Amna Nasir Jamal
Wars often spiral beyond initial intentions, and even the Trump Administration has avoided acknowledging that it may have already initiated one.
The United States’ invasion of Iraq on March 19, 2003—dubbed Operation Iraqi Freedom—marked a pivotal moment in modern geopolitics, with consequences that still reverberate across the globe. Today, many Americans believe that “we should never have gone to war with Iraq.” However, the US military used 125 aircraft, including seven B-2 stealth bombers, in a coordinated air operation known as Operation Midnight Hammer, betraying earlier promises to stay out of Middle East conflicts. In violation of international law and the United Nations Charter, particularly Article 2(4) [which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any nation] being a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the United States targeted the Fordo uranium enrichment plant as well as facilities in Natanz and Isfahan.
Donald Trump stated in his tweet that “there are many targets left.” The strikes involved the employment of fourteen GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, which are 13,000 lb bunker buster bombs that can penetrate deep layers of soil and concrete. Iran launched retaliatory missile strikes on areas in Tel Aviv and Haifa within hours of the US attack. The Fordow nuclear plant in northwest Iran is a fortress—widely regarded as the nation’s most sophisticated and heavily fortified nuclear facility. Built beneath a mountain approximately 300 feet underground and reinforced with multiple layers of concrete, the site is virtually impenetrable by anything other than the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). According to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), the situation remains under control, and all necessary precautions have been taken following the US strikes on Iranian nuclear installations.
In response to the US assaults on Iranian nuclear installations on June 21, the Iranian Parliament has voted in favour of closing the Strait of Hormuz—one of the world’s most critical chokepoints for oil transport. This narrow passage connects the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. At its narrowest point, the strait is approximately 21 miles wide, with two shipping lanes about two miles wide in each direction. While Iran has consistently asserted its ability to close the Strait, it cannot be shut down in the conventional sense, like a road. Instead, Iran could seek to render the waterway too dangerous for commercial shipping, thereby disrupting global trade. In parallel, the Iranian Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy and National Security has also called for Iran’s withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The question is why there was such military aggression against Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity when Trump wanted the war in Gaza to end. What was the reason for this diplomatic betrayal when Trump cautioned Netanyahu against doing anything that would jeopardize his Administration’s nuclear negotiations with Iran? In order to strengthen his self-proclaimed reputation as a peace broker, the US President was “eager to close a deal.” His Ambassador, Steve Witkoff, expressed his suspicions, fatigue and dissatisfaction with Netanyahu and his deceit during his diplomatic visit to the Middle East. After Trump’s unexpected declaration in May that the US would cease attacking the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, provided they ceased firing on US cargo ships in the Red Sea, Israel was already “feeling particularly sensitive.” Additionally, the group freed Edan Alexander, a US-Israeli national, the only surviving American hostage after direct talks between the US and Hamas.
Israel started striking Iranian targets when the US and Iran were discussing on Iran’s nuclear program, perhaps using the negotiations as a pretext to surprise Iran. Given that it has joined Israel’s war, Iran is unlikely to view the US as a reliable bargaining partner. With billions of dollars in military aid each year, the United States is Israel’s closest ally. The United States and Iran have maintained tense, mistrustful relations for the past forty years after their diplomatic ties broke off after the Iranian Revolution of 1979. The Party for Socialism and Liberation asserts that Americans do not desire another unending conflict. The American people desire money to meet their wants. Additionally, demonstrations against the US military’s engagement in Iran are anticipated to continue throughout the week in cities all around the nation, including those in New York and outside the White House on June 22.
Since they believe that now is the time for Muslim states, regional institutions and civil society organizations to organize coordinated diplomatic and economic responses, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have all released separate statements expressing concern over the US’s brutal military aggression and diplomatic betrayal. They have also emphasized the risk of radioactive contamination from attacks on nuclear facilities. 22 countries with a majority of Muslims, including those that are at odds with Iran and have diplomatic ties to Israel, have issued warnings that further escalation might spark a wider regional confrontation and destabilize the Middle East.
—The writer is contributing columnist.
(amnanasirjamal2003@yahoo.com)
