By Angelo Giuliano
A common claim repeated endlessly by US and Israeli officials is that Iran is the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world. This assertion is not only false — it is one of the most ridiculous and hypocritical lies in modern geopolitics. The truth is the opposite. While Washington and Tel Aviv accuse Tehran of supporting terrorism, the historical record shows that the United States and Israel have systematically created, funded, armed, and protected the very extremist groups they claim to oppose.
Iran's Immediate Offer of Help After 9/11
In the hours and days following the September 11 attacks, the Iranian government did something the Western media rarely acknowledges. Officials in Tehran publicly expressed condolences to the American people and offered practical cooperation against Al Qaeda. Iran had every reason to do so. Al Qaeda and its ideological cousins had been sworn enemies of the Islamic Republic for years. The same was true for Russia, which had already fought Al Qaeda-linked fighters in the Chechen Wars and also offered assistance to Washington.
Iran followed through on its words. In the early stages of the war in Afghanistan, Iranian intelligence and logistical support helped NATO forces strike Al Qaeda and Taliban positions. This was not empty rhetoric. Tehran saw the destruction of these Sunni extremist networks as a shared interest. Yet within months the United States repaid that cooperation with open hostility.
The Axis of Evil and the Seven-Country War Plan
In January 2002, President George W. Bush delivered his State of the Union address and introduced the phrase "Axis of Evil." Iran was deliberately placed on the list alongside Iraq, North Korea, Syria, Libya, and Cuba — countries that had nothing whatsoever to do with the 9/11 attacks. The speech marked a sharp turn. Cooperation was replaced by confrontation.
Retired General Wesley Clark later confirmed what many already suspected. Shortly after 9/11, a senior Pentagon official told him that the United States had decided on a five-year plan to "take out" seven countries: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Iran. None of these states had planned or supported the attacks on New York and Washington. Most of them were actual enemies of Al Qaeda. The plan was never about fighting terrorism. It was about reshaping the Middle East according to American and Israeli strategic preferences.
How Washington and Its Allies Built the Terror Groups
After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the United States dismantled the existing state structures and created a power vacuum. Into that vacuum stepped Al Qaeda in Iraq, which later evolved into ISIS. Far from being an accidental byproduct, the growth of these groups served broader regime-change goals. In Libya and Syria, the pattern became even clearer. Through Operation Timber Sycamore and related programs, the CIA, working with British and other Western intelligence services, funneled weapons and money to armed groups that included Al Qaeda affiliates.
In Syria, figures such as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Abu Mohammad al-Jolani operated in an environment shaped by Western and Israeli interests. Senior American officials did not hide their calculations. Jake Sullivan stated that Al Qaeda was "on our side" in the Syrian conflict. Hillary Clinton privately expressed the view that a sectarian war between Sunnis and Shiites could benefit Israel. Western media outlets cooperated by softening the image of these groups, suggesting they had "moderated" simply because some of their leaders began wearing Western suits.
The pattern stretches back decades. In the 1980s, the United States poured weapons and money into the Afghan Mujahideen through Operation Cyclone. Many of those fighters later formed the core of Al Qaeda. At the time, British and American media often described Osama bin Laden as a freedom fighter. The same networks that Washington once nurtured were later presented as existential threats — but only when they no longer served immediate geopolitical goals.
Iran's Decisive Role Against ISIS
While the United States and its partners were playing with fire, Iran took direct military action against the terrorist groups. In 2014, when ISIS swept across large parts of Iraq and Syria, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps under General Qasem Soleimani moved to the front lines. Iranian advisers, weapons, and coordination with local forces proved decisive in stopping the ISIS advance and rolling it back. Russia joined this effort in 2015, working alongside Iran and the Syrian government. Together they formed the only effective anti-terror coalition in the region.
Soleimani's record against ISIS was clear and documented. Yet in January 2020, the United States assassinated him in a drone strike near Baghdad airport, claiming the killing was necessary to "fight terrorism." The message was unmistakable: Iran's success against the very groups Washington claimed to oppose was treated as a threat rather than a contribution.
The Real Reason for Hostility Toward Iran
The core grievance that the United States and Israel hold against Iran has little to do with terrorism. It has everything to do with Iran's consistent support for Palestinian resistance. The Islamic Republic provides arms, training, and political backing to groups fighting against Israeli occupation. That occupation has produced catastrophic human costs. In the most recent phase of the conflict alone, Palestinian deaths have been estimated in the hundreds of thousands. From Tehran's perspective, supporting those who resist is not terrorism — it is solidarity with a people under siege.
Labeling Iran the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism serves a useful political purpose. It justifies sanctions, isolation, and the constant threat of military action. It also distracts attention from the far longer and better-documented record of American and Israeli involvement with extremist proxies whenever those proxies advance short-term strategic goals.
Conclusion
The facts are straightforward. Iran offered cooperation against Al Qaeda after 9/11 and later led the most effective military campaign against ISIS. The United States and Israel, by contrast, have repeatedly armed, funded, and politically protected Sunni extremist groups when it suited their interests — from the Afghan Mujahideen to the Syrian battlefield. The greatest state sponsors of terrorism in recent decades have been the United States, Britain, elements of the European Union, and Israel. Iran and Russia have been among the most consistent opponents of those same networks. Until this reality is openly acknowledged, the cycle of accusation and escalation will continue, driven by power politics rather than any genuine commitment to fighting terror.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
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