Editorial: Trump drags US into war

The latest strikes are bound to trigger a fierce response as Tehran has vowed to strike at the American bases in the Middle East

By ditching diplomacy and directly wading into the Israel-Iran war, the United States has expanded the theatre of conflict in the Middle East with dangerous consequences. American warplanes and submarines attacked three key nuclear sites in Iran, including the highly fortified Uranium enrichment facility hidden in a remote mountainside at Fordo, prompting fears that the conflict could rapidly get out of control—with catastrophic implications for the region and beyond. For the first time, America has dropped bunker-busting bombs to cripple Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. It is reported that six B-2 bombers dropped 12 bunker-buster bombs on Fordo, and Navy submarines fired 30 cruise missiles at Natanz and Isfahan. This has brought America directly into Israel’s war, whose objective is to completely eliminate the nuclear threat from Tehran. The next steps in the spiralling conflict are hard to predict. The latest strikes are an extraordinary turn for a military that was supposed to be moving on from two decades of forever wars in the Middle East, and they put the United States back on war footing. This is bound to trigger a fierce response as Tehran has vowed to strike at American bases in the Middle East. About 40,000 U. troops are currently stationed across the region, along with billions of dollars in weapons and military equipment. Iranian leaders might face pressure for full-fledged retaliation, such as by striking American bases. The escalatory spiral could quickly get out of hand. Thousands of American troops could be in Iran’s direct line of fire by Iran and its allies.

During the election campaign, Trump repeatedly said he was opposed to America engaging in any conflicts overseas. Even after Israel began its bombing campaign, he gave indications of his willingness to pursue diplomacy with Iran. Only two days ago, Trump said he would give Iran two weeks to enter into substantial negotiations before striking. Now, the Trump administration is bracing for possible retaliation from Iran. His supporters argue that diplomacy was not working, with Iran standing firm on its right to enrich uranium. Sceptics of military intervention were, however, hoping that Trump would take steps to prevent the US from being dragged into a wider war. If Iran kills any Americans in its retaliatory attacks, Trump would be under pressure to respond with still more force, triggering a potential cycle of escalation. Historically, Iran has committed itself to bringing ‘Death to America’ and wiping Israel off the map, and has rejected all diplomatic pathways to peace. The US strikes came at a time when the cleric-run Iran is at one of its weakest points since the 1979 Islamic revolution toppled the pro-Western shah. Since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas, which enjoys Iran’s support, Israel — besides obliterating much of Gaza — has decimated Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Tehran’s proxy.

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