Leon Hadar, in his article “Bombing Iran” (Cultural Revolutions, April), could not be further from the truth when he states, “A radical regime is projecting its military power, trying to destabilize the pro-American governments in the Middle East, threatening the state of Israel, and aiming to achieve regional supremacy.”

Unlike Israel, Iran has not invaded another country in 200 years, has neither nuclear weapons nor a weapons program, has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and has never been in violation of it.

The root cause of the violence in the Middle East continues to be Israel’s brutal occupation and oppression of the Palestinians, which includes land and water theft, home demolitions, targeted assassinations, mass arrests (including torture), and a strangulation blockade on the civilian population of Gaza.

The United States should trade and dialogue with Iran, a country that does not threaten our national interests.  At the same time, we should end all financial, military, and political aid to apartheid Israel, and become an honest broker for peace in the Middle East, rather than the lackey for Israel that we have been for too long.

—Ray Gordon

Venice, FL

Mr. Hadar Replies:

Mr. Gordon quotes my description of the perception in Washington and Middle Eastern capitals of the policies of Egypt (in 1956) and of Iran (in 2013) to make an argument that has very little to do with my analysis of the Israeli-American relationship then and now.  Whether the perception of Iran’s goals and capabilities reflects her real intentions and power is open to debate.  Yet the notion that Iran is ruled by a radical regime that is projecting its military power, trying to destabilize the pro-American governments in the Middle East, threatening the state of Israel, and aiming to achieve regional supremacy sounds right to me.  In any case, I agree that Iran doesn’t pose a direct threat to core U.S. security interests and that if and when Iran acquires nuclear weapons, Israeli nuclear military power could deter Tehran from using them.  And I am also in favor of a reassessment of U.S. policy in the Middle East, including with Israel.