Tehran — Seyed Rahim Bathaei has lengthy been CBS Information’ eyes and ears in Iran. For 16 years, he is helped us introduce our viewers to common Iranians who’ve shared their hopes and fears.
For all of these years, Iranian society has been divided between those that ardently assist the Islamic Republic’s theocratic rulers, and those that don’t. But after 12 days of devastating struggle with Israel, CBS Information has seen a degree of nationwide unity that wasn’t there earlier than.
“Iran is an historical nation with an historical civilization, greater than 5,000 years of historical past. They wish to protect it,” Bathaei explains of his fellow Iranians. “They are saying: ‘We’re the nation. We have now a nationwide id. Do not smash — do not attempt even to smash — or do not insult our satisfaction and this deep civilization.'”
For Bathaei, the army conflict between the Center East’s archrivals had felt inevitable for a while.
“I used to be anticipating this,” he says. “Iran has had this sturdy perception to assist Palestinians and the Palestinian trigger, and has not been shy to venture it fairly brazenly. So, it was apparent in some unspecified time in the future — nobody knew when — however this may come, that Iran and Israel would go on a direct struggle, direct confrontation as a substitute of proxy wars. On Israel’s aspect, doing assassination, covert operations, and on the Iranian aspect, preventing towards Israel by way of what known as these days Iran’s proxy teams. So, in some unspecified time in the future, it was fairly inevitable that each international locations would have come to this boiling level.”
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Israel, backed by its shut ally the U.S., could properly have the army capability to convey down the federal government led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. However Bathaei says such a transfer — which President Trump claims to have personally prevented in the course of the 12 days of preventing — would have severe penalties past Iran’s borders.
“That will be a catastrophe. We have now already seen what occurred in Libya, what occurred to Syria. Iraq, really, is an enormous instance for us. That is a catastrophe for the area,” he says. “There will likely be a failed state that there is perhaps terrorism popping out of.”
That risk could not really feel imminent, and the ceasefire President Trump brokered between Iran and Israel has held for almost every week, however Bathaei — relying fully on intestine emotions that come from greater than 35 years as a journalist in Iran — nonetheless struggles to seek out optimism.
“I feel we’re going towards darker issues,” he says. “I am not a fortune teller, however my intuition tells me, sure, we’re going towards darker issues. However I strongly I hope I am flawed.”
One factor did shock Bathaei in the course of the struggle with Israel: President Trump ordering U.S. warplanes to hitch within the bombing of Iran’s nuclear amenities.
“President Trump was stuffed with surprises,” he says. “I used to be not pondering that he may need gone that far.”
“I do not assume the Iranian management had been prepared, or believed that the U.S. would possibly assault Iran on that degree,” provides Bathaei.
Now, he is nervous that the U.S. might assault Iran once more.
The answer, Bathaei believes, is for either side to sit down down and speak it out.
“They don’t seem to be speaking to one another. In the event that they sit down and begin a dialog and even go to one another — I imply, Iranian politicians go and go to the U.S., U.S. politicians coming right here and go to Iran — I imagine an enormous portion of this misunderstanding might be eradicated. I am not saying Iran and the U.S. will go be a good friend, be allies, within the close to, foreseeable future, however I feel it isn’t one thing unimaginable.”
It’s a want for peace that has been echoed by many individuals CBS Information has spoken with in Iran, and so they all hope it’s heard by the leaders in Tehran, Tel Aviv, and in Washington.
contributed to this report.
