Iran, America, And The Myth of Controlled Escalation

We are living in dangerous times. The world is on the edge. The rule-based international order stands badly mauled. The foreign and security policy of the superpower is in disarray and thoroughly under the spell of Zionist lobbies, which function in tandem with the Israeli administrations. The previous USA Presidents withstood Tel Aviv’s pressure for the invasion of Iran. President Donald Trump did not resist Netanyahu’s anti-Palestine and anti-Iran enmity. He invaded Iran without any exit plan or clear objectives. A two-month war has exposed the limits of the USA’s military power and isolated it in the world. President Donald Trump, in his first term, terminated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that was so laboriously evolved by the Obama administration to find a negotiated solution to Iran’s nuclear programme. In his second term, he coalesced with Israel to deceitfully impose the war on Iran in June 2025, and on 28 February 2026, while holding talks with the latter. According to Omani intermediaries, both sides were close to agreeing to a deal. Netanyahu, in all probability, was against a negotiated solution to the issue, and conned Donald Trump into invading Iran again. In the two-week war in June 2025, the coalition bombed Iran ferociously, assassinating its senior military officials and nuclear scientists, and pounded its three known nuclear sites using B2 bombers, with President Donald Trump boasting about the total annihilation of Iran’s nuclear programme. Later, the International Atomic Energy Commission cast doubts on his claim, reporting no emission of radiation from these nuclear sites. Iran was re-engaged in talks. Under the guise of talks, the coalition made preparations for a decisive attack on Iran. The publicly declared objectives of the war included annihilation of the clerical regime; termination of Tehran’s nuclear programme; and Iran’s renunciation of support to its proxies such as Hezbollah, Houthis, Hamas and militant organisations in Iraq. Pakistan And The Architecture Of Controlled Stability Earlier, they tried to replay the drama of public uprising against the clerical regime, re-inventing the precedent of the CIA-sponsored public demonstrations for the overthrow of Prime Minister Muhammad Mossadegh in 1953. Thus, the real objective of the invasion was to destroy the Islamic regime and plant a pliable leadership in Tehran to abet the Jewish project of ‘Greater Israel’ instead of resisting it. The greatest hurdle in this project was the clerical regime, indeed. President Trump’s psychological warfare will not do the trick. He has trumped all his cards except for one: declare victory unilaterally, and exit the war, saving humanity from the horrors of a Third World War Israel wanted the elimination of this hindrance through regime change, while Donald Trump eyed the oil and gas of Iran, like those of Venezuela. Empires have never abandoned their rapacious urge for resources. They have only changed their methods, inventing new narratives for capturing resources of smaller and less powerful countries in the name of democracy, human rights and freedom of the people. Notwithstanding the economic sanctions imposed on it, Iran has never remained oblivious to the hostility of Israel and the USA for the past 46 years. It was prepared to defend itself against any military onslaught by them. The first wave of airstrikes on Iran on 28 February was unprecedented in intensity and precision, and eliminated its entire senior military and political leadership, besides 180 innocent girls whose school was mistaken for a strategic site. Over eleven thousand targets were bombed in the first two weeks of the war. Any other nation could hardly have survived such an intensive attack. The Iranian people stood like a rock to the chagrin of their enemies. Their effective war strategy did not concede a single war objective to the invaders. Conversely, within a few weeks of active confrontation, Iran forced the aggressors to plead for a ceasefire and restart talks mediated by Pakistan. The ceasefire, though fragile, has survived the blusters, threats, and abusive and bellicose statements of President Trump and Israel’s provocative spoiling game in southern Lebanon. However, the belligerence of Donald Trump and his fast-shifting goals, combined with the spoiling spanners of his sidekick boy, have slowed the pace of the talks. By hook or by crook, they seek total surrender of Iran. This reflects their arrogant approach to the talks. The Illusion Of Liberation In Iran And The Western Freedom Myth Do they have the possibility of collapsing Iran? They are militarily and economically strong. All other factors, including the isolation of the USA, the potential recession in the global economy, the USA public aversion to distant wars, the rising inflation, the growing unpopularity of President Trump, and the potential defeat in the midterm elections, constitute strong incentives for the USA leadership to force President Trump to exit the war. Iran, given its strategic depth with its 1. 6 million square kilometre landmass and challenging topography, the civilisational pride and high threshold of public endurance, the large fighting force comprising the national army, IRGC and other militias, could fight for decades instead of surrendering. The USA has blockaded the Persian seaports to strangle Iran economically and financially. At the same time, the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is also disrupting the trade of the Gulf States and the global economy. Iran survived severe economic sanctions for four decades. This economic aggression, though hurting more than previous sanctions, will not cripple it. There is mounting pressure on the USA to open the Strait to avert any economic chaos in the world, apart from food shortages. This is reflected in Donald Trump’s recent efforts to open the Strait by force against the advice of the Pentagon. Would any shipping company or country use the Strait under the shadow of battling gunboats? The other card with the USA is to resort to decisively devastating airstrikes to demoralise the Iranian military and political leadership, creating chaos and anarchy for a violent regime change, and the surrender of the Iranian nation. This will usher the entire region into decades of violence, militancy and instability. The USA’s firepower has failed to collapse the Iranian nation. President Trump’s psychological warfare will not do the trick. He has trumped all his cards except for one: declare victory unilaterally, and exit the war, saving humanity from the horrors of a Third World War. Israel–Iran Escalation Signals A Dangerous Collapse Of Global Restraint

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