​Imperial war: on the war against Iran

Donald Trump came to the White House promising to end America’s endless wars. That promise now lies in ashes in West Asia. The far-right Republican, who, along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, launched an all-out war against Iran on February 28 and killed its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has proved to be one of the most reckless warmongers ever to occupy the Oval Office. Blood is on the hands of these two men — one a mercurial hard nationalist who is turning America into a rogue superpower, and the other, an expansionist ethnonationalist wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court. Mr. Trump has bombed at least seven countries in the 13 months that he has been in office. Under Mr. Netanyahu, Israel has operated far outside the boundaries of international law. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks, targeting Israeli and American bases in the Persian Gulf and Jordan, that risks widening the war. Tehran has also announced the closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz, a move that risks a global economic fallout, especially for major oil importers such as India.

To be clear, this is not a “pre-emptive” war, as Israel has claimed. There was no evidence that Iran was preparing to launch an attack. On the contrary, Tehran was involved in serious negotiations with Washington under Omani mediation. On February 27, Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said that a deal was within reach, based on Iran’s commitment not to build a bomb or stockpile nuclear material. Within hours, American and Israeli missiles struck Iran, killing its head of state and top leaders. This is not the first time that diplomacy has been overtaken by force. In 2018, Mr. Trump single-handedly sabotaged the 2015 nuclear agreement. In June 2025, while Iran was negotiating with the U.S., Israel launched a unilateral attack, triggering the 12-day war. This time, however, the attack is far more dangerous. This war is not about giving Iranians their “freedom” either, as Mr. Trump has claimed. The U.S. maintains close ties with several repressive monarchies and dictatorships, where freedom rarely enters the equation. Nor has Washington shown any qualms about Israel’s crimes against the defenceless, stateless Palestinian people. This is a war of choice, launched to eliminate an adversary and reshape the region to suit American and Israeli interests. Such thuggery cannot be accepted in the international system. The war machines of the imperial duo have already wrecked the region. Before the fire spreads further, this war must end. America should step back and Israel must be reined in. Otherwise, even the last vestige of the rules-based order will be shredded entirely.