Another war by Israel

Israel’s air assault on Iran on Friday, targeting over 100 sites including nuclear facilities, military installations and civilian infrastructure, marks yet another reckless and cruel escalation in a region already on the brink. Let this be spelt out clearly: these were not defensive strikes in response to imminent threats but an unprovoked act of war, complete with the assassinations of top Iranian officials and nuclear scientists – an operation with all the hallmarks of a calculated provocation. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed a “bitter and painful” response. Pakistan has condemned Israel’s aggression and said that this attack violates not only Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity but also breaches the UN Charter and the fundamental principles of international law. In the latest, Iran has now announced its withdrawal from the sixth round of nuclear negotiations with the US, which was scheduled for Sunday.

There is no denying that this latest act of aggression by Israel fits into a disturbing pattern. From the ongoing genocide in Gaza to strikes deep inside Iran, Israel appears to be operating with a level of impunity that is only possible with the tacit or explicit backing of the US. While US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denied any involvement in the attack, US President Donald Trump all but confirmed that he had prior knowledge of Israel’s plans. Trump’s thinly veiled threats to Iran to "make a deal before there is nothing left" speak volumes about where Washington’s sympathies and strategic interests lie. Experts across the board have pointed out that Israel could not have executed such a broad, coordinated strike without a green light from Washington. And while public statements may offer denials, the behind-the-scenes signals tell a different story: Israel is acting as the West’s enforcer in the Middle East. This is not about Israel’s security; it is about ensuring the dominance of a Western-aligned order in the region, one in which any assertion of sovereignty by Muslim nations is treated as a threat that must be neutralised. Even Arab nations like Saudi Arabia, while issuing strong statements of condemnation, are unlikely to act beyond rhetoric. Many of these states fear a nuclear-armed Iran just as much as Israel does. Their strategic calculus, increasingly aligned with Israeli and Western interests, may lead them to quietly support actions that would have once been considered unconscionable.

This attack is a grim reminder that the so-called rules-based international order is selective in its enforcement. The very powers that lecture others on international law and human rights are silent – or complicit – when Israel breaks those same laws. No matter how much the US and the West try to hide this, the fact is that Israel is above the law, shielded from accountability by the protective umbrella of Western power. The consequences of this impunity are catastrophic. Iran, isolated diplomatically and weakened economically, may retaliate – and that would not be unwarranted at all. But the terrifying thought is that any response could trigger a broader regional war. If Israel continues its aggression with the West’s approval, we are looking at a Middle East plunged into further chaos, with ordinary people paying the price for Western imperial gamesmanship. Already, there is talk of a potential regime change in Iran – another favourite tactic of the Western playbook that has historically brought ruin rather than reform. Should that happen, the risk of civil unrest, resistance and prolonged instability becomes all but guaranteed. Can we dare hope that the world will finally confront the uncomfortable truth: that Israel’s actions are not isolated, but are part of a broader strategy backed by those who claim to stand for peace, democracy and human rights? Unfortunately, the signs are not viable. What is necessary, though, is to stop with the half-baked condemnations and instead for the world on the whole to take a clear and united stand – not just for Iran, but against the bloodlust exhibited by a rogue settler-colonial state that is out of control.