Iran.

Editor,

I have no sympathy for Israel, but it is important to point out that Iran's mortal enemy number one is not Israel but Saudi Arabia.

Israel's paranoia and hatred for its neighbors extend to anyone who opposes its brutalization of Palestinians and expansion into Palestinian lands. Its messianic view of itself as having been bequeathed by Yaweh every inch of land the Palestinians have ever lived on only relates to Iran to the extent that Iran supports fighters among the Palestinians who would rather that their people not be killed or deported by the Israelis.

Aside from the USA having thrown the region into chaos -- by destroying Iraq as a state, firing Saddam's army, and sectarianizing Iraq's politics -- the primary conflict fueling the fire in the region is hatred by Saudi Arabia for Iran. Remember, Saudi Arabia is home of (Sunni) salafi Wahhabists, whose export of radical Islam began with Zia-ul-Haq in Pakistan in the 1970's and has continued unbroken until today through the most virulent Sunni extremists up to and including ISIS.

Radical Sunnis, most notably Saudis, perceive Shiites, who happen to rule Iran, as apostates, heretics, and fodder for the head chopper-offer. I find it ironic that Americans see Israel's fixation on Iran as key to the turmoil in the Middle East when it is Saudi Arabia that has been and continues to be engaged in overt warfare with Iran via its proxies in Iraq and Syria.

Re: "ISIS Fight Raises Fears That Efforts to Curb Iran Will Slip" (9/12/2014)