By allowing Israel to bomb Iran, Trump is pushing Tehran to go nuclear
By allowing Israel to bomb Iran, Trump is pushing Tehran to go nuclear
Donald Trump’s choice to permit Israel’s assault on Iran marks a critical misstep, potentially surpassing the consequences of George W Bush’s 2003 invasion of Iraq. That earlier conflict, which killed an estimated 655,000 people according to The Lancet, ignited a surge of extremist militants in the Islamic State group and left a major nation teetering on the brink of collapse for over a decade.
The current decision risks escalating the crisis further. With US envoys still engaged in talks with Tehran, enabling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike Iran places American credibility in a precarious light, akin to the dubious dealings of Al Capone or Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. This undermines the trust that global powers rely on, especially as the US grapples with its declining influence.
Trump and his advisors, blinded by their own strategic miscalculations, celebrated their deception with a sense of bravado. They boasted of luring Iranian diplomats into a trap, while funneling hundreds of Hellfire missiles to Israel and sharing real-time intelligence. The Israeli drones, which targeted Iranian officials in their sleep or drew them to their headquarters, were hailed as a triumph in Tel Aviv and Washington. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the “exquisite intel” provided to enable the strikes.
“Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!”
These words, posted on Truth Social, reveal a lack of foresight. The US president’s rhetoric to Iran, urging them to return to the negotiating table, seems naive when considering the nation’s long history of conflict. Iranians, a people with 92 million and millennia of cultural legacy, have endured unimaginable suffering under foreign aggression, including the devastating chemical attacks by Saddam Hussein with Western backing.
Eight years of Saddam Hussein’s war against Iran, supported by the US and Europe, left a deep scar on the nation. The Iranian military, still reeling from post-revolutionary instability, faced rapid advances by Iraqi forces in 1980. Yet, despite being outnumbered and outgunned, Iran eventually prevailed. This victory forged a resolve to build a network of armed groups, from the Mediterranean to its borders, as a deterrent against future invasions.
The National Security Decision Directive (NSDD) 114 issued in November 1983 outlined US objectives, prioritizing the protection of its military and oil interests in the Gulf. At the time, Saddam’s use of chemical weapons was deemed secondary. However, the gas attacks on Kurds in Halabja, which occurred years later, remain a haunting memory for Iranians. British diplomats, as recounted by late colleague Richard Beeston, even dismissed the scale of the tragedy, underscoring the Western apathy toward Iran’s suffering.
Iran’s “axis of resistance” may have weakened in recent years, but the scars of that brutal war endure. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Hezbollah, once mobilized for survival, now face a shadow of their former strength. Yet, the lessons of the past continue to shape Tehran’s foreign policy, reinforcing its determination to secure nuclear capabilities as a shield against future threats.