Iran and Israel face the same strategic dilemma, Kuwaiti political analyst says

"Both Iran and Israel share a superiority complex that causes their leaders to make wrong considerations," the Kuwaiti professor stated.

By MAAYAN GROISMAN
Updated: MARCH 27, 2016 11:55
Kuwaiti political analyst Abdullah Al-Nafisi (photo credit: REUTERS)
Kuwaiti political analyst Abdullah Al-Nafisi
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Abdullah al-Nafisi, a well-known Kuwaiti professor of political science and a former politician, has argued that Iran and Israel are dealing with a similar strategic dilemma, owing to a number of characteristics that they share.
Speaking Saturday at a conference commemorating the first anniversary of the Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm in Yemen, Nafisi stated that the operation is "a turning point in the history of the Arabian Peninsula,” hailing the Saudi kingdom for initiating it.
The Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen's civil war began on March 26, 2015, when Saudi Arabia, spearheading a coalition of nine Arab states, started launching airstrikes in Yemen in order to buttress the Sunni regime of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi fighting against the Houthi rebels.
"Operation Decisive Storm is like a rope that rescued us from a deep well, showed us the light of freedom and urged us to resist the Persian expansion, "Nafisi stated.
According to the Kuwaiti professor, Iran is the source of tension in the Arabian Peninsula, and it faces the same strategic dilemma as Israel.
"Both Iran and Israel share a superiority complex that causes their leaders to make wrong considerations," Nafisi said.
"While Israel is occupying Palestine, Iran is occupying the Ahwaz region, which is 16 times bigger than Palestine. 90% of Iran's natural resources are located in this region," he added.
"Like Israel, Iran feels culturally isolated since the dominant language in its region is Arabic," Nafisi stated, relating to another shared characteristic of Iran and Israel. While Israelis are surrounded by Sunni Muslims, Iranians are surrounded by Arabs who usually refer to them in the derogatory term "Ajam", literally meaning: "someone who is illiterate in language."