Dealing with Iran's Proxies; Iran's 'Crazy State'; CAIR Supports Iran

By Winfield Myers ● Jul 03, 2025

Smart Brevity^® count: 7 mins...1850 words

Eric Navarro warns that destroying Iran’s nuclear sites without destroying its proxies is like “taking an RPG [rocket-propelled grenade] from an enemy’s hands but leaving him with an AK-47.” To solidify the new balance of power in the region, the U.S. and Israel must “break the proxies.”

A.J. Caschetta draws on the work of an Israeli political scientist to label Iran a “crazy state” that must be dealt with accordingly. Crazy states can’t be trusted in negotiations, nor do their desires mirror ours.

Dexter Van Zile writes that the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is having a “tough time” dealing with the Trump administration’s decision to help Israel attack Iran. CAIR’s answer: call the U.S. a puppet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. How clever and original!

We also feature the work of Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi and Davood Moradian.

ICYMI: July 2, 2025 | Israel Insider with Ashley Perry

Is a grand plan for the end of the war against Hamas, the release of remaining hostages, and normalization with Saudi Arabia finally going to happen?

Ashley Perry is an advisor to the Middle East Forum’s Israel office. He served as adviser to Israel's minister of foreign affairs and deputy prime minister in 2009-15, and has also worked with Israel's Ministers of Intelligence, Agriculture and Rural Development, Energy, Water and Infrastructure, Defense, Tourism, Internal Security, and Immigrant Absorption and as an advisor to The Negev Forum. Originally from the U.K., he moved to Israel in 2001. He holds a B.A. from University College London and an M.A. from Reichman University (IDC Herzliya).

To watch the full podcast, click here.

Attack Iran’s Shadow World and Dismantle Its Proxies

The flag of Hezbollah, a key to the Iran-led “Axis of Resistance,” which has been crippled by Israeli strikes. Shutterstock

By: Eric Navarro

The recent twelve-day Israeli-American air campaign has left Iran's military infrastructure in disarray, dismantling bunkers and command nodes.

Why it matters: This operation has not only degraded Iran's nuclear program but also exposed the regime's vulnerability to modern warfare.

While some Western commentators now pivot to calls for restraint, diplomacy, and a new round of negotiations, they fail to grasp one immutable fact: The war never ended. The kinetic phase paused.
If Washington and Jerusalem want this victory to endure, they must pivot with equal speed. They must demand that Iran terminate all support to its proxies.

What's next: Intelligence services should dismantle proxy networks piece by piece.

Smugglers, financiers, weapons engineers, and communications hubs—all must face relentless pressure. Track their movements. Cut their funding. Disrupt their supply chains. Not with caution—with aggression.
This war must shift into Iran’s shadow world, and that world must burn.
Public diplomacy must assert: No negotiations or sanctions relief until Iran ceases proxy support.

The bottom line: The allied victory in the air campaign shattered illusions. It exposed Tehran. Now comes the final phase: forcing submission. Drive the cost of aggression so high that even Iran’s ideologues feel it. Strip the network bare. Break the proxies.

Only then can the U.S. and Israel solidify the new balance of power in the Middle East and carve it into something that endures beyond the current headlines.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

Help the Iranian People Resist Iran's Regime

Join the next phase of the Middle East Forum’s Maximum Pressure Campaign Series by asking Congress to pass the Maximum Support Act.

Americans must rally behind the Iranian people after the 12-Day War, where U.S. and Israeli forces dismantled Iran’s nuclear program. Now, we must help Iranians forge a democratic future, free from their oppressive regime.

Fill out the form to send emails to your House member and senators urging them to sponsor and pass H.R. 2614 - the Maximum Support Act.

The Maximum Support Act is a bipartisan bill that empowers Iranians by ensuring internet freedom with Virtual Private Networks, satellite-to-cell tech, digital eSIMs, and anti-surveillance tools to bypass regime censorship. It also establishes a strikers’ fund, using seized regime assets to support workers striking against oppression, and provides humanitarian aid and medical supplies to protesters. This legislation strengthens Iran’s grassroots movement for democracy while countering the regime’s global repression.

You can help make this happen! Urge Congress to pass the Maximum Support Act by filling out the form and clicking submit to send emails to your Congress members. Act now to support a free, democratic Iran and amplify the voices of its people!

To tell Congress to pass the Maximum Support Act, click here.

Stimulating Revolt in the Iranian Crazy State

As long as the current crazy government under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei controls Iran, neither Israel, the “Little Satan,” nor the U.S., the “Big Satan,” is safe.

By: A.J. Caschetta

Debate around the Iran-Israel Twelve-Day War often skirts a stark reality: Iran's regime is hell-bent on annihilating Israel and the U.S.

Why it matters: As long as Iran's current regime holds sway, both Israel and the U.S. remain in its crosshairs.

In 1971, Israeli political scientist Yehezkel Dror coined the term “crazy states” to identify ideologically-aggressive nations in pursuit of irrational or counter-rational goals.
Dror believed a “crazy martyr state” that was “not bound by the taboos surrounding a doomsday machine” was the most dangerous and misunderstood problem the world faced 25 years into the Cold War.

What's next: Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran is that crazy state. Rational states must confront Iran's duplicity head-on.

Dror points out 18 fallacies that rational states must avoid when dealing with crazy states. Number 17 concerns “the historic incorrectness of the view that agreements are usually kept.” Crazy states rarely adhere to the agreements they sign.
Dror warns that “a crazy state can behave rationally in the instrumental sense, that is, it can pick instruments which are highly effective for achievement of its (crazy) goals.”

The bottom line: President Trump should give in to his instincts and ridicule Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as only he can by giving Khamenei a nickname.

Berating the Supreme Leader who went into hiding by calling him “The Hidden Imam” is likely to play well with the Iranian people.
And just think how much fun it would be to watch Donald Trump taunt Ali Khamenei as “The Supreme Loooooser.”

To read the full article, click here.

Announcing MEF’s Junior Fellowship Program

The Middle East Forum is calling for applications to its Junior Fellowship program, open to emerging scholars, journalists, and analysts.

This program provides a unique platform for participants to enhance their skills, share innovative ideas, and build networks among experts focused on the Middle East and Islamism.

Participants benefit from mentorship, contribute to MEF publications, and engage in talks and podcasts.
The program supports skill development and offers networking opportunities with leading scholars.

Program details: The fellowship runs from September through June.

Mentorship: Fellows are paired with experienced staff or senior fellows for guidance and feedback.
Virtual meetings: Monthly sessions with MEF staff and mentors.
Hybrid model: Offers both on-site and remote work options based on participant location.

To apply: The deadline is July 15, with the program starting on September 1.

Send a cover letter and resume to [email protected].
The selection process also involves a writing assignment and a virtual interview.

For more information, click here.

Iran Scapegoats Afghan Refugees After Israel Conflict

Afghan immigrant workers at a cemetery in Tehran, Iran. Shutterstock

By: Davood Moradian

The ceasefire between Iran and Israel has led to severe repercussions for Afghan refugees in Iran, highlighting the precarious situation they face.

Why it matters: According to United Nations reports, approximately eight million Afghans, nearly a quarter of the population, have fled the country since 2021, with estimates suggesting that between three-to-five million have sought refuge in Iran in recent years.

Over 120,000 Afghans have been forcibly deported to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan amid rising anti-Afghan sentiment in Iran.
Iranian authorities have accused Afghan refugees of facilitating Israeli attacks, fueling public suspicion.
The deportations strain Afghanistan's fragile socio-economic conditions and highlight the vulnerability of Afghan refugees.

What's next: Key sectors, including agriculture, construction, mining, and services, depend on Afghan labor and entrepreneurial spirit.

The forced return of hundreds of thousands more could exacerbate instability in Afghanistan.

The bottom line: Afghan refugees, among the most vulnerable in Iran, may bear the brunt of renewed conflict or diplomatic shifts.

To read the full article, click here.

The Twelver Shi’a of Homs: Interview

An old photo of Tel Aghar, Homs province, Syria. Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi

By: Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi

In an interview with Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, a Middle East Forum writing fellow, a resident from the Syrian village of Tel Aghar in Homs province shares the Twelver Shi'a community's struggles.

Approximately 60 percent of the people left the village since the Assad regime fell in December 2024.

Key insights: Home confiscations have occurred due to alleged ties with Hezbollah and the Assad regime.

Entire villages, such as Tel Khazna and Wadi al-Dahab, face displacement, heightening their vulnerability.

Living conditions: Residents grapple with dire services, with electricity barely meeting needs.

According to the interviewee: “Services are non-existent. Electricity is acceptable. People were relying on [state] salaries that have been cut off. Currently they are relying on caper bushes and some seasonal produce. Many families are still in Lebanon and have not returned because of the poverty.”

Trust issues: Residents do not trust the new government, citing unfulfilled promises and no visible changes.

The interviewee told Al-Tamimi: “People are content in that they have gained respite from the concerns that were on our chests for years: the clique that was in charge, the criminals, etc. But in contrast, we are not reassured, because until now there is no state: there is shaykh X and there is shaykh Y.”

To read the entire interview, click here.

CAIR Supports Iran Over Peace in Middle East

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has condemned the Trump administration’s decision to help Israel destroy the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear program. Shutterstock

By: Dexter Van Zile

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) faces backlash for its doubling down on conspiracy theories in its response to the Trump administration's support for Israel's decisive strike on Iran.

Why it matters: CAIR's rhetoric paints a false narrative, depicting the U.S. as Israel's puppet while ignoring Iran's egregious threats.

Despite Iran issuing a fatwa for Trump's assassination, CAIR's silence is deafening, instead deflecting attention to Gaza.

CAIR's duplicity: Initially lauding Trump's diplomatic efforts, CAIR now blames Israel for the U.S.'s defensive actions, a narrative steeped in denial.

CAIR's criticism of Israel's nuclear stance is hypocritical, given its silence on Iran's destabilizing proxies in the region.

The reality: CAIR contradicts international reports on Iran's nuclear ambitions, choosing incitement over truth.

By perpetuating misleading narratives, CAIR undermines American safety, fostering division instead of unity.

The bottom line: CAIR must unequivocally condemn Iran's fatwa against Trump to regain credibility. Until then, their agenda remains suspect, prioritizing discord over American well-being.

To read the full article, click here.

ICYMI: July 2, 2025 | Israel Insider with Ashley Perry

Attack Iran’s Shadow World and Dismantle Its Proxies

Help the Iranian People Resist Iran's Regime

Stimulating Revolt in the Iranian Crazy State

Announcing MEF’s Junior Fellowship Program

Iran Scapegoats Afghan Refugees After Israel Conflict

The Twelver Shi’a of Homs: Interview

CAIR Supports Iran Over Peace in Middle East

Further Reading: