Anyone who knows modern Iran's history knows why they are so defiant. The US and UK collaborated to stage a coup against the first elected government of Iran. Then they installed the Shah, who was a puppet dictator, and did everything that the west wanted. Then they supported Saddam in his ten year war against Iran which killed nearly a million Iranians. And they've put sanctions on them ever since the Islamic Revolution took place.
Ok, and how does that effect the affect a nuclear armed Iran will have on ME ?
The Iranians have been persecuted by the west for its own ends. Secondly, Iran is not North Korea. They see themselves as the inheritors of the Persian empire and thus hold ambitions of being the major power in the Middle East.
Egyptians, Saudis, Lebanese, Syrians, the whole lot consider themselves inheritors of one thing or another, every country in the ME has ambitions of being a major power, whats your point?
Unlike the Arab barbarians, and they see themselves as having a glorious history and civilization that had a profound impact on the world. So they want a role in the modern world that corresponds to and is worthy of their past achievements.
:| Perhaps the "Arab barbarians" don't think so. Nor the Cancerous Zionists. Nor half of the civilised world.
Maybe Mongolia or Macedonia should have a role corresponding in the modern world to its glorious history and past achievements that had a profound achievement on the world.
Many Americans, Australians and folks in the new world fail to understand these sentiments. But they're shared by most countries that achieved greatness in the past.Most Indians and Chinese think the same way.
Yes because Yankees and Chainshakers never achieved any greatness in the past and are obviously too dumb to understand the sentiments of civilisations superior than their own.
( P.S. - Mr. second-cell-to-the-right-Sailor, please forgive my foray into harsh irony that may upset your gentle disposition
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Also, with great power comes great responsibility. To achieve that great power status, it has to be earned from the international community, and that is what Iran is trying to do, irrespective of the lunatic comments of its elected President.
Ok now that the Iranian Prez is irrelevant, lets move on to what people here call the real power base, the responsible Ayatollahs , who should be ideal for dialogue ...... if only the Americans were not sub-human I mean -
"'If America Was A Human Being, We Would Talk With It' - But You Are Not Human Beings, And This is the Same Nation It Was 30 Years Ago... And [Therefore] Say: 'Death to America!'"
MEMRI: Latest News
"Israel a 'Cancer,' Holocaust a 'Big Lie''
FOXNews.com - Iran: Israel a 'Cancer,' Holocaust a 'Big Lie' - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News
Mhm might be a bit difficult to negotiate your way through this leader -
Another big mistake is to say that the only way to save the Palestinian nation is by negotiations," Khamenei said.
"Negotiations with whom? With an occupying and bullying regime, who does not believe in any other principle other than force? ... Or negotiations with America and Britain who committed the biggest sin in creating and supporting this cancerous tumor ... ?" he added.
When Iranians say they want peace and prosperity, unlike China, I think they mean it.
When Iran says they want to wipe Israel off the face of earth, I think the Israelis believe it.
Iran hasn't instigated a war in its short history, and it's unlikely to do so in the future, especially given the presence of US bases in that region.
When aiming for a power base, Iranians are inheritors of Persian empire, when it comes to warfare, only its short history should be considered, and even then, border battles with Iraq in 70should be immaterial, the Iran-Iraq war should be considered US's fault, the arming and encouragement of Kurdish rebels should not be taken as a hostile gesture, Iranian Seizure of Gulf Islands claimed by UAE should be considered a minor affair, The Tanker War had no instigator, ok maybe Iraq but not Iran certainly, Iran's open support of Israeli enemies shouldn't even figure in because it isn't a "war" and it should be assumed that Iran will also not instigate a war in future, given their exalted leadership will become even more logical once they have nukes.