Loghman H. Ahmedi

Eritrean opposition leader Bashir Eshaq said in an interview with the AFP that Iran is arming Shiite groups in Yemen via Eritrea. Iran’s foreign minister denied this, but it the possibility of this being true, based on Iran’s track record, is high.

Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, the theocratic regime in Tehran has pursued an aggressive foreign policy to spread the Islamic Revolution outside of its borders. During the past 30 years, Iran has armed, funded, supported and in some cases even established extremist Shiite organizations all around the world in its attempt to garner more influence around the world.

For example, the Iranians don’t hide their support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and other Shiite groups in the Middle East like the Sadrists in Iraq. Iran is also arming and supporting different extremist organizations in Afghanistan, including Iran’s former archenemy the Taliban’s.

Some Western analysts argue that Iran is doing this because it feels threatened by Western Powers; this line of thought is completely wrong. With a mix of misguided thoughts of the time when Persia was a large empire and a strong belief that the Islamic Republics version of Islam should be spread around the world, Iran is attempting to obtain regional supremacy, and if possible to even become a global super power.