The new Persian empire Why American troops must not serve as Iran’s expeditionary force
ANALYSIS/OPINION: By Clifford D. May September 19, 2017 Eleven years ago, Henry Kissinger famously said that Iran ’s rulers must “decide whether they are representing a cause or a nation.” If the latter, Iran ian and American interests would be “compatible.” As for the former: “If Tehran insists on combining the Persian imperial tradition with contemporary Islamic fervor, then a collision with America is unavoidable.” Since then, Iran ’s rulers have left no room for doubt. They’ve been aggressively spreading their Islamic Revolution and constructing what can only be called a new Persian Empire. That will surprise no one who has seriously studied the ideology of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini , founder of the Islamic Republic. What might: Their project has received significant support from the United States.