Iran attacks its neighbors through proxies: Hizbollah, Houthis, Shiite militias, and Hamas. These groups are armed and funded by Iran.

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Matl 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Oh yes, and the fact that Israel is just sitting there occupying millions of Palestinians, attacking Syria, Lebanon etc. despite a 'ceasefire' has nothing to do with why these groups continue to exist, I am sure.

Iran's funding for these groups is a part of its 'defense in depth' strategy since it doesn't have the capability to project power otherwise. I am not saying that it is the right thing to do, but I am also not that surprised that backed into a corner, they're trying to build regional proxies. It's not like the US and Israel are not doing the same in and around Iran.

But I like how these statements, like yours, are always made with zero context and hope for an uninformed audience to upvote them.

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JumpCrisscross an hour ago | parent [-]

> Iran's funding for these groups is a part of its 'defense in depth' strategy

That's the rationalisation. Not a justification. Defence in depth was Hitler's rationale for invading Russia, is Israel's strategy for pacifying neighbors, and is Russia's excuse for invading Ukraine.

Creating weak neighbors is checklist-item one for any classical aspiring land empire. It's also tremendously destabilising to its neighbourhood. (It's not a coincidence that China and Russia are bordered by (a) shitshows or (b) countries militarily posturing against them.)

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Matl 44 minutes ago | parent [-]

> Hitler's rationale

Ah yes, give any discussion enough time and Hitler inevitably gets to be whoever your opponent is.

Unlike Hitler, unlike Israel and unlike the US, Iran has not proactively attacked.

Hitler had no reason to fear attack from Russia, Czechoslovakia or France. Iran has every reason to fear an attack from the US and Israel, look at what is happening right now ffs.

Western governments provide funding and shelter for extremist Iranian groups like People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran and various separatists movements inside the country, so please spare me this Hitler nonsense.

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JumpCrisscross 34 minutes ago | parent [-]

> give any discussion enough time and Hitler inevitably gets to be whoever your opponent is

Because it fits. Nazi Germany was an aspiring land power. You can see the same effect in Imperial Rome and the Persian empires. (And, while America was conquering its own continent, on the peripheries of Manifest-Destiny America.)

> Unlike Hitler, unlike Israel and unlike the US, Iran has not proactively attacked

Of course they have. Its proxies are constantly proactively attacking everyone in their neighbourhood.

> Hitler had no reason to fear attack from Russia, Czechoslovakia or France. Iran has every reason to fear an attack from the US and Israel, look at what is happening right now ffs

Everyone has reason to fear attack from everyone. Defence in depth is a regionally-destabilising response to that security imperative. And by the way, Russia and Germany did wind up going to war with each other. Same as Iran and Israel, that same one whose anihiliation the former has been chanting for since its revolution.

Arguing Iran has been some peaceful country minding its own business is totally inaccurate.

	▲	Matl 14 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		> by the way, Russia and Germany did wind up going to war with each other. Same as Iran and Israel, Are you seriously arguing that Hitler was rational for preemptively attacking Russia because AFTER Hitler attacked Russia, Russia did not simply sit back and let itself be attacked but in fact started defending itself? And are you arguing that Israel doing the same is rational because AFTER Israel attacked Iran, Iran launched some missiles towards Israel IN RESPONSE TO THE ISRAELI ATTACK, therefore proving Israel right that Iran is going to attack them? > that same one whose anihiliation the former has been chanting for since its revolution. Oh and Israel has been nothing but wishing them happy Ramadan? The reason Israel does not want the current Iranian system to survive is because it sees it as the only possible threat to its eternal domination of the Palestinians and its ability to dictate its borders in the Middle East.