By Nayeema Ahmad Mahjoor

If we believe that the current aggression towards Iran will change the Persians, we must be deluded. 

In fact, it will not only reshape the contours of the Middle East, especially the Gulf, but also diminish the power of the US to merely a country and Israel, the most arrogant and hubristic nation. 

That would transform the world’s geopolitics, which Washington and its allies have thus far dominated. A few more countries from the global south will take centre stage, displacing the US and other old colonial powers. 

The influence of social media has revolutionised opinions, stories, and beliefs. Mainstream media is undoubtedly a victim of the digital era, particularly amid the current global unrest. 

Iran and Israel have a long history of hostility. The recent escalation mainly arises from Israeli occupation and aggression towards Palestine, along with its ongoing policies of attacks, killings, and expansionism, which have covert support from Gulf countries, enabling espionage bases in the Middle East.

While the United States adopted a policy of intimidating Iran and strengthening Israel, it interpreted any hostility towards Israel as its own. However, nobody expected that the Jewish lobby in the United States would cross such a red line that it would compel the US President to attack Iran twice during negotiations. 

That has come as a surprise to its citizens, as reflected in recent poll results. 

The United States has not only overlooked Israel’s faults, excesses, or violations, but has also tacitly collaborated in its aggression against many neighbouring nations. It is as if the agenda to destroy the Muslim world is set by Israel for the US and its allies, and has been followed in both letter and spirit from Afghanistan to Iran. 

During the US-Iran talks in June last year, the United States immediately joined in Israel’s aggression. It announced the destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities through twelve days of air strikes. After pounding the Persians, the world believed that Iran’s nuclear enrichment was over and that no further attacks would occur in the region for the foreseeable future. However, it did not satisfy Israel, and the exposure of the Epstein files hung like a Damocles’ sword. 

To avoid further confrontation, Iran resumed negotiations, and it was believed that an agreement would likely be reached between Iran and the United States on nuclear matters. Meanwhile, another deal worth three hundred and fifty million dollars for the sale of oil was expected to be made domestically to satisfy the transactional President, which Israel strongly opposed. 

Despite the negotiations, Israel attacked Iran to prevent any semblance of closeness between Iran and the United States, sabotaging talks and subsequently pushing the United States into a war for which the Americans themselves have seen no justification.

During the two and a half years of brutality in the Gaza Strip, President Biden and then Trump’s silence, and later the inclusion of Muslim countries in the Board of Peace, no one except Iran spoke about the nefarious plan to assimilate Palestine into Israel, which would give Israel a free hand over Palestinians who are killed, tortured, and starved by the same country shielded by Washington.

Most of the US President’s close associates and supporters of ‘MAGA’ have openly criticised Israel for the first time, claiming that Israel has damaged the American image and that Prime Minister Netanyahu has overshadowed Trump. 

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The well-known journalist Carl Tuckerson sharply criticised Israel for drawing Washington into its expansionist plans in the Middle East while relying heavily on American support. He argued that Israel’s actions have damaged the United States’ global image and placed its leadership in a difficult position. “President Trump’s slogan ‘Make America Great Again’ was a hollow promise, and the claim of being a peacemaker of the world is a big lie,” Tuckerson said, tearing into Trump’s campaign pledge.

Within the US, the distorted image of President Trump was confirmed by public opinion polls. The Epstein scandal added fuel to the fire. At the same time, internationally, widespread criticism of US aggression towards Venezuela and then Iran began, with most of the European allies of the US taking a leading role for the first time.

As a result of the US and Israeli belligerence, Iran’s retaliation against more than twenty-four military bases in the Middle East came as a surprise to the Gulf countries. Neither the US nor Israel expected these attacks at all. 

Both aggressors believed that Iran would never attack its Muslim neighbours and that Tehran lacked the air power to strike so many bases at once. That assumption quickly collapsed. 

Missiles and drones created chaos across the Gulf, while the United States showed little interest in protecting its regional partners.

Iran has since clarified that it is not targeting its Muslim neighbours. According to Tehran, the strikes focused on US bases used for espionage and attacks against Iran. Iranian officials have also stated that no further assaults will be directed at neighbouring Muslim countries.

Although neighbouring countries showed patience at first, the situation changed when some attacks began to affect their civilian assets. They then issued stern warnings to Iran, stating that they reserved the right to retaliate. 

This, in turn, shows Israel’s broader aim of weakening these Muslim countries and provoking them to turn against one another.

The Gulf countries have urged the United States to cease its attacks, but President Trump has so far ignored these appeals, surprising many of Washington’s regional allies. Internal discussions about dismantling US bases have already begun, a development that could mark a turning point for the Gulf and potentially narrow the gap between Persians and Arabs.

One reality now haunts the Gulf region: the United States left Arab countries exposed while rushing missile interceptors to protect Israel, even as defensive systems in the Gulf became increasingly scarce.

It was widely understood that the United States was sacrificing certain countries to protect Israel. This decision has created significant problems, as the people of these nations are increasingly angry with their rulers. 

The U.S. military bases, which were established to exert pressure on Iran, have come under scrutiny. If this anger continues to grow, the kings and monarchs of these countries may find themselves forced to flee in the dead of night.

Currently, the world is focused on Iran and its ability to withstand aggression from the U.S. and Israel. Contrary to the expectations of these countries, Iran has demonstrated its air superiority and reiterated its intention to continue the conflict. 

Meanwhile, many nations are striving for a truce, although these efforts have so far been unsuccessful. But, surely, Iran will soon exhaust its stock of missiles and drones. Still, the decision to stand up to a superpower has not been taken lightly, especially given the support of its 90 million citizens. 

The U.S. had hoped for civil unrest as a means to achieve its goals, but that outcome has yet to materialise.

It appears that Iran is not ready for a ceasefire and remains intent on causing significant harm to Israel. In contrast, the United States is covertly pushing for an immediate end to the conflict. 

Despite this, even if Iran’s leadership were to fall, the US-Israeli aim of inciting a popular uprising in Iran and fragmenting parts of the country would still be unattained. 

Many observers believe that achieving regime change in Iran through this war may prove to be challenging.

However, there is optimism that political upheaval could occur in Israel and the United States. Nevertheless, restoring America’s image may take decades. 

This war may have weakened Iran, distorted the United States’ standing, and caused political damage to Israel. Still, it has undeniably awakened the Muslim world, which is likely to become more vigilant in reshaping, reorganising, and preserving the unity of the Ummah.

The author is a veteran broadcaster and analyst from Kashmir. She can be reached at [email protected].

© Kashmir Observer