In my last post but one I wrote:
The war with Iran sought by an Israel fast running out of options, ideas and indeed any discernible strategy (since ethnic cleansing and genocide do not a strategy make, nor does the goal of a Greater/Biblical Israel) and by the Neocons of both parties in the US duopoly masquerading as a democracy, would be reckless in the extreme.
That’s purely on consideration of Iranian capability, i.e. before we even get to the reality that China, half of whose oil passes through the Hormuz Strait, could not stand idly by in the face of attempted regime change in the Islamic Republic.
Three points. One, Israel is flailing with heightened recklessness. A truth apparent from the start of the genocide – that with no off-ramp, the ethno-state’s sole chance of survival is to bring the US into a wider war – applies now with greater force. Two, in this thirst for epic confrontation with Iran, Israel is in accord not only with Christian Zionism, and other elements of America’s far Right, but with the more structural needs of a waning hegemon similarly running out of options. Three, it is vanishingly unlikely that a US-Israeli attack on Iran could succeed by conventional means, but to conclude on this basis that it therefore will not happen is to misread both the severity of empire crisis, and the otherwise unthinkable measures those at its helm might be prepared to take.
Note: I do not say it will happen, simply that none of the known facts enable us to rule it out – least of all on the ground that the consequences would be catastrophic. Meanwhile, focused as I am on the second of my two parter on Syria, Caitlin Johnstone, writing today, has the floor.
Staring Down The Barrel Of War With Iran Once Again
It’s so stupid that this keeps happening. This could all be avoided by the US simply ceasing to support the genocidal apartheid state of Israel no matter what it does.
Well it looks like the US is on the precipice of war with Iran again.
US officials are telling the press that they anticipate a potential impending Israeli attack on Iran while the family members of US military personnel are being assisted with evacuation from bases in the region.
This comes as Tehran issues a warning that it will strike all US military bases within range of its missiles if it comes under attack. There are reportedly some 50,000 US troops in 10 bases which could come under fire should this occur.
The US is also evacuating its embassy in Iraq, and has authorized the departure of non-essential personnel from its embassies in Kuwait and Bahrain.
Asked by the press about the evacuations, President Trump said, “they are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place, and we’ll see what happens. We’ve given notice to move out.”
Trump is openly declaring a willingness to strike Iran if nuclear negotiations fall through, while saying he is now “much less confident” that any deal will be made. In an interview published on Wednesday, he said:
If they don’t make a deal, they’re not gonna have a nuclear weapon; if they do make a deal they’re not gonna have a nuclear weapon too … it would be nicer to do it without warfare, without people dying.
If the US backs an Israeli attack on Iran and then Iran retaliates by killing a bunch of US military personnel, we could be looking at a full-scale direct war between the US and Iran.
As I’ve said in this space many times before, this would be the absolute worst-case nightmare scenario for the middle east, unleashing horrors that dwarf all the other terrible abuses currently happening in the region. As Trump’s now-Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said in 2019 (back when she publicly opposed Trump’s warmongering), “What is important is that the American people know a war with Iran would make the war in Iraq look like a cakewalk.”
It’s so stupid that this keeps happening. This could all be avoided by the US simply ceasing to support the genocidal apartheid state of Israel no matter what it does. The fact that Washington has continued to pour weapons into Israel despite all its warmongering and genocide since 2023 means the US supports everything that Israel has been doing.
If a war with Iran does occur, you will doubtless hear western pundits and politicians trying to spin this as America getting “drawn into” another war in the middle east, or Trump being tricked or manipulated into war. But make no mistake: the US could have turned away from this path at any time, and still can.
If this Pandora’s box is opened, it will be because the US empire knowingly chose to open it.
* * *
Latest from Alistair Crook on the Judging Freedom channel…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R64wUTaYsSk&ab_channel=JudgeNapolitano-JudgingFreedom
…..after first commenting on the Ukraine situation, at around 9 minutes 50 seconds…..
“Well, where we are, Wednesday night……..Witkoff delivered some remarks at the annual gala of the United [indecipherable] held on Wall Street, New York, attended by about a thousand one hundred guests……..and he said, quote:
‘Iran must never be allowed to enrich uranium or develop any nuclear capability. A nuclear Iran is an existential threat to Israel. Iran possessing large quantities of missiles is no less an existential threat than the nuclear threat. And it is an existential threat to the US, to the World, and to all Gulf States.’ end of quote…….
…..I saw a few videos and people seemed to be almost dancing in glee with what he was saying. Getting up and sort of slapping everyone. Almost, I mean, dancing in the isles in happiness with what he was saying.
So you ask me where we are, I think we’re going backwards.”