What is the difference between Sunni and Shiite fundamentalists?

What is the difference between Sunni and Shiite fundamentalists?
Both are seeking to target the security of various countries. Sunni fundamentalists aim at establishing an Islamic caliphate and recognizing no borders between countries. On the other hand, Shiite fundamentalists are looking to export their so-called revolution abroad. It is interesting to know that their methods are the same and violence is the main tool of both of these groups, in a way that even places of worship have not been immune to their carnage.

The Godfather of Shiite fundamentalism is the current government in Iran, beginning in 1979 when Khomeini hijacked the Iranian revolution. It was for the first time that Shiite fundamentalism gained the powers of a government running a country. The main goal of this fundamentalism in the first stage is to take over the government in countries that have Shiite backgrounds. Therefore, Khomeini’s main and first objective was Iraq, with over 60% of the population being Shiites. This was the main reason behind the Iran-Iraq War.

The strategy of Sunni and Shiite fundamentalist groups is to target the security and governments of countries, and they recognize no political or ideological borders in their measures. Sunni fundamentalism is seeking to revive the meanings of statehood and caliphate as seen in the first years of Islam, while Shiite fundamentalism – under the banner of the mullahs’ absolute rule – seek to round up all countries in one.

Both of these fundamentalist organizations are placing their efforts to expand. Shiite groups supported by Iran cite the export of revolution to obtain their goals and interests in gaining dominance over the region; whereas Sunni movements, belonging to the idea of reviving the caliphate, pursue their goals in regional terms through Muslim countries on a global scale.

Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nassrollah said in his remarks that Lebanon is not a lone Islamic republic, adding it is actually a part of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the hidden Imam (Mahdi) and his rightful deputy, the supreme leader of Iran, rule it.
Shiite fundamentalists are present in Lebanon by the name of Hezbollah, in Iraq seen in various militia groups, in Yemen in the Houthis and in various African countries, and they have very recently started growing. Iran is the paradise of all these movements, from which they are supported ideologically, financially and in arms.

Al-Qaeda and ISIS are the two main Sunni fundamentalism groups in the Arabian Peninsula, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Libya and Egypt. Fundamentalists have pledged their allegiance to individuals such as Aimen al-Zawaheri or Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The difference between these two groups is that Shiite fundamentalism in Iran is in power of the government, while Sunni fundamentalism has not yet been able to take over a government.
Both Shiite and Sunni groups carry out terrorist attacks against civilians and various offices in different countries, and they are not limited to the countries where they are present.

Lebanese Hezbollah militias have spread their operations to the farthest corners of the globe, and are accused of being behind the Israeli Embassy bombing in 1992. In the meantime, fundamentalism groups supported by Iran cover countries across the region. Hezbollah operations Hejaz, al-Khobar and al-Jobeir, along with hijacking a Kuwaiti airliner and many others have all been associated to this group. With Khomeini coming to power in Iran, terrorist attacks in other countries were pursued through Iran’s embassies across the globe. One can refer to the 1994 Jewish center bombing in Argentina, the bombing of the US forces base in Beirut and terror operations against dissidents in France, Germany, Austria and …

Al-Qaeda, being the most significant Sunni fundamentalism group in the past few decades, has established a specific strategy for itself. Al-Qaeda targeted US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, being very similar to operations carried out by Shiite militias back in 1983 against the US embassy in Beirut. These Sunni fundamentalists also carried the 9/11 attacks in New York.

Sunni and Shiite fundamentalist groups are eager to target other sects to ignite the fire of sectarian wars and infiltrate into a country through foreign wars. This policy sees no mercy even for places of worship. Shiite militants bombed the Khalil al-Rahman mosque in Iraq’s Diyala province last year, but Sunni fundamentalists bombed Shiites mosques recently in al-Qatif and al-Damam in Saudi Arabia, and the Hazrat Sadeq mosque in Kuwait.