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Times
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Times
By Ali Khamenei's logic, he did beat the US — by surviving
As American and British troops tore through Iraq in 2003, Saddam Hussein's information minister briefly became a celebrity for his loyal, if increasingly unhinged, optimism. 'Baghdad Bob', as Muhammad Saeed Al-Sahhaf was nicknamed by the press corps, was still vividly describing the overwhelming defeats Iraqi troops were inflicting on the enemy even as American tanks rolled into the city. It is easy to see statements like that on Thursday of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a similar light. • Iran intel leak: who is the 'low-level loser' who exposed Trump? In his first public appearance since the strikes, he claimed victory, despite the undoubted destruction of at least large parts of his nuclear programme. 'The Islamic Republic won, and in retaliation dealt a severe slap to the face of America,' he said. The 'retaliation' was a volley of missiles fired at America's Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, none of which hit their target thanks to the United States' Patriot interceptors. His declared refusal to 'surrender' to Trump also looks unwise. Israel destroyed all Iran's own aerial defence systems last year, leaving it unable to protect itself should attacks resume one day. However, the US invasion of Iraq, initially so successful, turned into a much longer and grimmer 'asymmetric' war. It was Khamenei's lieutenants who funded and organised many of the Iraqi militias that wreaked such devastating harm on US and British troops with their roadside bombs and ambushes over the coming years. • 'If the bombing failed, people died for nothing' So there is also an asymmetric aspect to Khamenei's propaganda. Of course, there is no doubt that he hoped that Iran's own defence forces, and those of the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon last year, would have put up more severe resistance to Israel than they did. However, Khamenei and Hezbollah are still there, just as Hamas is still operational in Gaza, despite the much longer, bloodier and more intense war that Israel has waged there. The victory Khamenei really seeks is the survival of his regime and its ideology of 'resistance' against Israel. Whether or not he or his successors actually one day give the order to build a nuclear weapon, the nuclear programme was always a symbol of that resistance. But it was not the only one. If he now agrees to give it up for the sake of his long-suffering people and their desire for a revived economy, he will certainly no longer be able to claim to have won the war. But neither the US nor Israel has carried out their threats to kill him, while on Thursday his defence minister was consulting his Russian and Chinese counterparts on his next steps, and he clearly feels there is still fight in his 86-year-old body. That, for him, may be victory enough.
Iraqi News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Iraq seeks stability amid Iran-Israel conflict
Baghdad ( – As the Iran-Israel conflict deepens, Iraq has reiterated its commitment to neutrality and stability, distancing itself from regional tensions that risk broader escalation. Iraqi officials have emphasized that the country does not wish to be drawn into a confrontation and has condemned the use of its territory or airspace for military operations by any party. Despite Iraq's geographic and political proximity to both Iran and Israel, the country's leadership has taken a measured approach. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and other senior officials have called for de-escalation and regional dialogue, stressing that Iraq's priority is to safeguard its sovereignty and focus on reconstruction and domestic development. Notably, Iran-backed militias in Iraq—long seen as potential actors in any regional conflict—have remained largely silent since the outbreak of hostilities between Iran and Israel. This restraint has been interpreted by observers as a sign that Iraq's internal factions are also exercising caution and avoiding moves that could destabilize the country or trigger further violence. While some international commentary continues to reference Iraq's past—invoking terms like 'Baghdad Bob' from the 2003 U.S. invasion—these outdated portrayals do not reflect Iraq's current position. Iraq has undergone significant political and social changes in recent years and is actively working to assert itself as a stabilizing force rather than a participant in external conflicts.
