Few countries divide as much public opinion regarding their style of governance and links with terrorism as Iran. Apparently, on the brink of achieving a full-blown nuclear power status, Iran’s earned a fair chunk of criticism in the past half a decade or so when it became clear that its main purpose of harvesting nuclear potential was to develop dangerous weapons.
The more Israel- it’s neighbor that alleges it stands on a precarious ground if the Islamic Republic succeeds in developing nuclear weapons- found Iran on the offensive, the more Iran earned the wrath of worldwide media. While Israel has constantly labeled Iran as the aggressor, the Shiaiite nation has repeatedly and vehemently denied the charge that its main intent behind utilizing nuclear power is to develop dangerous weapons.
The constant rebuff on the economic transactions with the United States has remained a constant fodder for global reportage in recent times.
And now, it appears that one of the world’s most established nations has found a special tag for Iran. Yes, the United States’ State Department considers Iran as the biggest sponsor of terror to the rest of the world.
For the year 2018, the US’ State Department noted, Iran remained the top state sponsor of terror and terrorism-related activities.
The same finding was furnished in the State Department’s annual terrorism report. One of the Middle East’s leading online portals- Arab News- happened to elaborate on the important story.
A briefing by the department’s counter-terrorism spokesman Nathan Sales showed the regime funnels nearly a billion dollars a year to support its proxies in the region despite Washington having significantly ramped up its sanctions against Tehran.
This report also showed a global presence of Daesh (ISIS) continued to advance in 2018 through networks and affiliates, even though the Trump administration declared it defeated the jihadi group in Syria and killed its leader last month in a US raid.
Terrorism tactics and the use of technologies have also evolved in 2018, while war-hardened fighters from groups such as Daesh returning to their home countries began raising fresh threats, the report said.
In addition to the above, one of America’s most popular and widely known lawyer-academics Nathan Sales elaborated on the recent status of the defeated ISIS state and shared:
“Even as Daesh lost almost all its physical territory, the group proved its ability to adapt, especially through its efforts to inspire or direct followers online.”
It is widely believed and is, therefore, not a surprise in any capacity that Iran, purportedly the biggest sponsor of terror, has extended a lot of support toward the cold-blooded terrorist organization of ISIS. This dreaded terror group has directly led to countless massacres in the Middle East, having been responsible for making hundreds of thousands helpless as several had to flee their homes, their personal lives destroyed in their homeland.
Now what’s important to note is whether the rest of the world, including prominent allies of the United States- such as- Europe (France, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands), China, India and other nations also follow a similar school of thought when it concerns Iran; whether the Islamic Republic actually is the biggest sponsor of terror?