Vucic: I do not think World War Three has begun, a new era without international law is coming

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated that he does not believe the conflict in the Middle East has escalated into a third world war, but that the world is entering a new era in which, as he said, international law will no longer matter to anyone. He emphasized that it is of crucial importance for Serbia to preserve peace and stability, RTS reports.

In a telephone appearance on TV Informer, commenting on the attacks launched by Israel and the United States on Iran, after which Tehran responded with strikes on Israel and US bases in the Middle East, Vucic said he was not surprised by the development of events because, in his words, such a scenario had long been in preparation.

Asked whether he had information that an escalation would occur, Vucic said that he had been “lining up the facts”, but that he also had certain additional knowledge at his disposal.

“But to be completely honest, I also had part of the information that did not come from either the United States or Iran, but, I would say, semi official or semi formal information from a third country involved in all this, when I hinted at it,” Vucic said, adding that the attack did not surprise anyone.

He assessed that he does not believe a third world war has begun, nor that Iran has significant medium term or long term chances of defending its territory, despite attempts to resist the attacks.

“I do not think World War Three has begun. I do not think that, despite its efforts to resist the attackers, Iran has significant medium term or long term chances of defending its country and its territory. Just as I do not think this is one of those attacks that will end after a single day and that someone will say ‘ok, we have achieved our goals’. I think the attack was prepared for a long time, organized for a long time. I think enormous force has been transferred from all meridians of the world to the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf, I would say to the vicinity of the Gulf in general,” Vucic said, RTS reports.

According to him, the United States wants regime change in Iran, but he is not certain what kind of outcome would be acceptable to the American leadership.

“Also, I am not certain that President Trump would be pleased with the victory of the self proclaimed representative of the heir from the Pahlavi family. I think he would prefer the former mayor of Tehran at the helm. He would like some variant of Rodriguez, an obedient pawn who would not overly irritate the domestic public. I think that is their plan, I think they will move in that direction. And, as you can see, international law, which has long ceased to exist, will never again matter to anyone in the world. We are witnessing something that is a new era,” Vucic stated.

Speaking about the political consequences of the conflict, Vucic assessed that they will be far reaching, primarily for the Gulf, the Middle East and global relations.

“Few people believe that I am now speaking about the political consequences of everything that may happen. So, much more than about the tragedy and the victims, because it goes without saying that we mourn every life, whether in the Emirates, in Iran, in Israel or anywhere else where it may occur. I am speaking about the political consequences, and the political consequences will be such that they will be significant for the Gulf in the future, for the entire Middle East and for the whole world,” the President of Serbia said.

He also announced that in the next two or three months he will inform the public about the procurement of some of the most powerful air defense systems in the world, the kind we never even dreamed we would have.

He emphasized that the political consequences of the US and Israeli attacks on Iran will be felt because, if US plans are realized, the maneuvering space for both China and Russia will narrow and shrink, and Russia, as he said, after losing influence in Syria, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Armenia and Azerbaijan, will lose yet another friend.

“The situation in the global sky is becoming much clearer. Accordingly, we must act and understand the messages of the powerful, preserve our freedom, safeguard our autonomy and independence, peace for our children, so that our mothers do not have to worry whether their children will end up in wars, but at the same time we will strengthen our defense capabilities,” Vucic stressed, pointing out that even today it became clear how important it is to strengthen defense capacities.

He noted that the political consequences of the attack on Iran will be significant not only in the Gulf, but throughout the Middle East and the entire world, because turning Iran toward America means that America is slowly but surely gaining a dominant position in territorial terms, just as it once had.

“And showing its teeth, showing who is the only one and who is dominant in the world,” Vucic added.

Stating that, according to his information, the Emirates intercepted dozens of Iranian missiles, Vucic said that the civilian who was killed in the Emirates died from shrapnel and added that not only military facilities are being targeted, but that strikes are also occurring above cities.

He stressed that the main battle will be fought over a change of power in Iran.

“All of this is being carried out, as it was in Serbia. They lied the whole time that it was about some humanitarian catastrophe, and the essence was in two things – one as a sub step within the same point, a single point, regime change in Belgrade in 1999 and 2000, and as point two – the essence of the entire NATO action, gaining Kosovo’s independence, that is, separating 14 percent of Serbia’s territory and granting independence to that territory. So here we are dealing with an attempt to take over complete power in Iran and to ‘turn’ Iran, as they would say, toward Western values, and that completely changes the economic picture of the world,” Vucic stated.

According to him, there will be a full push to topple Khamenei, a political removal of the Iranian leader, followed by the establishment of an economic calculation that will benefit the most powerful force in the world.

“In that way Trump achieves his goals, not always in the way he spoke about them, but he is achieving his goals. Of course, all the other powers that claimed to be great are proving to be insufficiently great compared to the United States,” Vucic said.

Within that framework, he added, one can also look for the reasons behind Russia’s withdrawal from Kosovo.

“But I cannot speak publicly about that, not because someone could deny it, but because I would not want to jeopardize Serbia’s relations with the Russian Federation or any other country. As a small country, we have always been subject to bargaining, both small scale and large scale, like all other countries, and of course it would always end up the way the Americans demand. In any case, what remains for us is to embark on a strategic dialogue with the Americans and to make important decisions in relations with them,” Vucic said.

Commenting on Europe’s reaction to the attack on Iran and statements that they should never have been allowed to have anything related to nuclear weapons, Vucic said he does not know who that “God is who is authorized under international law to decide who has the right and who does not.”

He emphasized that he understands what the Israeli, Jewish people feel, because they are genuinely afraid and that is why they welcome this.

“But those various figures from Europe who have given themselves the right to determine who has and who does not have the right, that is rather hypocritical. All in all, I think this will not be the usual crisis lasting one or two days. This situation will last much longer, and not only longer in the military sense, but above all in the political sense, with far-reaching consequences for the global political scene,” President Vucic said.