Senior American researcher: Ayatollah Khamenei is the top power in the Middle East.
Ray Takeyh, a senior researcher at the American Council on Foreign Relations think tank, and Reuel Marc Gerecht, a former agent of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), wrote in an article in “Foreign Affairs” magazine: Ayatollah Khomeini (RA) considered the United States to be the “Great Satan”—the pre-eminent and corrupt imperialist power that supported pro-Western despots in the Muslim world. … By rejecting Iran’s previous Western partners, the Islamic Republic showed that it will not be an ordinary country that seeks to maximize its privileges by allying. Instead, the revolutionary government saw itself as a vanguard responsible for leading the world’s dominated masses to freedom and justice.
The mentioned article goes on to emphasize the “desire of China and Russia to do business with Iran” and adds: With the reduction of Washington’s power and influence, Beijing and Moscow have decided that they can challenge the international order of liberal freedom. They have routinely welcomed Iranian officials and offered Tehran broader economic and military support… China provides Iran with trade that is resistant to US sanctions and easier access to advanced technology. Meanwhile, Russia has helped modernize Iran’s military. From a diplomatic point of view, Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran have become a change-seeking axis and the isolation of the Islamic Republic has practically ended. In this way, Tehran has become stronger and safer than ever.
The report further states that the 2015 Nuclear Agreement (JCPOA; Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) not only gave the green light to the indigenous enrichment of uranium in the Islamic Republic of Iran but also stated that after 15 years, Tehran has decided to develop large-scale enrichment. It will be a free industry. At a time when Iran’s economy was struggling with problems, the nuclear deal both filled the country’s coffers and legitimized its nuclear ambitions.
The mentioned article adds: In 2021, China and the Islamic Republic signed a 25-year agreement that allows the Chinese to cooperate in almost all sectors of Iran’s economy. Beijing plans to invest in Iran’s infrastructure and telecommunications and has promised to help develop the Islamic Republic’s energy sector and civilian nuclear industry.
This report notes: that Iran’s GDP, which was halved between 2017 and 2020, is now growing. In February 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping assured Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi that Beijing supported Iran in protecting its national sovereignty and supported Tehran’s efforts to “resist unilateralism and bullying.”
The “Foreign Affairs” publication further added: The Islamic Republic is a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and in August, Iran was invited to join “BRICS” – a block of large developing economies. Successive US administrations hoped financial and diplomatic pressure would force Tehran to give up its nuclear assets, but China’s actions have made such a scenario unthinkable. Beijing has lifted most of the US sanctions. Russia is also doing its part to help Tehran… The two countries have signed a memorandum of understanding that obliges Moscow to invest 40 billion dollars in Iran’s gas projects.
