Donald Trump's war in Iran has brought conflict close to the border with Pakistan. Afterall, Iran is one of Pakistan's four neighbours. In some way or the other, all four neighbours would be affected by the United States war in Iran. Pakistan has also to be mindful of the fact that it has, after Iran, the world's second largest Shiite population. The Pakistani Shiites are very troubled by the American-Israeli attacks on Iran. They were involved in the demonstration outside the large American consulate in Karachi. They were fired upon – it is not clear whether the fire came from the American forces that were guarding the consulate or by the Pakistani forces sent to the aid of the Americans. Nonetheless, ten people were killed. Sixteen more people died in the demonstrations that went violent in other parts of the country.

Doanld Trump has made no serious effort to explain why he chose to launch a large military operation in Iran. Push by Israel may have been one reason but Isreal has the military strength to take on Iran without involvement by the United States. The Jewish state is very nervous that a nuclear-armed Iran would destroy Israel. Under no circumstances it is prepared to see Iran equip itself with nuclear arms.

That notwithstanding, American hostility towards Iran goes back to the time when Reza Shah Pehalvi, the Iranian monarch, was deposed and sent into exile. "Death to America" became a popular slogan when Iran came under the rule of Shiite clerics. One of the early hostile acts by the religious government in Iran was to raid the large........

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