If one asks a question as to who was the real villain for initiating the Middle East War-2026, the leftists, liberalists, Islamic-apologists, who suffer from overdose of freedom and democracy, will blame Israel and the United States. More precisely, in the eyes of the world, blinded by ‘immediate narrow goals’, the villains could be US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Most of Europe, particularly Spain, the UK, France and Germany are so blinded by their ‘narrow immediate interests’ that it cannot see the ‘evil’ that represents the current regime of Iran.
The regime which has no hesitation in killing its own people mercilessly, would it have empathy for others? It is known that some 40-45,000 protesters were mercilessly killed in June 2025, who wanted Islamic restrictions on women to be toned down. The very ideology of this regime is based on ‘Islamic supremacy’, which professes intolerance towards non-believers in Shia Islam
Even if one accepts that Iran has its ‘sovereign right’ to manufacture a nuclear device, one must ask what the purpose of this is. Is it self-defence? If one thinks so, one is sadly mistaken. The ‘Ayatollah regime’ of Iran does not accept the existence of Israel and definitely not the ‘two-state solution’ of the Palestine issue. If Iran acquires a nuclear bomb, it will not hesitate to use it liberally.
The regime which has no hesitation in killing its own people mercilessly, would it have empathy for others? It is known that some 40-45,000 protesters were mercilessly killed in June 2025, who wanted Islamic restrictions on women to be toned down. The very ideology of this regime is based on ‘Islamic supremacy’, which professes intolerance towards non-believers in Shia Islam. It even hates other factions of Islam, such as Sunnis, who do not subscribe to ‘Shia philosophy’. To this Iranian regime, ‘Ayatollah’ is supreme and his words are the law.
The immediate aim of the present regime of Iran might be ‘Death to Israel’ today, but it can be ‘Death to the USA’ or ‘Death to Europe’ tomorrow. The 40-day conflict before a temporary ‘ceasefire’ of two weeks has shown that the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps) regime has no concern for human rights. Its missile/drone launchers were set up in schools, hospitals and residential areas, thus endangering the lives of its own people. It had targeted civil localities not only in Israel but also in the Gulf countries, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman and Kuwait.
What is strange is for the IRGC to ask for a ‘Hormuz passage fee’ from each ship crossing the Strait. It is being said that it amounted to $2 million/ship at the rate of $1 each barrel. Iran wants this payment as a reparation for reconstruction and rebuilding due to the war. How ridiculous is this demand? What about the damage it had caused to Gulf nations and Israel?
Therefore, those who speak about the sovereign rights of this ‘Ayatollah regime’, backed up by its religiously blinded IRGC, fail to recognise its monstrous objectives. To achieve its objectives, it has created its proxies in the form of Hezbollah terrorists of Lebanon, Hamas militants of the Gaza Strip and Houthi rebels of Yemen. These proxies have launched a ‘war of attrition’ against Israel ever since the creation of these fundamentalist organisations. So much so that they do not spare ‘Sunni Islamic regimes’ like Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Its proxy, the Houthis of Yemen, have been attacking Saudi Arabia periodically. In the 40-day conflict of March-April 2026, Iran’s IRGC regime has targeted 15-16 countries, as far as Azerbaijan and Cyprus. It did not spare even Türkiye.
If the IRGC can violate the sovereignty of others, what is this sing-song symphony of Iran’s sovereignty? Take the case of the Strait of Hormuz! How can it claim its sole rights over this passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman? Just because the name of the Gulf is drawn from the ancient name of Iran, can it not be solely its exclusive preserve? In that case, India should lay claim to the Indian Ocean in its entirety. How ridiculous are these claims of the people who still live in the environs of the 7th century?
They want to make use of modern technology and science to make nuclear bombs and missiles, but do not want to rid their minds of the philosophical irrelevance of the 7th century. Sovereignty, democracy and liberalism are the socio- political norms-cum-rules of the 21st century. They cannot be practised with the ideals of the year 626 AD. There is a great mismatch. If one wants one’s sovereignty not to be violated, respect others’ right to exist.
One wonders about the negative stance taken by 15 NATO countries. They have refused to go along with the US. They are violating Article-5 of the treaty, which states that “an attack on one would mean an attack on all others.” It is unacceptable to the US, which had threatened to leave the organisation. There is no gainsaying the fact that without the US, this organisation is dead
What is strange is for the IRGC to ask for a ‘Hormuz passage fee’ from each ship crossing the Strait. It is being said that it amounted to $2 million/ship at the rate of $1 each barrel. It is estimated that 20% of global oil shipments pass through the Strait. During the peak period before the war, some 160-170 ships crossed the Strait every day. Iran wants this payment as a reparation for reconstruction and rebuilding due to the war. How ridiculous is this demand? What about the damage it had caused to Gulf nations and Israel? What a bad precedent it would set! In that case, it will allow countries around the Strait of Malacca to make similar claims. It only shows how ill-informed and uneducated the IRGC cadres are about the laws of the sea.
One wonders about the negative stance taken by 15 NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) countries. They have refused to go along with the US. Maybe they are annoyed with the US for the President’s tariff plans for Europe. But they were violating Article-5 of the treaty, which stated that “an attack on one would mean an attack on all others.” It is unacceptable to the US, which had threatened to leave the organisation. It is no gainsaying the fact that without the US, this organisation is dead. They are incapable of defending themselves militarily if Russia wants to expand into Europe. Ukraine is surviving because of the extensive support of the US.
Europe Union (EU) has to understand that, by not siding with the US on the issue of the IRGC regime of Iran, it might be doing serious damage to its sovereignty as well as its posterity. In fact, the whole world has to understand this. Islamic fundamentalism, basically of Iran, has been a bigger threat to Europe than the non-availability of gas and oil from the Strait of Hormuz. The sovereignty of the countries, including the UK, France, Belgium, Germany and even Norway, is already under threat due to the influx of Islamic refugees from the Middle East, who now demand ‘Shariah laws’ in these countries.
Islamic fundamentalism, basically of Iran, has been a bigger threat to Europe than the non-availability of gas and oil from the Strait of Hormuz. The sovereignty of the countries, including the UK, France, Belgium, Germany and even Norway, is already under threat due to the influx of Islamic refugees from the Middle East, who now demand ‘Shariah laws’ in these countries
The arrest and deportation of Major General Qasim Sulemani’s niece by the US shows that these fundamentalists were so hardcore that, though they enjoy the facilities of the free world, they cannot change. Hatred of others is deeply stuffed into them. China might have been able to control its growth in the Xinjiang Province, but think of the world if it is not checked now. It may be ‘death to Israel’ today, it could be ‘death to China’ tomorrow. And India ought to keep in mind the ‘Gazwa-e-Hind’ slogan of Islamists.
The option before the world is to choose between a permanent and temporary threat. IRGC-dominated Iran is a permanent evil, which has to be nipped in the bud. It is now or never. Only Donald Trump could make such a decision on this menace. Whatever his other faults, he is on track to save the world from a tyrannical regime. His blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is a winning step to force the IRGC to seek a second round of negotiations.
All the liberalists and those tormented by sovereignty bug must note the words of Martin Niemoller, a German Pastor, who lamented about his conduct during the Nazi regime: “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out —because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.”
-An ex-NDA and Wellington Staff College graduate, Col Rajinder Singh is a renowned author and security analyst. He has authored four books, two individually and two in collaboration. His best-selling books are Kashmir – A Different Perspective and The ULFA Insurgency. The views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
