Chapter 343: Solutions to the Iranian Problem

"Andrei, just as you once deduced, Iran's religious power has gradually stepped onto the political stage. We can even predict that Iran will establish a religious government in the future. What do you think about this? How do you think we should adjust our strategy to be most appropriate?" Andropov asked Andrei.

Iran's Pahlavi is now about to be ousted by the people, and the Iranians' calls for that leader are getting louder and louder. All of this is consistent with Andrei's previous judgment, so Andropov wants to continue listening to Andrei's analysis.

"First of all, no matter how Iran changes, it is good for us," Andre said. "After all, a pro-American government is about to step down from the historical stage. Iran's policy, whether it continues to be hostile to us or remains friendly to us, in short, as long as it is anti-American, it is good for us."

Historically, the Iranian government is indeed a weirdo. It curses the United States and the Soviet Union, but still lives a very comfortable life.

"Andrei, you said that Iran's new government is not only anti-American, but also possibly unfriendly to us?" Ustinov asked.

At the height of the Cold War confrontation, the countries caught in the middle either turned to NATO or the Warsaw Pact, and few remained independent.

Now, Andrei's assertion made Ustinov very curious.

"Yes." Andre said, "After all, our beliefs are different. Besides, the people there are fanatical. A fanatical nation is likely to do anything."

The Middle East has always been a powder keg throughout history. In later generations, those fanatical Islamic groups organized extreme religious groups that were even more inhumane.

"If Iran does not side with the United States or us, what strategic benefits will it bring to us?" Ustinov continued. Iran was originally a piece of fat meat, and it was right at the Soviet Union's fingertips. If Iran turned against the United States and then side with the Soviet Union, the benefits to the Soviet Union would be huge.

"Of course there are benefits. We will open up a passage to the Indian Ocean!" Andre analyzed calmly, "Those fanatical nations cannot be analyzed with ordinary thinking. They are anti-American, which means that the American weapons equipped in their army will not have effective logistical support. They overthrow the existing government and will not trust the existing soldiers, especially those high-tech officers and soldiers, such as pilots, who have been trained in the United States. Religious people will definitely not trust them. Moreover, they will definitely promote their own ideas of governing the country, such as using their Islam to rule the country. In this way, there will definitely be some secular forces that will be disgusted with the new policies."

As time goes by, Andre has gradually revealed a sophistication and maturity that is not commensurate with his age. Andre has thought about the Iranian issue for a long time, and now, a plan has finally matured.

"You mean, we secretly support these secular forces and let them oppose the government?" Ustinov reacted immediately.

The full implementation of Islam has reduced the status of women to an extremely low level, and many people are extremely dissatisfied with this. Andre can at least think that it should be no problem to organize a large-scale women's army. Moreover, there must be men who want to be part of it and are dissatisfied with the new extreme rule. These people will either be assimilated, eliminated, or rise up in resistance!

"However, Iran is a country with great potential for war. Can the new government be overthrown simply by supporting some people who are disgusted with the government?" Andropov asked. Most people are fanatical, and only a few are calm. How big a wave can these secular forces create?

"It would be difficult if we only rely on internal conflicts. However, Iran's spiritual leader has lofty ideals. He is not satisfied with just carrying out his rule in Iran. He wants to export the revolution and turn the entire Middle East into an extreme Islamic rule. Especially Iran's neighbor, Iraq, with which they have always had territorial disputes. Iraq's Saddam is also a powerful figure." Andre continued to analyze.

Iraq! A country that became rich due to oil. Saddam was a man with great national pride. He always claimed that Iraq's army was the fourth largest army in the world. Moreover, his pan-Arabism was also rampant. With the support of Saudi Arabia and other countries, he launched an attack on HMN, which exported revolution. The Iran-Iraq War would soon begin!

"When they are fighting to the point of being stalemate, that will be our chance. We will go south from the north and open up a passage to the Indian Ocean!" Ustinov understood Andrei's idea and said excitedly.

Open up a passage to the Indian Ocean in the south! This is the dream of many Soviet rulers! Now, the Soviet Union has broken through the blockade of the Western world in the Far East. If it can make another breakthrough in the south, the living space of the Soviet Union will be greatly increased!

And now, this opportunity is right in front of us!

"Comrade General Secretary, I suggest that the Central Asian Military District be abolished and all its troops be incorporated into the Turkestan Military District," Ustinov said to Andropov.

The Central Asian Military District includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The target of this military district's operations is China. With the easing of relations with China, the focus of operations can be shifted to the Middle East!

Controlling Iran is not just about gaining access to the south, but also about controlling the Middle East oil! Controlling the Middle East oil means strangling the neck of the Western world!

"If we want to achieve our goal, we need to sell a large number of weapons to Iraq." Andre continued to analyze calmly: "For example, our MiG-23 and MiG-25 can be sold to Iraq, and a large number of military personnel can be stationed at the same time to increase our influence on the Iraqi army."

Historically, when the Soviet Union sold MiG-25 fighter jets to Iraq, it also exported ground crew and pilots. Iraqi pilots had to act under the command of Soviet instructors. In this way, they could indirectly increase their influence in the Iraqi army, or even control the Iraqi army.

In fact, if the Soviet Union had directed the Iran-Iraq War, it would not have been as tragic as it was in history. A modern war was turned into a trench war in the World War I era, a meat grinder.

"Our ultimate goal is to split Iran, so that Iraq, Iranian secular forces and us can each occupy a piece of territory." Andre said: "With our capabilities, we are not able to occupy the whole of Iran, and the Iranians are more hostile to us."

In fact, even when it came to occupying part of Iran's territory, Andrei was hesitant in his heart. Wouldn't there be a large number of guerrillas who would ambush the Soviet army everywhere?

"But if we focus on the Iran problem, what about the Afghanistan problem?"