Iran has long been involved in the sponsoring and support of worldwide terror
groups and has been officially implicated for its involvement in terrorist
activities in several Western states. It provides aid in the form of weapons,
training, and funding to Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups,
Hizbullah in Lebanon, Iraq-based militants, and Taliban fighters in
Afghanistan.
Iran's behavior over the past several years suggests that it is actively
pursuing a nuclear weapons program. While denying these allegations, Iran's
behavior has led to its being sanctioned by various international bodies,
including the IAEA and the U.N Security Council.
In the past decade, Iran has pursued all stages of developing nuclear
weapons, including mining uranium, converting uranium to uranium hexafluoride,
enriching uranium hexafluoride to obtain high-grade fissile material necessary
for military use, and developing an implosion system needed for the detonation
of nuclear devices. All this despite Iran's commitment to and ratification of
the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. In addition, Iran has
developed weapons systems - primarily medium- and long-range ballistic missiles
capable of delivering nuclear payloads to countries in the Middle East, Europe
and soon North America.
In addition, Iran continues to violate and disregard the human rights of its
own citizens, and represses freedom of the press, freedom of association,
freedom of religion, equality, and children's rights.
Iran publically denies the Holocaust, and is the only country that openly
calls for the annihilation of another state - the State of Israel.
President Ahmadinejad actively endorses chaos, so as to hasten the
re-emergence of the Hidden Imam and spread true Islamic rule worldwide. He
believes that the Hidden Imam will return only following an apocalyptic war
against Israel and the West.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (17 Feb 2010):
"We are threatened by an extremist form of Islam, headed by Tehran, which
sends out its tentacles in the form of Hamas and Hizbullah and other terrorist
organizations, which undermine the very existence of the State of Israel and
speak openly about their desire to destroy it. This is not just a threat against
Israel, but against the entire world...
There are tens of millions of people in Iran, the vast majority, aspiring
to one thing - freedom from this brutal tyranny.
The character of this regime was exposed and their secret nuclear program
was exposed. Now the question is what the international community will do in the
face of this challenge. If sanctions include preventing the export of gasoline
and, equally important, the importation of petroleum products, Iran's economy
will be stopped. I hope the international community will rise to the occasion. I
hope they understand the magnitude of this moment, this historic moment in time
when the responsible countries of the world, which already understand the
magnitude of the threat and the short period of time we have left, will do what
is necessary."