Despite being responsible for crimes that offend Western values, Iran’s regime has won support in Western countries. There has been support for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei despite his country being responsible for actions that offend Western values. In the longer term, whatever replaces the Ayatollahs – assuming there is a regime change – may be worse for the world. It is – and always has been – up to global powers, not the UN, to decide when bad actors have to be dealt to. Our choice is which global power we’d rather have policing the world.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 07, 2026 23:16 UTC