I find it fascinating that the BBC insists on referring at every opportunity to the fight against the brutal, murderous, terror-sponsoring, repressive, undemocratic, homophobic, misogynistic Islamic Republic of Iran, as “Israel and America’s War”.

Could it be because such terminology implies that the brutal murderous, terror-sponsoring, repressive, undemocratic, homophobic, misogynistic Islamic Republic of Iran (that has a nuclear  program entirely unrelated to giving the residents of Tehran or Isfahan cheaper electricity) is only a problem for Israel, and that America has merely gone along, poodle-like because Israel asked nicely or because as the trope goes, “Jews control the US” and, of course, the world, LOL.

For the Israel-haters and left-liberal commentariat, there is an additional benefit to repeatedly calling it “Israel and America’s War”: it amplifies the erroneous idea of Israel as a hostile aggressor against those sweet, benevolent mullahs who wouldn’t dream of murdering up to 40,000 of  their own citizens to put down a popular uprising, blockading the Straits of Hormuz or launching ICBMs at their Gulf neighbors and “allies”.

Oh, wait, they have done all three which adds to my fury at hearing the BBC, apologists and vile antisemites frame this war as Israel’s “revenge” – a framing, by the way, that is conspicuously similar to the way fascists, Nazis and appeasers tried to frame the Second World War when the Nazis’ brutal repression encompassed among others, Black, Gay, handicapped and Roma people, Communists and trade unionists. And neither is this war merely a fresh round in the ongoing Middle East conflict, which Bowen, Doucet, et al like to suggest when not portraying it as “a Jewish vendetta.”

Although it is true that Israel and America are leading the charge against the belligerent, nuclear-focused, megalomaniacal imperialist Iranian regime, it is by no means “Israel and America’s War”. It is the world’s war. It is as much a fight for all mankind, as the Second World was. And for similar reasons. There is a ruthless, megalomaniacal, tyrannical, imperialist regime on the rampage (and this one has been on the rampage for half a century and is building nuclear weapons). Thus, it is imperative for the sake of all mankind – including the citizens of Iran and the Gulf States – that the forces of Good dismantle the undeniably evil, undeniably imperialist regime running the Islamic Republic of Iran as it was vital for the forces of Good to defeat Hitler and his Nazi henchmen in World War II.

So, it is very much the world’s war even if the BBC actively denies it and many people don’t realize it. And, of course the reason many people do not realize it is – somewhat paradoxically – because the Islamic Republic of Iran has spent almost 50 years and billions of oil dollars embedding a fake, anti-Israel narrative that has convinced millions of people around the globe (and many at the BBC) that teeny-tiny Israel (22,000 sq kms; population 9 million) is the “colonizer”, “usurper” and “aggressor” while the vast, murderous, implacably anti-West, brutally repressive Islamic Republic of Iran (1.65 million sq kms; pop 93 million) is somehow the  “victim.”

And yes, I know size isn’t everything, and that while Israel is small, it is also powerful. But then, it has needed to be, given that the demonstrably brutal, implacably hostile, almost nuclear Islamic Republic of Iran has been plotting Israel’s destruction for 40 years, funding deadly terrorism, deadly rockets and deadly militias such as Hezbollah and Hamas, as well, of course as being the chief architect of the Jihadist massacre and mass abductions of Oct 7 that triggered the Gaza war. And, of course, Iran has also invested heavily in radicalizing the stupid and disposable to turn them into suicidal attack dogs who will perpetrate deadly terrorist attacks in – among other places – Paris, Madrid, Rome, Manchester, Beirut, Bondi, London (on 7/7/05) and perhaps even New York on 9/11, via its links to/funding of Al Quaeda.)

Let’s also acknowledge that Iran has a nuclear weapons development program it has been lying about for decades and that fears about the maverick Iranian regime and its potential to wreak deadly havoc across the region are not new  – either in the US, in Europe or in democratic nations across the globe.

America’s position on Iran is not new. It is not a Trump obsession nor a Republican obsession. Since “students” – more likely a fledgling IRGC – stormed the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and Jimmy Carter’s Democrat Administration cut diplomatic ties with the brutally repressive regime, every US administration has believed that a nuclear-armed Iran was unacceptable.

For half a century the foreign policy of every US administration – and that includes the Democrats Clinton, Obama and Biden – has involved attempting to curb the nuclear ambitions of Iran through inspections and sanctions.

This has not been entirely successful because the US, the EU and Western democracies play by the rules, while Iran does not, and because some US administrations were less rigorous about enforcing sanctions. Also, thanks to assistance from other rogue nations such as Venezuela, Iran has evaded sanctions to move inexorably closer to weapons capability. And now, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency Iran’s stock of near-weapons grade enriched uranium increased by roughly 50 percent in the first quarter of 2025, while the flouting of rules and sanctions by Iran for four decades means that, according  to the head of the US Central Command, if it “decided to sprint toward a nuclear weapon” it could produce “enough weapons-grade material” for a simple device in one week and could have enough for 10 weapons in three weeks.” And if anyone thinks all 10 nuclear weapons would be solely destined for tiny Israel (smaller than the US State of New Jersey; would fit inside California 8 times), they are eye-wateringly delusional and clearly have no clue about regional real-politik.

So, let’s be clear. The brutal murderous, terror-sponsoring, repressive, undemocratic, homophobic, misogynistic Islamic Republic of Iran Iran was weeks away from having the capability to build nuclear weapons and had long-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching US bases and US allies throughout the region.

Let’s be even clearer and say, the USA didn’t get into this war to “help” Israel. It acted on a clear threat to the region and its own strategic interests. Calling this “Israel’s war” – or “Israel and America’s war” as the BBC repeatedly does – not only ignores 50 years of American foreign policy and ignores a nuclear program that was about to reach terrifying fruition, but deliberately ignores the deadly threat posed to the entire region. Oh yes, and helps to launder a bunch of brutal, imperialist, extremist fundamentalists willing to murder 40,000 of their own people to stay in power.

As in 1939, someone needed to act. So instead of persistently calling it “Israel and America’s war”, let’s acknowledge that it was necessary to act; ask why it has taken this long for someone to do so; and ask why the BBC is behaving like fascists and appeasers did in 1939…

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)