An Iranian professor has praised anti-Israel protests on American college campuses, saying that they are a sign of support for Iran in any future conflict with the United States.
An Iranian professor has praised anti-Israel protests on American college campuses, saying that they are a sign of support for Iran in any future conflict with the United States.
Professor Foad Izadi, of the University of Tehran, said in an interview that the protests are important because they show that the United States is losing support for Israel.
"Sooner or later, this kind of support for the Zionist regime by the American regime will diminish," he said. "It might not stop completely, but its diminishing is important."
"This is why the demonstrations [on U.S. campuses] are important."
Izadi said that Iran is watching the protests with interest and that he believes that they are a sign of growing support for Iran among American students.
"We are watching the demonstrations and like what we see, but it should not end with this," Izadi said. "If not for the Islamic Republic, the case of the Palestinian idea would have been closed years ago."
"The idea of resistance belongs to Iran, but on the operational level, when it comes to recruiting connections and building networks, the [Iranian] state has not been involved in a sufficient level."
"These (American students) are our people," he continued. "If tensions between America and Iran rise tomorrow or the day after, these are the people who will have to take to the streets to support Iran."
Izadi said that there are Hezbollah-style groups in the U.S. that are much larger than those in Lebanon.
"America is the Great Satan and our main enemy, but we have hope in these areas," he said.
Iran expert and Foreign Desk Editor-in-Chief Lisa Daftari said that Izadi's comments are a sign that Iran is trying to grow its influence outside of the country.
"Quite rich to see the same regime that is fixated on torturing, raping, blinding, executing its own college students, is applauding the ignorant college students on American campuses," she said. "It speaks to their focus on growing their influence outside of Iran."
Daftari said that Iran has been beefing up terror proxies in the region and paying their way into American universities.
"Regardless of when these pro-Hamas protests quiet down here in the U.S., it’s apparent the regime has its sights set on manipulating this momentum to launch more attacks here in the West," she said. "The question then remains will they focus on a physical attack or just the information war, or both?"
