Dr Hermidas Bavand is a known Iranian scholar of international affairs. He spoke with Rooz about issues related to the current Gaza conflict and the regional policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Here are the details of this exchange.
Rooz (R): What in your opinion are the goals of Israel in their current operations in Gaza?
Hermidas Bavand (HB): The operation that Israel is following has political, military and security goals. One of their goals is a warning to the new American administration so that it does not take a position different from previous administrations regarding protecting Israel’s interests. The second issue relates to domestic Israeli politics. This is because when Barrack was the Prime Minister, his opponent Netanyahu asserted that the former was failing in providing the security of the Israeli people. In other words, the other goal that is being pursued is to neutralize the Likud party. The third goal is to seriously weaken Hamas in favor of Abbas ..
R: Are any of Israeli’s goals related to Iran?
HB: In addition to these three goals, Tel Aviv is also preparing for a possible attack on Iran in the sense that Israel wants to cripple Iran’s tools in the region for that possibility.
R: From Israel’s perspective, what are Iran’s instruments of power in the region?
HB: From Israel’s perspective, Iran possesses tools of influence at Israel’s borders one of which is Lebanese Hezbollah and the other Hamas and Islamic Jihad. In view of Israel’s belief that these groups are not Iranian tools, but that Iran simply uses them while their policies are determined through their own domestic and neighborly considerations, Arabs and Israelis view this Iranian influence from two different perspectives and are concerned about it. Israel’s experience during the 33-day war in Lebanon has made it seriously anxious and so it views Hezbollah as a threat. The issue of Hamas is not different from this concern. As I said Israel does not view Hamas to be an Iranian tool but since it has succeeded in winning the elections it tried to deal with it in a wishy washy way and cripple it at the opportune time. And of course it obtained that opportunity through an implicit understanding with some Arab countries.
R: What is the message of this situation to Iran?
HB: Overall, the message is to cripple Iran’s instruments of leverage so that they are not useable in a potential future scenario. The second is a warning that it will respond very harshly regarding its interests and security and should the situation require - perhaps even independent of the US - it would undertake military action. Of course Israel’s desire is that the US pursues its goals. But as Israeli authorities have said, they will not sit and wait for America’s approval and would independently engage Iran.
