Iran is now reeling because Israel ignored the foreign policy pressure of its Western allies and their media echo chambers to hold back. Washington, London and Paris all urged Israel to show restraint against Hamas and not to open a second front against Hizbullah. The New York Times, the BBC and Le Monde piled on the pressure for Israel to back off by constantly highlighting the humanitarian cost of the conflict, usually with suspect Hamas statistics. But Israel took only cursory notice, pursued its own interests, and did us all a favor. Tehran's foreign policy is in ruins, its reputation in the mud and its options limited. The people of Iran have never shared the regime's antisemitism, its obsession with Israel, its imperialist expansion, or its passion for medieval theocracy. They have watched billions squandered (as everyone can now see) on the likes of Hizbullah. The ayatollahs have never been more vulnerable. The smell of regime change is in the Tehran air. The writer, former editor of the Sunday Times, has presented political programs on the BBC and Britain's Channel 4.
2024-12-12 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive