Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Reuters)Ahmadinejad: Whoever Controls The Mideast Controls The World -- Haaretz
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a Tehran conference Saturday that whoever controls the Middle East controls the world, the semi-official Fars News Agency reported.
In a speech during a conference marking 30 years to the Islamic Revolution, Ahamdinejad reportedly implied that Iran is the top power in the Middle East. "Now the question is who has the last say in the Middle East? Well, of course, the answer is clear to every one," Ahamdinejad said.
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My Comment: An interesting choice of words from the Iranian President. Is he right? .... to a certain extent he is. With the exception of the Middle East, the only other countries in the world that are self sufficient in energy resources are Canada, Russia, Nigeria, Venezuela, and to a certain extent Mexico and Brazil. Everyone else needs to import what they lack .... and what they lack mostly comes from the Middle East.
At the moment no one actually "controls" the Middle East. There are spheres of influence and competing interests among multiple parties and governments .... the US included .... but no one can say that anyone (including the US) is the dominant player. The fear is that a country like Iran may try to assert its control and influence in the region .... US officials like National Security adviser James Jones have already expressed their concerns on Iran's intent .... but there is a difference between intent and action, and what happens in Iran in the next few years will determine if this observation and intent from the Iranian President becomes reality.