Syriafication of Iran: A Looming Threat
The ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza and the recent attacks on Iran have laid bare the deep-rooted hypocrisy of Western political leadership and media narratives. Despite their loud proclamations about human rights, international law, and democracy, the silence—and in some cases, active complicity—of Western governments clearly reveals that these principles are often symbolic and frequently used to serve other political interests.
A stark contradiction has emerged from Washington. The U.S. Director of National Intelligence explicitly informed Congress that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons. The American intelligence community unanimously agrees that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has not authorized the revival of Iran’s nuclear weapons program since it was suspended in 2003.
However, former U.S. President Donald Trump blatantly disregarded this report. This attitude highlights how intelligence findings are sometimes selectively used—or ignored—for political purposes.
The aggressive rhetoric coming from both Washington and Tel Aviv now indicates that the objective is not merely to contain Iran, but to bring about its total political and state-level collapse. According to renowned political scientist Vali Nasr, Israel’s true aim is the “Syriafication” of Iran—that is, not just regime change but the destruction of the state itself.
Such a strategy is extremely dangerous. The Middle East has already paid a heavy price for similar interventions. Libya and Syria serve as living examples where foreign interference led to devastation, civil war, and prolonged instability. The collapse of a state has consequences that ripple far beyond its borders.
It is true that Iran’s government faces intense criticism both domestically and internationally. However, this is not the time to focus on those criticisms. This moment demands a clear and unequivocal condemnation of Israeli aggression and any potential external interference.
In this context, the support of certain elements for Israeli actions is deeply concerning—this support stems from anti-Iran sentiment. Using opposition to the Iranian government as a justification for Israeli aggression is indefensible.
Likewise, the hypocrisy of Pakistan’s mainstream intellectual and journalistic elite is evident—they remained silent on state atrocities in Balochistan and former FATA, yet present themselves as revolutionaries on the issue of Palestine.
One can oppose the policies of the Iranian state and disagree with its political or religious leadership. But to use that disagreement as a basis to support Israel’s destructive ambitions is a dangerous misstep. The principled stance is not only to oppose Israeli aggression but also to expose, clearly and unequivocally, the internal and external hypocrisies—without compromise or appeasement.
Rafiullah Kakar
The writer holds a Master's degree from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and is currently pursuing a PhD at Cambridge as a Gates Scholar. He has also served as a member of the Planning Commission of Pakistan.
