The escalating conflict with Iran is just as much the United States' "struggle" as it is Israel's, Ido Aharoni, global distinguished professor of business at Touro University, told Newsmax on Wednesday.
Aharoni said that, in Iran's eyes, the U.S. represents a number of things that the Islamic Republic is opposed to.
"What bothers them is not our policies," Aharoni said on "Wake Up America." "What bothers them is not necessarily our actions. What bothers them is what we stand for, because the enemy is modernity. The enemy is the advancement of knowledge. The enemy is innovation, and the enemy is liberties and freedom, especially for women."
He continued, "That's the enemy. And the United States represents all of those maladies in their eyes."
"Therefore, this is your struggle as much as it is our struggle," Aharoni said. "We're in it together. And it just so happened that Israel really needs the help of the United States because we don't have the military capabilities, we don't have the right munitions to put an end to their nuclear program once and for all."
Aharoni said that the conflict between Israel and Iran raises three different issues that are connected by President Donald Trump's ultimate decision on military intervention.
"The first is overthrowing the regime, which is always a good thing," he said. "The second is the dismantling of the Iranian nuclear program, and the third is the dismantling of their conventional capabilities. All three are connected, and what connects all three is the impending decision of President Trump. If the Americans will intervene militarily, all three things can happen quite quickly. And let's hope that the Americans will decide to intervene."
When asked what he would like to tell Americans who may be hesitant for the U.S. to get involved in a war overseas, Aharoni said the Iranian regime has set its sights on targets far beyond Israel.
"They developed ballistic missiles with 12,000 km range," he said. "What for? They don't need 12,000 km to attack Israel. They need 12,000 km to attack the eastern coast of the United States."
"This is about them, just as it is about us," Aharoni said, referring to U.S. citizens. "Also, for the Europeans, the same message."
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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