Redemption

Day 677, 17:45 • Published in Iran Iran • by Rugian

If only all presidential administrations could start out this way.

Barely a week after the huge loss of Iranian territories in North America, a rebellion in Russian-held North Korea succeeded in driving the Sukhoputnye voiska Rossíyskoy Federátsi out of Pyongyang and set up a provisional government in a tiny strip of territory that borders Liaoning. The leaders of this ultimately transient state were open about their allegiance to Fortis & Co. and their desire to conduct anti-PEACE efforts in East Asia. Within hours of its rebirth, however, the nascent North Korean state was facing a declaration of war from the Iranian government. Fighting began almost instantly after it passed, and about three hours ago the Iranian Army terminated the North Korean government's rule mere days after it had begun.

At first glance, the significance of this war may not be entirely apparent. The North Koreans were mainly opposed to Russian rule in East Asia, not Iranian. Taking over Pyongyang and its outskirts means that the country will have to be on the watch for those various fringe groups that want to see North Korea back on the map. War, of course, is always an expensive investment, no matter the duration.

Indeed, from a material standpoint Iran has gained little from this small conflict. On the other hand, it cannot be overstated how beneficial this move is for the country in the long term. Having seen the various tricks that Fortis and its allies use in wartime, it should be obvious to all that a country should minimize the length of its border with pro-Fortis states as much as possible. Fortis is, if nothing else, a well-greased war machine, capable of moving thousands of soldiers into far-flung regions, including in enemy territory, within hours. Should Fortis and its allies have ever wanted to start a major conflict in Eastern Asia, Pyongyang would have been an excellent staging point. The quick action of the Iranian Armed Forces cuts that opportunity away from them.

Nor is the new territory itself without its benefits. Pyongan has always had a relatively decent agricultural base that supplies grain, and the conquest helps to make up for our recent losses in North America. Indeed, it is hard to complain about new land.

Who comes off looking best in this? In the opinion of this newspaper, the entire country did its part. With powers having been reshuffled after the fall of the Northwest Provinces, the administration quickly realized the danger of a resurgent North Korea and acted quickly and effectively. The military was given the chance to strike first this time, and the soldiers proved their mettle by almost immediately bringing Pyongyang's defenses down. President atropates comes off looking good from these past few days, and deservedly so.

Pyongyang is a positive sign that things have changed for the better. Hopefully it is a sign that the new government has a better grasp of things than the old one. Internationally, the move won't leave Fortis members shaking in their boots, but the battle does prove that Iran has teeth and is not to be casually trifled with. Hopefully the rest of the new president's reign goes as well as this.