An end to sanctions will provide Iran with tens of billions of dollars of extra cash to pursue these aggressive policies.
Iran’s support for the Assad regime
Massive Iranian support is the main reason why Bashar al-Assad’s regime has survived and continued to wage its genocidal campaign, resulting in the deaths of 300,000 Syrians and forcing four million to flee. Iran has pumped tens of billions of dollars of aid and military support to keep this regime in place. The resulting power vacuum across large parts of Syria has allowed extremist groups like ISIS to expand and establish themselves.
Iran’s interference in Yemen
Western, Yemeni and regional intelligence services have warned about substantial quantities of weapons being sent from Iran to the Houthis and other separatist groups. Shipments of arms have been intercepted. Iranian officials have boasted about the military support given to the Houthis, saying that Iran had believed it could achieve a quick victory “without too much expense”. Yemeni militia leaders aligned with the Houthis have welcomed such military support from Iran.
Iran’s dire human rights record
Iran has one of the worst human rights records in the world. Iran has the highest per-capita levels of executions. Iran’s Government wages systematic campaigns of persecution and harassment against religious and ethnic minorities. Torture is widespread, along with numerous other cruel punishments, like amputations and floggings.
Iran’s interference in Bahrain
In recent months, numerous cargos of explosives and weapons have been impounded on the causeway between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. In each case, evidence demonstrates that these materials were of Iranian origin and destined to be used by militants for terrorist attacks against police and civilians. Earlier shipments were made by boats, arriving from Iran to the coasts of Bahrain. Militant leaders of terrorist groups like Al-Ashtar Brigades actually base themselves in Iran, from where they coordinate the training, arming and funding of Bahraini militants. Numerous Iranian media channels in several languages have engaged in a continual campaign of incitement and disinformation against Bahrain and its allies.
Iran’s hostility against GCC states
Iran has stepped up its campaign of hostility against GCC states on a range of fronts over recent months. One notable area of expansion concerns cyber-security. Experts have reported hundreds of cyber-attacks against Saudi and GCC targets originating from Iran. Many of these have been against major state entities and the full extent of the damage caused is unknown.
Iran’s interference in Lebanon
One of the longest and most extensive chapters in the history of Iranian interference relates to Lebanon. Hezbollah is entirely the creation of Iran and is widely considered to act as a state within a state, undermining the Lebanese army and authorities, and currently operating in Syria in support of Bashar al-Assad. Allowing the Syrian conflict to spill across the borders has had highly damaging consequences for Lebanon.
Iran’s support for terrorism
Declassified and leaked intelligence reports show a consistent pattern of Iranian support for terrorist and insurgent groups across Africa and other parts of the world. Iran has used its ties with states like Sudan to engineer weapons smuggling operations on a massive scale. Iranian operatives in Africa were ordered to “engage and organize as many of the terrorist movements as possible”. Senegal, Mali and the Horn of Africa were identified by Iran as key zones where “terrorism could rapidly be revived and organized to advance Iranian interests”.
Iran’s interference in Iraq
With the pretense of fighting ISIS, Iran-backed militias have effectively carried out a campaign of sectarian cleansing across of much of central Iraq. Hundreds of Sunni villages have been destroyed, while tens of thousands of refugees have been prevented from returning to their homes. Iran has exploited the crisis to consolidate its hold over much of Iraq and the Iraqi government itself.