Iran’s retaliatory attack on Israel justifiable — Ex-diplomat

Iran on Saturday night and early Sunday launched hundreds of missiles and drones at key military sites in the Israeli-occupied territories in retaliation for the Israeli airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Syria that left seven military advisors dead on April 1. According to Al Jazeera, Iranian nationals perceived the attacks as a significant moment in their country’s history as, for over 40 years, it had consistently discussed the possibility of engaging in conflict with Israel, one of its primary adversaries. In this interview with Daily Trust, Nigerian ex-diplomat, Ambassador Suleiman Dahiru, says Iran’s attacks were justifiable.

Iran was reported to have fired hundreds of missiles and drones from its soil at key military sites in the Israeli-occupied territories in retaliation for the Israeli airstrike on its consulate in Syria penultimate week. What’s the implication of the attacks?

When Israel without any provocation decided to attack the consulate of Iran in Syria where there was loss of lives, Israel should’ve expected Iran to react. And Iran promised that it was going to react, and it reacted.  Whether the reaction would now be seen as a conflagration in the Middle East, time will show.

But I am 100 per cent behind Iran. Israel has been behaving like an unguarded missile. Behaving irresponsibly, thinking that it can control other people. Unfortunately, Iran isn’t one of those countries that would be laying low for Israel to ride shotgun over. Now, retaliation has come into play and Israel has said it’s ready to attack Iran. So, we’re going to see attack and counter-attack.

And America, which has been behaving like Caputo of Israel, has warned Iran not to attack Israel. Where was America when Israel launched its aggression against Iran without any justification? And if you remember, Israel has been bombing parts of Syria just because it says that it has to control the Middle East. And it may be thinking in that way simply because the Middle Eastern countries have refused to come together to confront the real menace of Israel.

So, in my opinion, Iran’s retaliatory attack on Israel is justified. Whether we’re going to see a wider implication, we wait to see. But I can assure you that Hezbollah would come in. Houthi in Yemen will come in. Perhaps, other organisations we don’t know yet of will come out to support Iran. And I hope a lot will come up to support Iran against the menace of Israel in the Middle East.

It’s my sincere hope that Middle Eastern countries should forget about their differences and come together. Iran is a threat to the rest of the Middle East because it’s not an Arab country: it’s a Persian country and they’re Shiites, not Sunnis. But whatever differences they have, the long and short of it: they’re all Muslims and the Muslims must come and confront the Jewish menace in the Middle East.

In the event that the US joined Israel to fight Iran, what would happen? Can Iran withstand the war?

The issue isn’t whether Iran is going to withstand the war or not. Can any self-respecting country tolerate unprovoked provocation the way Israel has been behaving in the Middle East like a loose cannon? I personally think that Iran should not be afraid to confront the two hegemonic countries. America and Israel think that they can control the world and I am of the opinion also that other countries should tell them that they cannot control the world.

What role do you think Islamic countries should play if the US decides to side with Israel in fighting Iran?

Now, if the US decides to side with Israel, what role should Islamic countries play? Now, let me be honest with you. I have been disappointed that Islamic countries have been standing like eunuchs watching Israel decimating Palestine. The Muslim or Arab countries control 1/5 of the resources of this world. They can cripple the Western world if they want to cripple the Western world. But they do not have the political will to do that. And because they do not have the political will to do that, that is why America and Israel are treating the Muslim world with contempt in the way and manner they are doing.

If the Arab countries and the Islamic world would come together, Israel would not be behaving like an unguarded missile.

Now Israel has been launching war on Gaza with Hamas for over six months. Can Israel weather fighting two wars: Hamas in Gaza and Iran plus its allies like Hezbollah and the Houthi in Yemen?

Israel is banking on the support of the United States of America. It is very unfortunate that America, the so-called world superpower, has become a lapdog of Israel because of the so-called powerful Jewish lobby in America. Now, America has suffered terribly in terms of human lives and economic development simply because of its blind support for Israel. Should it continue with this kind of behaviour or will it change? And I do not think America is going to change because every politician in America wants to identify with the Jewish lobby. Not only identifying with the Jewish lobby but also telling the Jews in Israel that they are supporting them. Every American politician, when he came out pledged his loyalties to the Jews.

And that is why Israel feels that it can control the world and do whatever it wants to do. So, frankly speaking, those of us who have been in the diplomatic service; we know that this is the war of injustice. If not because it is a war of injustice, what has been happening in Palestine should never have happened. But because of the conspiracy of the Western world, Israel is doing whatever it wants to do without being sanctioned by the United Nations.

It is simply because whatever decision or whatever resolution the United Nations Security Council is going to pass; America will veto it. America has been vetoing everything that has not been favourable to Israel. Is that how the world should be? No. That is not the way the world should be. But unfortunately, this has been the case. And maybe we do not know, but we may see conflagrations of this problem all over the Middle East because there are some people who may not be happy with what is going on and starting to attack not only Israeli assets but American assets in the Middle East and elsewhere.

And that is why if you have been following the news, Western countries are asking their people to leave Iran. They are stopping their airlines from flying to Iran and the Middle East. So, if they are doing the right thing why are they taking the actions they are taking?

So, there is a conspiracy among them, and it is this conspiracy that I am profoundly against but unfortunately, this has turned into something that the rest of the world is watching America and Israel do whatever they want to do.

Whether human lives are involved or not. Whether assets are involved or not. Whether cultural sites are involved or not. Whether malls are involved or not. Look at the destruction of malls in Gaza. Can anybody justify the demolition of the malls by the criminal activities of Israel?

I am profoundly angry that the outside world, like eunuchs, is watching what is happening without repercussions. I do not know why Arab countries will continue to maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. They should send the Israeli ambassadors and their staff packing out of their countries until Israel comes to its senses.