Dr. Ali Karbalaei Hosseini – International Law Researcher

The operation the Zionist regime committed on September 27, 2024, is a continuation of the series of operations it has carried out since last year in Gaza and other parts of occupied Palestine, including the West Bank and even in Tehran (the assassination of Martyr Ismail Haniyeh). This operation was a symbol of “state terrorism” in public and not in secret.

State terrorism refers to a type of terrorism that is now used by the Zionist regime to achieve its political goals through intimidation and violence. This regime has a black record of carrying out this type of terrorism against its citizens or other countries.

The main feature of state terrorism is to control society, maintain power, and prevent any public discontent or political opposition by carrying out violent operations. To put it bluntly, state terrorism is a tool the Zionist regime now uses to maintain power and ward off internal protests, and its results are widespread violations of human rights and the spread of insecurity and instability.

The creators and promoters of the idea of ​​the “New Middle East Order” were some Western politicians and strategists, especially in the United States. This theory was explicitly mentioned by Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State under George W. Bush, as part of US strategies in the Middle East region in the 2000s.

During the 2006 war between the Zionist regime and Hezbollah, Rice used the term “New Middle East Order” and stated that this war could be part of the “painful birth” of the New Order in the Middle East. Of course, the roots of this concept go back to other projects. Among the most important was the “Greater Middle East” plan proposed during Bush’s presidency.

This theory’s fire in West Asia resulted from its claim to promote democracy, fight terrorism, and strengthen the West’s influence. The United States tried to advance this theory through military intervention, such as the attack on Iraq in 2003, diplomatic and economic pressures, including against Iran and Syria, and support of opposition groups to create internal chaos.

However, as history shows, the results of that “new order ” eventually led to broader instability in the region instead of creating the alleged stability of the West. Aggressive policies and military interventions led to the emergence of new terrorist groups, civil wars, and greater distrust of the West. It was claimed that the primary goal of these plans would be to promote democracy and stability in the region, but in practice, it proved only to complicate regional crises.

Now, the Zionist regime is talking about the “new order,” an order that is built up on terrorist operations. In other words, even apparent minimums have not been considered in this regard, and it is clear what evil and dark future has been imagined for the region. In this way, West Asia is going to enter a period that will be new and modern, according to the Zionists. Still, in practice, it will be a repetition of scenes from the First and Second World Wars or even a return to the Middle Ages and the rule of darkness.

Surprisingly, the international community has not shown a proportional reaction to this volume of state terrorism except by turning a blind eye to the numerous crimes of the Zionist regime. The main reason is, of course, that the main claimants of human rights and international order, especially the United States, have spared no effort in providing any intelligence, weapons, or political and economic cooperation to this regime in committing numerous crimes.

In such conditions and coordinates, what is most necessary for all Islamic countries, especially the Islamic Republic of Iran, is to act on the principle of self-help as a recognized principle in international law because the Security Council is not supposed to fulfill its role or any of the human rights institutions should stand up to the ideals that are more like fiction these days and confront the Zionist regime.

Based on the principle of self-help, a government or international player acts unilaterally to defend its interests without necessarily seeking permission from international organizations or existing laws. This principle is based on the idea that countries in the international system ensure their security and interests and have the right to act on their own in times of necessity, especially in situations where they do not receive sufficient assistance or support from international institutions.

Self-help is rooted in the realities of the international anarchic system. In the sense that in the absence of a central power governing all countries, each government is responsible for its own security and survival. This situation requires some kind of independent and power-oriented action to protect national interests.

Now that the international community is no longer afraid of increasing international instability, violations of international law, or unauthorized interventions, we can look at the main applications of this principle, namely legitimate defense and preventive operations. Therefore, eradicating the state terrorism of the Zionist regime by using all available means is entirely legitimate, and the international community, with its record of inaction, cannot avoid accepting it.

Now that, in the message of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution dated 23 September 2024, “It is an obligation for all Muslims to stand with the people of Lebanon and the honorable Hezbollah, offering their resources and assistance as Hezbollah confronts the usurping, cruel, malicious [Zionist] regime,” it seems that the time has come for either the “new order” favored by the Zionists to be aborted before birth; Or a “new order” free from the Zionist regime should be developed and implemented because this region has experienced painful and disastrous experiences in the previous 24 years from foreign interventions, cross-border operations, and Zionist brutality.