A Lesson That the Self-Directed Do Not Learn

While many groups, international organizations, and countries have condemned Saudi Arabia's execution of Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr and 46 others, the reaction in Iran once again involved scaling the walls of an embassy and setting it on fire, with the Iranian government once again using the term 'self-directed' to describe these individuals. The Tehran prosecutor's office reports the arrest of 40 self-directed individuals during the attack on the Saudi embassy, while public opinion continues to seek the identification of these individuals to society. However, in the memory of the Iranian people, the combination of the words 'self-directed' and 'spontaneous' seems unforgettable. They have not forgotten that the term 'self-directed' was first applied to the Ministry of Intelligence forces during the chain murders when 'self-directed' elements decided to physically eliminate a number of political dissidents. In the recent incident, a group identified as 'spontaneous' decided to seize an embassy. In the literature of high-ranking officials of the regime, individuals are always divided into 'insiders and outsiders.' Undoubtedly, with the recent attack on the Saudi embassy, Iran's name could be recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records for attacks on embassies of other countries worldwide. This was not the first time, and it is likely not the last time that the police have been unable to protect embassies of other countries in such situations. The fact that this spontaneous group truly came to the field and set an embassy on fire in front of several protection officers is another discussion, but the British embassy has still not fully reopened after the angry Basijis attacked it in December 2011 and caused significant damage, when the attack on the Saudi embassy occurred. A report published in the Telegraph in August 2015 stated that all damages to the British embassy building in Tehran would be covered by the British government and funded by British taxpayers, estimated at several hundred thousand pounds. On the other hand, last week, news emerged about compensation payments to American hostages at this country's embassy in Tehran, which stated that compensation of up to $4.4 million would be paid to each of the hostages or their survivors in 2016. The reaction of politicians and military and civilian institutions to the execution of a cleric from a rival country in the sensitive Persian Gulf region occurs when the memory of the deaths of over four hundred Iranian pilgrims during the Hajj ceremony in October of this year is still fresh. In an incident where the direct interests of the country and the lives of its people were involved, the ultimate reaction of Iran's diplomatic apparatus was to deem the Saudi government incompetent. This approach to political issues, especially in relations with Iran's neighbors, clearly shows the weakness of decision-making in Iran's foreign policy, where the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran has the final say. Ayatollah Khamenei stated regarding the execution of Sheikh Nimr that 'the hand of divine vengeance will seize the Saudi officials.' But is burning the embassy of this country a spark of divine vengeance? On this side, what happened after the execution of Sheikh Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric who was critical of the Saudi government, began with a strong statement from the Foreign Ministry spokesperson and the summoning of the Saudi chargé d'affaires in Tehran, followed by the Revolutionary Guards announcing in a statement that a 'harsh revenge' awaited the Saudi government in the near future. Ultimately, we witnessed the peak of emotional performance after a spontaneous gathering of protesters in front of the embassy building of this country in Tehran, who set the embassy on fire, causing significant damage to its contents and once again questioning the credibility of the Iranian government in maintaining and protecting the embassies of other countries, leading to renewed embarrassment for Iran's diplomatic apparatus on a global scale. It is no secret that Iran and Saudi Arabia are engaged in proxy wars in several arenas such as Yemen and Syria, competing to eliminate each other from the scene. However, playing in the world of politics has its own special conditions. A country may appear to suffer in the short term but may be the real winner in the long run. In the competition between Saudi Arabia as the cradle of the Islamic world and Iran as a country whose leader is called the leader of Muslims worldwide, it remains to be seen which will emerge as the true winner. A war in which both sides have a hidden religious belief that seems to originate from a single source. However, it may not be bad to refer to the reaction of the Russian diplomatic apparatus after the downing of its warplane by Turkey. Less than two months ago, a Russian plane engaged in bombing positions of the Islamic State (ISIS) near the Syrian border apparently flew for a few seconds in Turkish territory and was targeted and shot down after a warning from a Turkish warplane, questioning Russia's prestige. Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, called Turkey's action a stab in the back and accused the Turkish government of trading oil and buying it from the Islamic State. The verbal war between the two countries escalated, and Russia imposed sanctions against Turkish agricultural imports and canceled visa-free travel between the two countries to inflict damage on Turkey that far exceeded the price of a Russian warplane. This also led to protests within Russia in the early days of the crisis, which took place in front of the Turkish embassy in Moscow, culminating in protesters burning the Turkish flag rather than scaling the walls of the Turkish embassy.