What does the imposition of new sanctions on Iran mean? What does it mean for the international forces to unify over the ratification of sanctions on Tehran because it "crossed the limits" as it was stated by American Vice President Joseph Biden?! Does it mean that "zero hour" has become imminent and that a new war is being planned in the Gulf region?! Does Biden want to believe his last statements in which he said that the leaders of the Iranian regime are "more isolated than ever before their people and around the region"?! Are there no Iranians adopting Ahmadinejad and his ideas, along with Arab and "Arabized" allies, movements and parties? Where is the real isolation of Ahmadinejad and his government inside and outside of Iran as long as the reformists are being oppressed and thrown in jail and as long as their humanity is being violated?! What will the sanctions do if they are implemented on the Iranians the same way they were implemented on the Iraqis under the headline of "oil for food" in order to subdue the regime of Saddam Hussein, to the point where the crops withered, the people starved and the children died while Saddam and his men were eating what they crave and making the decisions they want without a care in the world? After Ahmadinejad came to power, we saw the surfacing of an Iranian wish to expand and increase regional influence, a thing which has been the main goal since the Islamic revolution. For that purpose, the activities of the Revolutionary Guard and its agents in collecting intelligence information to build a "bank" of political, economic and military targets became clear, while secret Iranian diplomatic actions emerged and financial support was provided to terrorist organizations. Moreover, training and armament were offered to militias and rebels to create a state of chaos and instability in the region. Does the United States consider what was revealed by the recent Pentagon report to be new to the states of the region? Indeed, the report said that Tehran is about to become the "greatest ballistic power in the Middle East," that it is funding its strategic partner Hezbollah with around $200 million per year, that the party is training Iraqi militias in special camps inside and outside of Iran, and that Iran is supporting armed groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Afghanistan. This is definitely not new while it is certain that most of the countries in the region know more than the Americans, are inquiring about the Iranian maneuvers, detecting the activities, and monitoring the operations of the Revolutionary Guard – even if Ahmadinejad and his commanders are trying to deny the facts seen on the ground. There is no doubt that a state whose military doctrine is based on the principle of "deterrence" that is trying to generate strife, is playing on the strings of sectarianism, arming militias, supporting movements against their governments, seeking to increase its armament credits and maneuvering through countries in the region which are collaborating with its policies, can do more than that, especially after Washington paved the ways for it by placing Iraq under its control. What is also not new to any observer of the situation in Iran, is that Ahmadinejad's government is relying on "more pragmatic policies" to ensure his country's political and security influence in the region - especially in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories - by offering "massive military aid to armed militias, Afghan rebels, Hamas and Hezbollah and secure the implementation of the policies and plans imposed by the Revolutionary Guard and the Qods Force." Although the observers knew most of what was featured in the Pentagon report, there were certain pieces of information which could be beneficial in conducting a census over the Iranian military power, whether the land, maritime or aerial one. Indeed, the report indicated that the country possesses 1,900 tanks, 900 missile platforms, over 5,000 mortar shells and around 2,800 artillery shells. It also pointed out that its maritime power includes four submarines, four warships, thousands of war vessels and 32 helicopters, which means according to the report that the Iranian air force is not as strong as its other forces, especially since the last wars relied on air attacks rather than land attacks. Therefore, Iran's power and the maneuvers with which it kept the region busy are not as frightening and intimidating as Ahmadinejad claims. I was and still am against any "shy" Gulf rhetoric which shows leniency in responding to the Iranian "threatening" statements, especially since "it is no different than Israel in its occupation of Arab lands," as it was stated by Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed when answering a question addressed to him during the meeting of the Federal National Council regarding the status of the three Emirati islands which have been occupied since 1971. The latter statement of Abdullah Bin Zayed conveys a truth that should publicly be reiterated in international forums. Moreover, the Gulf States should beware of the goals of writers and journalists defending the policies of Tehran along with its nuclear project which will affect the capitals of the Gulf countries before all others, as well as those succumbing to Iran's occupation of Arab islands and its attempts to conceal their historic and geographic reality. The scenarios that were seen in Iraq before 2003 are being drawn up once again with their deepest and most accurate details, and this means that the region is awaiting a new war in the Gulf. The first time, Saddam Hussein scattered the region and planted many mines in it, while this time, it is the turn of Ahmadinejad who - despite his unawareness of the rules of the political game - has come to complete the fourth chapter of the scenarios of the "Gulf war."
