A House committee said Thursday that Iran will continue to support rogues, terrorists and criminals in the Middle East region despite its new nuclear deal with the Obama administration.
The House Armed Services Committee said, “Iran’s support of rogue regimes, proxies, terrorists, and criminal organizations is one of its main strategies to support its revolutionary ideology and increase its dominance in the Middle East. Malign activities are focused on Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria; as well as illicit activities in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the United States.”
The special report followed a closed-door briefing on the hard-line Islamic state, whom the U.S. calls the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, by the Pentagon, State Department and other agencies.
The committee found that Iranian-sponsored operatives are active in a number of countries.
Afghanistan. Iran is supporting U.S. enemy Taliban with cash and arms, and is trying to buy Afghan political candidates with cash payments.
Israel and Lebanon. Iran will continue to funnel missions of dollars to Lebanese Hezbollah, a declared enemy of the U.S. and Israel, in the form of weapons, training and equipment. The list includes 100,000 rockets with which to attack Israel, artillery and anti-ship and anti-tank armaments.
Iraq. Iran, through its Quds special operations force, which provided bombs to kill scores of American service members in 2005-11, is funding those same Shiite militias today who carried out the killings.
Syria. Hezbollah is holding up the regime of Bashir Assad in his civil war against various rebel groups and Islamic extremists, such as the ultra-violent Islamic State.
Saudi Arabia. Iran supports Saudi Hezbollah and is conducting cyber attacks against the kingdom.
Yemen. Iran supports the Houthi rebels who ousted a U.S.-aligned government.
Iran’s “malign activities” are aimed at regional domination by its ruling mullahs, who vow to destroy Israel and the United States.
The committee said that Iran plans to expand its ballistic missile program, putting more neighbors at risk. The deal ends restrictions in eight years on that program, yet despite sanctions its missile arsenal has grown with the help of Russia, China and North Korea.
• Rowan Scarborough can be reached at rscarborough@washingtontimes.com.
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