US-UK Threats of War Against Iran

Empowering Weak & Oppressed

Editor

Dhu al-Qa'dah 29, 1440 2019-08-01

Editorials

by Editor

As we analyzed in our lead story last month, ‘US-Iran standoff: Trump trapped in own rhetoric’ the consequences of a shooting war in the Persian Gulf would be catastrophic. Only mad men would contemplate such a scenario. Washington, however, is in the grip of mad men aligned with the Zionist colonizers of Palestine who are pushing a buffoon toward war.

While the West is already waging an economic war against Iran through illegal sanctions — Tehran calls it “economic terrorism” — a shooting war would be an altogether different matter. An assortment of Zionists and Christian fundamentalists (aka neocons) are pushing for war. They believe that punishing sanctions have crippled Iran’s economy and its people are ready to rise up against the present Islamic order.

Ignorance is not a peculiar trait of the American neocons, but hubris is. They have become victims of their own propaganda. True, sanctions have hurt Iran and people are facing difficulties but it would be a complete misreading of the situation to assume that they will rise up against the system. Instead, when faced with foreign aggression, people set aside differences and rally behind the system. This is exactly what is happening in Iran.

With a 2,500-year-old history and civilization, Iranians are sophisticated and determined people. They are also imbued with the Islamic spirit of sacrifice since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. America, on the other hand, is not even 250 years old. Americans are cultural hooligans; they have no civilization. Their elites think they can bully others into submission. Their conduct is akin to a stray dog barking at a person. If the person gets scared and runs, the dog chases him but if the person stands to confront the dog, the beast puts its tail between its legs and flees.

While Americans indulge in barking, their cousins in Europe led by poverty-stricken Britain resort to rank hypocrisy. This was demonstrated yet again on July 4 when Britain illegally seized an Iranian oil tanker, Grace 1, in international waters. It was done at the behest of the US. On July 19, when Iran captured a British tanker that was violating international maritime rules in the Strait of Hormuz by turning off its transponder and dumping pollutants into the Persian Gulf, the British took offence. Are there no rules for the Europeans and Americans? Why do they dump their filth into other countries’ waters to cause an environmental disaster?

Let us recall how the latest crisis began. It did not erupt two months ago. On May 8, 2018, US President Donald Trump, influenced by the Zionist war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu, unilaterally walked away from the multilateral nuclear deal with Iran. He then escalated the crisis by imposing a raft of illegal sanctions. Iran could have abandoned its commitment under the deal, known as JCPOA, immediately but it showed strategic patience and gave the other signatories the opportunity for remedial action. Far from fulfilling their obligations, especially the European trio (UK, France, and Germany), they simply made empty promises while urging Iran to continue to uphold its commitments.

Iran’s strategic patience was misinterpreted as a sign of weakness. Fed up with US aggression and European hypocrisy, Tehran asserted its rights. On May 8, 2019, it gave 60 days’ notice to the Europeans to come up with a proper mechanism so that Iran can trade its oil and receive payments. Failing that, it would limit its adherence to uranium enrichment. Despite this, Iran increased enrichment from 3.67% to a mere 4.5%, hardly a dash toward the bomb, as some falsely claimed.

Even this limited step by Iran has riled Europe, especially Britain and France. The Brits have also intensified their aggression against Iran in the tanker war to please their American cousins.

Should the US or Britain make the mistake of starting a shooting war, they would find that Iran is fully prepared for it. In September 1980, when the Iraqi tyrant Saddam Husayn launched his war, Iran was completely defenceless. It was dependent on arms imports, even spare parts. No country in the world helped Iran defend itself. It still valiantly defended itself for eight years. In the 31-year period since, Iran has taken major strides in missile technology and developed asymmetrical warfare techniques. It also has dependable allies in the region that will stand by it just as the Islamic Republic has supported and backed them over the years.

Iran does not want war but if one is imposed on it, there should be no doubt that it will defend itself vigorously. The US and its allies, whether in Europe or the region, will not escape unscathed either.

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