Stupidity or Strategy?

In the past few days, the UNSC has issued a condemnation of Iran’s past comments on wiping Israel off the face of the earth as have many individual countries. There are also a number of theories as to way the President made such a statement given such bad timing. Here are a few:

1) It was just your usual rhetoric.

2) It was the usual rhetoric in preparation for Al-Quds day.

3) It was aimed at taking some heat off Syria in the wake of the Mehlis Report.

4) Mouthing off for reasons related to internal politics.

First of all, the first theory is essentially aways valid. It’s not as if this is surprising to hear from Iran. However, let’s not forget he was also merely quoting Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Next, as Younghusband noted, you had Al-Quds day coming up which by its very nature, is designed to spout anti-Israeli propaganda thus making his comments even more predictable in this context.

As for taking heat off Syria, I find this very difficult to believe in the context of Iran being Iran and of Al Quds day though anything’s possible of course. Thomas Barnett’s theory, number four, claims it was essentially to get back at Rafsanjani and as usual, he’s very sure of himself. It is rumored that Rafsanjani has been running things behind the scenes which would lend credence to his theory but whatever the reason was, it was still a blunder, handing the EU3 and the US more ammunition to use against Iran’s nuclear program. All in all, the comment was definitely not worthy of the attention it’s gotten, but the timing was.