PNN – Sylvia Boltuk, founder and executive director of the Special Eurasia Institute, says in an exclusive interview: The current goals are twofold: to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran and remove the Palestinians from the territories that belong to them under international law. According to Israeli leaders, once these goals are achieved, the next step will be to attract Western investment and strengthen strategic partnerships so that Israel can emerge as the West’s regional arm in the Middle East. At the same time, they also intend to target Pakistan and its nuclear program.
Sylvia Boltuk, founder and executive director of the Special Eurasia Institute, takes a geopolitical look at the Zionist regime’s aggressive behavior in this exclusive interview, evaluating the regime’s recent attacks on Iran, Gaza, and Lebanon not as isolated military actions, but rather as part of a grand project to dominate energy resources, expand territory, and overthrow governments. According to him, by preventing the recognition of the state of Palestine, Tel Aviv is trying to maintain its monopoly on the exploitation of the gas resources of the Mediterranean Sea and consolidate its position in the new world order.
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Boltuk sharply criticizes the West’s selective silence, portrays Europe as an opportunistic accomplice in these crimes and Israel as the base of Western interests in the region. He criticizes the Western media for biased narratives and the distortion of public opinion to justify baseless policies, and warns of the serious dangers of escalating nuclear tensions, legal double standards, and long-term instability. Referring to the killing of civilians in Iran and Gaza, the Italian analyst calls for the prosecution of the perpetrators of the crime and the return of human conscience to cold geopolitical calculations. Read the full text of this exclusive interview below.
We must distinguish between the various objectives that are raised in this context, although they are all part of a broader, interconnected, strategic framework.
In the case of Gaza and the West Bank, the elimination of the Palestinian population has always been a central part of Israeli policy. The regime’s leaders have never truly sought a model for peaceful and equal coexistence between Palestinians and Israelis. This long-standing view has shaped the way the Zionist regime approaches territorial and population management in the occupied territories.
Despite repeated negotiations and offers, Israel has never allowed the Palestinians to exploit the Gaza Marine gas field and has always blocked its development on the pretext of the possibility that its revenues could be used to finance terrorism — while Israel itself has openly admitted that it has supported Hamas for years as a counterweight to the PA.
In March 2023, Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his country was ready to export gas to Europe via Italy. In a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, he presented Israel as a potential partner in transforming Italy into a Mediterranean energy hub. Given the huge profits Italy has made from arms sales to Israel, Rome’s political alignment with Tel Aviv is understandable.
As for BP, it should be noted that the company is currently operating in two areas that overlap with Iran’s geopolitical concerns: the Gaza offshore gas field, and the Karabakh region, which came under Baku’s control after the Republic of Azerbaijan’s military takeover from the Armenians. From Tehran’s perspective, close strategic relations between Israel and the Republic of Azerbaijan are openly viewed as counter-intuitive to the interests of Iran and Armenia, although Iran has so far tried to maintain its relations with Baku within a stable and neighborly framework.
The historical dimension of this issue is also important. The Anglo-Iranian Petroleum Company (formerly BP) was a key member of the “Seven Sisters” oil cartel. The nationalization of Iran’s oil industry by Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh was intended to restore Iran’s sovereignty over its resources, but this effort was thwarted in a coup led by British and American intelligence services in 1953. This event was one of the first and clearest examples of foreign intervention aimed at controlling resources in Iran.
Israel has clearly demonstrated its ability to conduct precision military operations with minimal collateral damage. Therefore, the systematic targeting of civilian infrastructure in Iran cannot be considered a random or mistaken act, but rather a calculated part of a broader strategy. The ostensible goal of this strategy is to destabilize the Islamic Republic from within, by inciting people to revolt and gradually collapse from the bottom up. Within this framework, an attempt is made to drive the Iranian people into a state of despair and dissatisfaction and to present the ruling revolutionary system as the main cause of their suffering and difficulties, in order to facilitate regime change from within. This narrative is being heavily reinforced on social media, particularly by Reza Pahlavi, the former crown prince who lives abroad. From a principled perspective, the Iranian people should be free to choose the type of government they want without foreign interference, pressure, or the bitter experience of bombings that destroy their cities and jeopardize their collective future.
Some European countries, such as Ireland and Spain, have supported the rights of the Palestinian people for years. In recent months, a number of EU member states have taken a more assertive stance. Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Slovenia have formally called on the President of the European Commission, Kaia Kallas, to halt EU trade with Israeli settlements. Similarly, Norway, Malta, Slovenia and Iceland have issued public statements saying they “will not remain silent in the face of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza” and have called for the lifting of the blockade. France has also issued strong statements calling for an end to Israel’s “blind violence” and the ongoing blockade, even threatening sanctions and preparing to recognize a Palestinian state.
The reasons for Europe’s broad and unconditional support for Israel seem largely opportunistic. In particular, Germany and Italy—two countries that have consistently refused to condemn the mass killing of civilians, especially children, in Gaza—are also the two main suppliers of arms and logistical support for Israel’s military operations in Europe. The second, more hidden factor is fear. Israel has a significant presence in European political and intelligence circles. There have been credible reports of Israeli espionage operations for extortion purposes, including documented cases of targeting Italian politicians and journalists. In such an environment, many prefer to remain silent to protect their professional standing and personal safety.
However, it must be made clear that the responsibility for the ongoing crimes in Gaza does not lie solely with the West. The Arab League countries have sufficient geopolitical power to pressure Western powers to prevent the continuation of what increasingly resembles ethnic cleansing. However, these countries have largely prioritized their strategic interests—economic partnerships, regional stability, or political alignment—over the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to defend themselves and their land.