The first week of the new year has become both an international and a domestic anniversary for the US, being linked to two major events involving Donald Trump. Monday marked the second anniversary of the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, a division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. And Thursday was the first anniversary of the storming of the US Capitol by pro-Trump supporters. Both events have been wrapped up into a single package of condemnation of the former US president, indirectly making Soleimani a victim of Trump’s policies. This is a grave mistake. While last year’s incidents in the US capital largely only concern Americans, with the country’s justice system certain to conclude its investigations in due course, the military action against Soleimani should not become a US domestic argument, as it is bound to hurt not only US interests but also regional stability. Soleimani was not a victim of President Trump’s foreign policy, he was an attacker of peace and stability in the entire Middle East. This should not be forgotten or brushed aside for the purpose of domestic debates. He was no diplomat or resistance fighter, but a military commander who ordered and oversaw direct terrorist attacks against civilians. It is shocking, as one sees images on social media of courageous young Iranians tearing down pictures of Soleimani or graffiti on walls saying “thank you USA,” to hear Western analysts turn him into a hero for partisan political purposes. This is a shallow vision and a self-damaging one too. The Iranian regime understands very well how US domestic politics are playing out and, therefore, has been pushing its messages on the commemoration of Soleimani as direct attacks on Trump. Former Foreign Minister Javad Zarif’s tweets on the occasion were very sharp and symbolic of Iran’s capacity for interference in US domestic affairs. Zarif focused his declarations on condemning Trump. The regime knows that Zarif is appreciated within Western diplomatic circles and so his voice was used to push a Trump vs Soleimani angle to the commemoration. It is a smart move by the regime, as it indirectly signals to the current US administration, as well CNN and the like, that they are on the same side and Trump is the only enemy. The fact is that this regime is the true enemy and the main source of regional and global terror. The fact is that this regime is the true enemy and the main source of regional and global terror Khaled Abou Zahr The Iranian regime has carefully based this campaign on these themes with the objective of putting pressure on the nuclear negotiations. Some Western media outlets have been supporting this Iranian momentum by pushing the image of Soleimani as a resistance fighter. They are simply playing into the Iranian regime’s hands. It is also why Tehran has called on the UN to take formal action against the US. It is all about putting pressure on the talks in Vienna. Iran states that Soleimani was on a diplomatic mission to Iraq when a US drone hit his convoy as it exited Baghdad airport on Jan. 3, 2020. No mention was made of the Iraqi militias he directly commanded, which were killing innocent protesters at the same time. Or of his decades of targeting US and Western diplomatic posts with terrorist activities. Or of the terrorist attacks in Argentina and other corners of the world. These are Soleimani’s real doings. Iran’s campaign is also trying to push on Western opinion that Iran and Soleimani are the protectors of Christian minorities; starting in Syria, where they protected Christians against the evils of Daesh. This is also a lie, as there is no difference between Daesh and Hezbollah or the other Iranian proxies. They are all terrorists and extremists. They did not save Syria or Iraq from Daesh, they supported the creation of this monster to save Bashar Assad. The Quds Force has the blood of thousands of Syrian children on its hands. Western media outlets relaying this vision of Iran and its proxy in Damascus as the protectors of minorities are painting a sad vision for the future of the Middle East. Christians and all other religious and ethnic groups belong to this region; it is their home. They should not and would not need anyone’s protection if it were not for expansionist activities such as those of the Iranian regime. Western politicians should no longer allow the use of international files as marginal tools for partisan political battles. They should stop allowing evil regimes to influence domestic policy. It is also important for the West to highlight the evil doings of the Iranian regime, as well as the fact that Soleimani was a ruthless enemy with the blood of innocent people on his hands. Washington analysts turning him into a hero or symbol of resistance is simply dangerous. The fact that Tehran has for decades been using violence to block any peace initiative in the region should also be highlighted. And it should be clearly stated that the Iranian regime is not a victim, but is in fact supporting terrorism through its expansionist policies. A case in point is that the mullahs in Tehran will end this week of ceremony by displaying their missile capabilities on Friday. This shows that the Iranian regime only has a message of violence and threats for its neighbors. The US should not fall for Tehran’s narrative. • Khaled Abou Zahr is chief executive of Eurabia, a media and tech company, and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi. Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News" point-of-view