History, Religion, Politics, Culture, and Travels in the Islamic World
Arab states are being pummeled by Iran and US is not helping them. Gulf Arabs have realized that the Washington Mafia took their “protection money” but never intended to protect them. Breach of contract. Even the Genovese crime family that ran my NYC neighborhood met their obligations. Arab states will fall under Iran’s sway.
US and Israel view assassinations as a straight line to “victory.” But killing leaders and generals will not collapse nation-states with sound political-military structures. The assumption that the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) rests on a “cult of personality”—Ayatollah Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei—is facile. Assassinations have unintended consequences.
Iran, Russia, and China have stakes in bloodying the US in the Mideast. Trump painted himself into a corner: if his “big, beautiful armada” does not yield benefits that would allow him to “declare victory” and skedaddle, he looks weak (TACO Trump). If Iran concedes, it looks weak. Israel sees the buildup of US assets as an opportunity it shouldn’t waste: they may strike to drag US into a war.
Elon Musk’s shutdown of Starlink prompted me to as ask, “why are Russian soldiers using Starlink? Don’t they have satellite-based comms?” Yes and no. Russia has systems for “Command, Control, and Communications (C3), but no satellite-based network comparable to USA’s and China’s prolific and multifaceted networks used for C3 and ISR.
Iran has access to China wide-ranging satellite network. The network delivers all-weather, day and night imaging (stills and video), SIGINT, and real-time updates on locations of aircraft and vessels. Real-time ELINT is indispensable for successful strikes.
Iran now treats hostile rhetoric as casus belli—preemption is on the table. As nuclear and missile programs recover, could Tehran launch blitz to shatter Israel’s OODA loop and paralyze its inner rings before Tel Aviv can move? First mover seizes initiative…
The “collective west” pontificates about democracy, freedom, civil rights, and civil liberties in Iran, but Iran’s experiences (ca. 1860s to 1979) with foreign powers are of political domination and resource extraction. Organic democratic reforms in Iran were quashed by the west.
St. Matthew writes of men from the east visiting Jesus. His narrative reflects a Zoroastrian prophecy. The “Wise Men” who came to Bethlehem from Iran were Zoroastrian priests (magi) who had seen the star and believed Jesus was their expected Savior—“Saoshyant.”
Reza Shah Pahlavi, Maryam Rajavi (Mujahideen-e Khalq), and María Corina Machado have sold “regime change” to their U.S. and Israeli patrons, but sales pitches of troops being “greeted as liberators,” with freedom to plunder the victim’s oil & gas, will prove bogus and deadly. Ahmad Chalabi, the darling of Iraq War neocons, is the example.
On UNESCO World Cities Day 2025, Kashan was recognized by UNESCO as a “creative city of architecture,” joining cities like Rome, Paris, and Barcelona. Kashan is “celebrated for its sustainable architecture and rich civilizational heritage.” But Kashan is renowned in history not just for Iranian-Islamic architecture, but also for Islamic art, magnificent silk and cotton woven carpets, and ceramics (Kashan ware). Survey of an ancient and thriving Iranian jewel, accompanied by videos, photos, and links for further readings.
Perspectives 
You must be logged in to post a comment.