Leonardo Coutinho
Washington D.C. | The international community must clearly understand that Israel’s military actions against Iranian nuclear and military facilities are defensive measures, not provocations. Contrary to claims by Iranian authorities and their allies, Israel acted in self-defense against a regime that consistently supports terrorism through groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.
Iran and its proxies not only threaten the security and stability of Israel and the Middle East, but also that of the entire world. The Iranian regime exports instability worldwide, particularly to the Western Hemisphere. The Iranian regime has repeatedly declared its intent to destroy Israel, actively pursuing nuclear capabilities, including uranium enrichment and clandestine nuclear installations.
“Israel has never advocated for the destruction of Iran as a nation or harm to its people. Conversely, the Iranian regime works relentlessly to erase Israel from existence and annihilate the Jewish people.”
– Leonardo Coutinho, Executive Director, Center for a Secure Free Society
This decisive action by Israel represents an extreme yet necessary step, driven by existential necessity, to halt Iran’s dangerous progress toward acquiring weapons of mass destruction. With the Iranian regime on the verge of developing nuclear capabilities, Israel’s preemptive operation serves not only its national security interests but also the broader regional and global commitment to peace and security. The Center for a Secure Free Society (SFS) urges the international community, particularly Latin American countries, to recognize the serious threats posed by state-sponsored terrorism and nuclear proliferation. Following the example of Argentina, Paraguay, Colombia, Honduras, and Guatemala, more nations should officially recognize Iranian proxies Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations.
These groups are not confined to the Middle East; indeed, their presence extends into Latin America, where they actively participate in transnational criminal activities such as drug trafficking, money laundering, and currency evasion. The devastating 1994 bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA), a Jewish community center in Argentina, executed by Hezbollah operatives, underscores the severity of the threat, as does their documented collaboration with local criminal organizations, further endangering the security and stability of the entire hemisphere.