Javedanfar says the Islamic Republic is far more concerned about internal threats than any military attack from abroad. He says threats from Israelis are used to gin up nationalist anger in Iran and prompt the public to rally around the regime. Writing in the daily Haaretz, he said, “Cessation of military threats from Israel will make it much harder for the regime to divert the public’s attention away from its falling popularity and serious domestic problems. Silence from Israel will make Iran’s leaders more worried, as it will rob Khamenehi of an important tool that has helped him—and at a crucial time when the regime is hemorrhaging legitimacy and popularity at an unprecedented rate. The damage such an endeavor will cause is worth the inconvenience of Israeli politicians having to bite their tongues.” As the Iran Times has pointed out, the Israeli threats come from retired generals, newspaper writers and legislators—but the members of the war cabinet, which makes military decisions, are always silent. And it isn’t likely that silence by Israeli politicos will make any difference. Obama Administration officials have not been making threats against Iran, but that has never stopped the Islamic Republic from making almost daily accusations that the United States is constantly threatening the country. If the regime wants the Iranian public to believe it is being threatened by foreigners, it really doesn’t matter what foreigners are actually saying.
