Abbas Amanat

So it's something compelling pressure to try to materialize what you've been saying in your rhetoric.

And that is even extremely more dangerous as far as Iran is concerned.

And it brings it to some unholy alliances.

that today we are witnessing Iran is getting involved.

Even more dangerous than this rhetoric in terms of the vis-a-vis Israel is its involvement with Russia and to some extent with China, which we can talk about.

I cannot see the difference between geopolitics and these deep connections.

I see this one and the same.

Why?

Because I think the experience of 40 years of distancing from the West in terms of the Islamic Republic

And the fact that there is a shelf life to imperial presence for any empire anywhere in the world.

So after the terrible experience of the United States in Iraq and in Afghanistan, pretty much like the British Empire, that after the Suez experience in 56, decided to withdraw from east of Suez,

Maybe there is a moment here that we are witnessing, or it may come, that a great power like the United States sees in its benefit not to get too much involved into nitty-gritty things in other parts of the world, that it's not its immediate concern.

And I think that...

It's part of the reason, not the entire reason.

Part of the reason why we see the emergence of a new geopolitical environment in this part of the world of which China, Russia, possibly Iran, possibly Turkey, possibly both of them are going to be part.

Perhaps Saudis also, but I doubt that the Saudis under the present circumstances, although we have witnessed some remarkable issue in the course of the past few weeks, where the Saudis giving assurances to American administration and then shifting and getting along with Putin.

In terms of the oil production, I think it's more than that even.

And it's not only them, but also the Emirates are doing the same thing.

So what does that tell us?

In emerging this kind of a world, which was perhaps even 10 years ago, unimaginable.