Events in Iran are inspired by internal contradictions - T. Zulfugarov

Baku / 04.01.18 / Turan: Many analysts who monitor the situation in Iran come to the conclusion that the protest events are approaching the stabilization phase. Despite this, the question remains - what kind of events were these? What kind of character did they have - political or economic? Who was the organizer, or did the protest arise spontaneously?

Tofiq Zulfugarov was the first Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan (March 5, 1998 - October 26, 1999), who during his official visit to Iran, visited Tabriz. This was a very difficult period of the Azerbaijani-Iranian relations, when Baku sought to open the Azerbaijani consulate in Tabriz.

T.Zulfugarov shared with Facebook readers his ideas about the origins of the Iranian events.

Sources show that one of the main reasons for the emergence of protest sentiments was the discussion and adoption of the state budget for the next year, in which very large funds were channeled to areas related to the implementation of Iran's foreign policy in the Middle East, the former minister writes.

The Iranian geopolitical concept of expanding Iranian (Shiite) influence to the Mediterranean Sea is behind many actions and manifestations of Iran's foreign policy activity in Syria, Lebanon, in part Iraq and against Hezbollah.

This "updated" version of Iran's traditional concept of exporting the idea of ​​the Islamic revolution, is opposed to serious global "players" and is a very expensive project.

Moreover, attempts to implement this project will lead to increased sanctions against Iran and confrontation, not only with the West, but also with most of the Sunni countries. Perhaps the awareness of these problems was the reason why part of the Iranian leadership, opposing this policy, decided to influence the situation, using the latent initiation of protest moods in the country.

In favor of this is the fact that in early December in social networks, discontent with the economic situation was linked precisely with Iran's foreign policy. And the appearance of the slogan "We are not in Gaza, not in Lebanon, but in Iran" directly shows those who benefit from this situation.

The strange behavior of the IRGC leadership (the Guard Corps of the Islamic Revolution) at the beginning of the events also gives food for thought. The geography of the protests unequivocally suggests that they were organized, but it is another surprise - why the organizers of these protests are not appearing anywhere and no political force, even in emigration, assumes responsibility for their organization.

"Therefore, I dare to assume that the protest events will gradually be brought to nothing, and in the leadership of Iran without a change of personalities there will be a reformatting of the authorities," Zulfugarov said.

Concerning the popular discussion in the networks "about the imminent unification of Northern and Southern Azerbaijan," Zulfugarov writes that the paradox in the position of many participants in such discussions is that they are discussing the final stage of the "process," ignoring the fact that this requires the destruction of Iran as state and disintegration into national state formations, and then a possible unification. Zulfugarov does not see any signs of the first, second and third stages, so he considers the talks about the fourth stage - the creation of "Greater Azerbaijan" to be frivolous. -0-