ANU academic calls on Iran to take ‘serious nuclear measures’ to counter Israel
Alam Saleh has suggested in a shocking interview on Al Jazeera that ‘serious nuclear measures’ are in Iran’s best interests in the wake of its devastating defeat in the 12-day war.
An academic at Australia’s national university has suggested in an overseas interview that Iran should consider “serious nuclear measures” to counter Israel in the wake of its devastating defeat in the 12-Day War.
ANU’s senior lecturer in Middle East studies, Alam Saleh, told Al-Jazeera in the past week that Iran would never be secure if Israel could attack it without fear of “serious retaliation” and that the continuation of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear weapons program was in its best interest.
Dr Saleh’s comments led Jewish groups in Australia to question the ANU leadership’s insistence it had tackled anti-Semitic sentiments in its ranks and its longstanding role as part of Australia’s national security infrastructure.
Late on Thursday, the senior academic said his comments were “analytical”, he did not support any country having nuclear weapons, and he was merely warning Israel that its escalating military actions against Iran would lead to the Islamic Republic ramping up its nuclear ambitions.
“My argument was that if Israel increases its military pressure on Iran, it could inadvertently push Iran toward pursuing nuclear capabilities – thereby increasing the threat to Israel itself,” he told The Australian. “This was not an endorsement of such a course, but rather a caution against policies that might lead to such dangerous outcomes.”
A translation by press-monitoring organisation Memri TV of the Iranian academic’s remarks portrayed Dr Saleh warning that the ceasefire following the Iran-Israel war would be “fragile and temporary” if the Jewish state did not face the risk of “suffering greater defeats”.
“The balance of power between Iran and Israel and the US has changed now,” Dr Saleh told Al Jazeera just last week.
“If Iran wants to achieve military deterrence, it must take serious nuclear measures that will prevent such attacks.
“As long as the Israelis can attack Iran without suffering greater defeats, this will probably continue for a long time.”
Dr Saleh on Thursday defended his remarks and said he had been making an “analytical observation” about how nations responded to security threats, including using atomic weapons as the “ultimate means to prevent attacks”.
“First, I categorically oppose the development or possession of nuclear weapons by any country, including Iran,” he said. “I have repeatedly stated that Iran does not have a nuclear bomb, and it should not have one.
“I do not advocate or encourage Iran to develop nuclear weapons. On the contrary, I believe the proliferation of nuclear arms in the Middle East would be profoundly destabilising and should be prevented.”
Dr Saleh is not based in Australia and ANU did not respond to a request for comment.
The senior lecturer’s comments come months after the university’s chancellor, former foreign minister Julie Bishop, was forced to express “absolute confidence” in its under-pressure vice-chancellor Genevieve Bell amid criticism of her handling of anti-Jewish bigotry on campus.
Professor Bell has been under pressure on multiple fronts: she has had repeat appearances before parliament for her management of the pro-Palestine campus protests; there have been revelations she had a second job at Intel since her appointment as vice-chancellor; and the university has undergone restructuring in the face of budget pressures.
ANU is a key source of defence and strategic research for the Australian government.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin called for an investigation into Dr Saleh’s remarks and his classroom record, adding it was “profoundly troubling” that an academic who appeared to defend Iran’s nuclear proliferation had been employed by ANU. “It is incredible that a professor at one of our top universities is even discussing how to protect the interests of the Iranian regime,” he said. “While the regime itself does not publicly admit to pursuing a nuclear weapon, this academic is brazenly exploring how they could add more nuclear weapons to the world and to strengthen its hand by adding the threat of nuclear devastation to its arsenal.”
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein said Iran had consistently sought to destabilise the Middle East and destroy Israel, declaring that a “nuclear-armed Iran would be a disaster not just for Israel but for the entire region”. “Professor Saleh’s claims that Iran needs nuclear weapons to deter Israel are a complete inversion of reality,” Mr Rubenstein said. “The Iranian regime has long been responsible for attacks on Israel by its terrorist proxies including Hamas and Hezbollah, and last year launched two massive and indiscriminate missile attacks directly.”
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